Sunday Homilies with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Homily from the Solemnity of All Saints.

The goal is not flawlessness. The goal is Union.

The saints are our heroes, but not because they lived without wounds, weaknesses, or struggles. They remind us of what is possible when we allow ourselves to be transformed by God's grace. Despite their imperfections, they continued to say yes to God: they continue to run alongside us. And they will encourage us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus.

Mass Readings from November 1, 2026: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6John 3:1-3

Matthew 5:1-12a

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I will not be able to give God everything until I begin giving God the first thing.

We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. But where do we begin? We begin by giving Him something: the first of our time, a small sacrifice, or an intentional act of generosity. These ordinary acts of love over time prepare our hearts for the extraordinary moments when we may be called to give Him everything. Every great act of love begins somewhere: we just have to start.

Mass Readings from October 25th, 2026: Exodus 22:20-26 Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 511 Thessalonians 1:5c-10

Matthew 22:34-40

Homily from the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I will not be able to give God everything until I begin giving God the first thing.

We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. But where do we begin? We begin by giving Him something: the first of our time, a small sacrifice, or an intentional act of generosity. These ordinary acts of love over time prepare our hearts for the extraordinary moments when we may be called to give Him everything. Every great act of love begins somewhere: we just have to start.

Mass Readings from October 25th, 2026: Exodus 22:20-26 Psalm 18:2-4, 47, 511 Thessalonians 1:5c-10

Matthew 22:34-40

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

That means that it belongs to Him.

Jesus tells us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to give to God what belongs to God. But if a coin bears Caesar's image, whose image do we bear? We were created in God's image and purchased at a price. Before we ever knew Him, we already belonged to Him. We are not our own, and we are not on our own.

Mass Readings from October 18, 2026: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-101 Thessalonians 1:1-5b

Matthew 22:15-21

Homily from the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

That means that it belongs to Him.

Jesus tells us to give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to give to God what belongs to God. But if a coin bears Caesar's image, whose image do we bear? We were created in God's image and purchased at a price. Before we ever knew Him, we already belonged to Him. We are not our own, and we are not on our own.

Mass Readings from October 18, 2026: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6 Psalm 96:1, 3-5, 7-101 Thessalonians 1:1-5b

Matthew 22:15-21

Homily from the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

I believe that God exists, but I do not live as if God exists.

Sometimes we become so comfortable with our words, our schedules, and our everyday choices that we ignore God's invitation to a life-changing relationship with Him. God has made Himself ignorable for the sake of love: but love pays attention. The remedy is to invite Him into each and every moment and ask, "God, right now, how would you have me be?"

Mass Readings from October 11, 2026: Isaiah 25:6-10 Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20

Matthew 22:1-14

Homily from the Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Concern asks, "What can I do?" Worry asks, "What if?"

Worry can feel useful, responsible, even protective. But it keeps us rehearsing futures we cannot control. Concern moves us toward the next right thing. We can do what is ours to do, give God what we cannot control, and choose hope: not because we know what tomorrow holds, but because we know that God will be there.

Mass Readings from October 4, 2026: Isaiah 5:1-7 Psalm 80:9, 12-16, 19-20Philippians 4:6-9

Matthew 21:33-43

Homily from the Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Training ourselves to notice the negative.

Many of us have a default stance to notice the negative. When it comes to our assessment of ourselves or of any given situation, our default setting can often be complaint. And yet God calls us to rise above, to stop noticing the negative and begin approaching His world with wonder and praise.

Mass Readings from September 27, 2026: Ezekiel 18:25-28 Psalms 25:4-9Philippians 2:1-11

Matthew 21:28-32

Homily from the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

God does not owe me anything.

Entitlement does not always look like entitlement. Sometimes, it simply feels like getting what we deserve. Whether it comes from pride or pain, we can believe that we are owed more. But grace is, by definition, an undeserved gift. The cure for entitlement is to stop asking what we are owed and to start asking what God has entrusted to us...and then receive it with gratitude.

Mass Readings from September 20, 2026: Isaiah 55:6-9 Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a

Matthew 20:1-16a

Homily from the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

There's angrily resisting reality...and there is saying "yes" to Life.

Anger as a Blind Spot doesn't necessarily mean "rage" or "seething". But sometimes the Blind Spot os anger is the subtle, chronic disposition towards Life. Rather than responding to Life, a person can choose to embrace the attitude of resenting Life.

Mass Readings from September 13, 2026: Sirach 27:30—28:7 Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12Romans 14:7-9

Matthew 18:21-35

Homily from the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Gossip is speaking of someone else's faults and flaws with no intention to help them at all.

Gossip can be easy to recognize when someone else is doing it—and surprisingly difficult to see in ourselves. There are times when we need to speak about another person’s faults. But when there is no intention to help them, our words reveal a blind spot of our own.

Mass Readings from September 6, 2026: Ezekiel 33:7-9 Psalm 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9Romans 13:8-10

Matthew 18:15-20

Homily from the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time.

You cannot become the person you were meant to be without the Cross.

No one likes to lose. But there is a difference between getting beaten and forfeiting. Because Jesus has won, the only way we can lose our souls is if we forfeit.

Mass Readings from August 30, 2026: Jeremiah 20:7-9 Psalm 63:2-9Romans 12:1-2

Matthew 16:21-27

Homily from the Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time

He gets to reveal Himself to me long before I get to have an opinion of Him.

Every one of us will have our own Caesarea Philippi, our place where we must answer the question, "Who do you say that Jesus is?" Who will we say? Will we point to a Jesus who is merely our own particular version of Christ? Or will we actually know the true Jesus?

Mass Readings from August 23, 2026:Isaiah 22:19-23 Psalm 138:1-2, 2-3, 6, 8Romans 11:33-36

Matthew 16:13-20

Homily from the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Can God can say no and we still stay?

When we come before God and ask for anything, we are making ourselves vulnerable. We are implicitly stating that God has our permission to give us His actual answer. We do not, and we cannot, force God into anything. He might say yes, He might say wait, and He might say no. The question is not, merely, what might God say. The question is, what will we do if the answer is no?

Mass Readings from August 16, 2026: Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8Romans 11:13-15, 29-32

Matthew 15:21-28

Homily from the Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

God still speaks in storms. God's children can still step in storms.

Life is filled with storms. From massive tragedies to normal, everyday battles, every person will regularly find ourselves in the midst of storms. We can often forget that God still speaks in the midst of storms. And God's children are not orphan in the midst of storms. We can still act in the midst of the storm....and discover that saints are made in storms.

Mass Readings from August 9, 2026: 1 Kings 19:9, 11-13 Psalm 85:9, 10-14Romans 9:1-5

Matthew 14:22-33

Homily from the Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Can money buy happiness?

People will wisely claim that money cannot buy happiness. But what if the answer is actually "it depends"? It depends what you spend it on...and HOW you give.

Mass Readings from August 2, 2026:Isaiah 55:1-3Psalm 145:8-9, 15-16, 17-18Romans 8:35, 37-39

Matthew 14:13-21

Homily from the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It is possible to use the gifts, use the opportunities...and lose your heart.

King Solomon asked God for an understanding heart, and he was blessed with incredible wisdom. So how did he end so poorly? He did remarkable things, but he failed to do the ordinary things.

Mass Readings from July 26, 2026: 1 Kings 3:5, 7-12 Psalm 119:57, 72, 76-77, 127-130)Romans 8:28-30

Matthew 13:44-52

Homily from the Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Faith grows through trial and prayer.

We all want a greater faith...and we all want a purified love. But how does our faith grow and how does our love get purified? Through trial and prayer. But we do not know how to pray as we ought. Prayer is more a posture than it is a procedure. And the posture is trust.

Mass Readings from July 19, 2026: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16Romans 8:26-27

Matthew 13:24-43

Homily from the Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

It is possible to live the rest of your life with no more bad days.

Life can be so overwhelmingly difficult and challenging. But challenge and suffering can and do change us; they can break us down or they can change us. Not only that, but every challenge can be united to Christ and can change lives.

Mass Readings from July 12, 2026: Isaiah 55:10-11 Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14Romans 8:18-23

Matthew 13:1-23

Homily from the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Citizens must live with conviction, responsibility, and courage.

On the 250th anniversary of our nation, it is a moment to stop and reflect on our identity. Are we "subjects" or are we "citizens"? Are we "American Catholics" or are we "Catholics who are citizens of America"? And what would it be to live as a citizen without the virtue of patriotism?

Mass Readings from July 5, 2026: Zechariah 9:9-10 Psalm 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13-14Romans 8:9, 11-13

Matthew 11:25-30