Father Matthew Wiering Podcast

In today's Gospel, the disciples of John the Baptist, who is in prison, deliver a surprising message to Jesus: "Are you the one who is to come or should we look for another?"

All of the saints carried the Cross of Jesus, as he promised they would. St. John the Baptist's was not only suffering imprisonment and martyrdom but also the painful experience of the darkness of doubt.

John shows us what we must do when our soul is suffering...

Our Gospel reading for this 1st Sunday of Advent focuses us on Jesus's Second Coming, and he compares it to the flood of Genesis. He says that people were going about their business, doing their normal tasks, and suddenly they were swept away. This is the mean of when Jesus gives us the image of the two men in the field and the two women grinding at the mill. One is taken and the other is left. There is no external difference betwe...

It's interesting for us as Americans to celebrate the solemnity of Christ the King because our very identity as Americans is based on the rejection of kingship. If the experience of our forefathers told them that submission to a king limited their freedom, then wouldn't we ourselves be suspicious of any outside claim on our autonomy and freedom? But indeed, this is what the Church teaches we owe Christ our King: Our time, our money...

Today we have the unique opportunity of celebrating the Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica, the Cathedral of Rome. Our readings today zoom in on the Temple, and in our first reading we are privileged to hear the vision of the prophet Ezekiel of the healing waters flowing from the side of the New Temple. In John's Gospel, Jesus is revealed to be the New Temple, and at the end of John's Gospel, water in addition to blood...

The parable we hear today, in which an arrogant judge gives justice to a widow only because he gets sick of her asking him, is similar to another parable in Luke's Gospel. There, a man refuses to get out of bed to assist his neighbor in the middle of the night. Jesus simply concludes, "If the man doesn't get up to help his neighbor because of their friendship, he will because of his persistence." I.e. He will get tired of the knock...

Today's fascinating Gospel is full of symbolism and vivid details that stick with us as we grapple with the meaning of Jesus' story and reflect on its implications for our lives... A rich man lives in lavish luxury, and he does nothing to help the impoverished man who is, literally, lying in his doorway. The rich man did not share with the poor man, and he was judged accordingly. Who is the needy person whom God has put in front of...

Today's first reading from the Old Testament is very strange. The people Israel sin against the Lord, and, as a result, serpents invade the land and bite the people, killing many. As a remedy, the Lord directs Moses to make a serpent out of bronze and mount it on a pole; whoever gazes at the bronze snake will be healed. It wasn't until the Passion and Death of Jesus that this mysterious episode was better understood: Just as the pe...

Our readings today revolve around the theme of humility, and this gives us the opportunity to reflect on the place of pride in our lives. The question we will focus on today is, "Am I willing to ask for the help that I need?" Am I willing to be vulnerable before others? Our experience (and the Scriptures) tells us that, when we are willing to share our struggles openly and honestly, we are loved more, not less. By God and by the pe...

Today Jesus's Gospel message challenges us! He tells us that he did not come to bring peace but rather "division", particularly between family members. To understand this difficult teaching, we explore what Jesus means at the beginning of the passage when he says, "I have come to set fire to the earth!" The Scriptures and the Tradition often speak of God as fire, and as we get close to Him, we will experience the effects of fire: i...

The expression "gird your loins" comes up a number of times, most notably in the account of the Passover. Israel must be ready to be on the move, to get to work, at the moment the Lord commands. It makes sense, then, when Jesus tells his disciples to gird their loins. They too must be vigilant and ready to get to work, waiting for his arrival and command. But for Jesus to gird his loins? This means that the master has become the se...