Monday of the 31st Week in Ordinary Time, 31 October 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (6 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska.  Jesus asks us to invite someone to dinner who has no way of inviting us back.  If we are not able to invite them to dinner, then let us do good to someone who has no way of paying us back. Even better do good anonymously!

Readings: Romans 11:29-36; Psalm 69; Luke 14:12-14

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 30 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (19 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena and St Rose of Lima parishes in the heart of Southeast Alaska. The first sept for growth in humility is to recognize our gifts and talents while also humbly accepting what we don't do well. We give glory to God when we use our talents to build the Kingdom, while we waste precious time trying to do something we have no giftedness or passion for. Do what you do well more often! The next sept is to convict ourself of sin before the Lord and with courage bring those sins to the sacrament of confession. Yet true humility is a willingness to accept correction from our Church, friends, neighbors and enemies without resistance from our ego, for only one outside of ourself can truly show us our blind spots.


Readings: Malachi 1:14b-2:2b, 8-10; Psalm 131; 1 Thessalonians 2:7b-9, 13; Matthew 23:1-12

Saturday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time, 29 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (8 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. "My son, conduct your affairs with humility, and you will be loved more than a giver of gifts. Humble yourself the more, the greater you are, and you will find mercy in the sight of God. For great is the power of the Lord; by the humble he is glorified." ~Sirach 3:17-18, 20.

The first sept of growth in humility is to convict ourself of sin before the Lord, the next is with courage bring those sins to the sacrament of confession. Yet true humility is a willingness to accept correction from our friends, neighbors and enemies without resistance from our ego, for only one outside of ourself can truly show us our blind spots.

Readings: Romans 11:1-2a, 11-12, 25-29; Psalm 94; Luke 14:1, 7-11

Feast of Saints Simon & Jude, 28 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (6 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. Celebrating with Saints Simon and Jude. We are called to follow Jesus, learn from him, then head out into the world to share the good news as the Apostles did.

Readings: Ephesians 2:19-22; Psalm 19; Luke 6:12-16

Thursday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time, 27 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (8 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. It is in today's Gospel that we find the only place Jesus describes him self as an animal. We could want Jesus to be a great powerful horse or mighty lion, yet Jesus likens himself to a mother hen desiring to gather us under his wings. Jesus came into the world weak and vulnerable to show us God's love. May we always be humble enough to take shelter under his wings.

Readings: Romans 8:31b-39; Psalm 109; Luke 13:31-35

Tuesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time, 25 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (7 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. The Kingdom of God starts as the tiniest of seeds, yet it grows into a huge flowering of Love. Let us scatter seeds of Hope every where we go today.

Readings: Romans 8:18-25; Psalm 126; Luke 13:18-21

Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time, 24 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (9 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. We can be crippled by many things or by just about anything without God: chronic worry, physical or mental illness, the burden of unconfessed sins, an inability to forgive, exhaustion from caring of an ill or elderly relative, the deep sorrow of a loveless marriage, grinding poverty, etc... Jesus wants us to come to every Sunday Mass and be set free of all of these and more. "Jesus came that we might have life and have that life in abundance" (John 10:10).

St Anthony Mary Claret, Pray for Us.

Readings: Romans 8:12-17; Psalm 68; Luke 13:10-17

30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 23 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (20 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise. The greatest commandment is to love God with your entire being: heart, mind, body, and soul. The second is like the first. To love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus equates loving God with loving neighbor as we love our selves. When I have difficulty loving God or neighbor, it reminds me to check in and examine how free of the emotional baggage of shame, quilt, sin, unforgiveness, etc... that prevents me from truly love myself with the same joy that God loves me. Love always wins!

Readings: Exodus 22:20-26; Psalm 18; Thessalonians 1:5c-10; Matthew 22:34-40

Saturday of the 29th Week in Ordinary Time, 22 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (8 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. Many of us have not been bearing abundant fruit in God's Kingdom. So now is the time to fertilize our faith with prayer, fasting, alms giving, reading the Bible, monthly confession, Sunday Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary, etc.. All for the purpose of deepening our relationship with God. Because we do not know the day nor the hour our eternal life will begin.


Readings: Romans 8:1-11; Psalm 24; Luke 13:1-9

29th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 16 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (19 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise in St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. Today we are challenged by Isaiah showing how God can use even the pagan King Cyrus. Calling him the Lord's anointed. Jesus, the Lord's anointed, helps us navigate between local politics and religion. "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God." The challenge is to recognize that everything, all of us: heart, mind, body, soul; all of us belongs to God.


Readings: Isaiah 45:1, 4-6; Psalm 96; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5a; Matthew 22:15-21

Saturday of the 28th Week of Ordinary Time, 15 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (12 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. St Teresa of Avila teaches us to speak directly to God in prayer about all things. Abraham "Believed, hoping against hope, that he would become the father of many nations." Jesus promises that in times of trial  "the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say."


Readings: Romans 4:13, 16-18; Psalm 105; Luke 12:8-12

Friday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, 14 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (11 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. Jesus cautions us to "Beware of the leaven--that is, the hypocrisy--of the Pharisees." St Callistus I, Pope 217-222 put forward the innovative idea that when Jesus said to the Apostles that they could bind and loose sin that make room for mercy and forgiveness after baptism. Absolution and eventually the sacrament of Penance would grow out of this reading of Sacred Scripture. Thank You Jesus!

Readings: Romans 4:1-7; Psalm 32; Luke 12:1-7

Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, 13 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (10 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. In the Third chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans he writes "For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law." sowing the seed (unknowingly) for the Protestant Reformation. Jesus continues to call to account the Scribes and Pharisees and all of us who make more important the letter of the law and not the relationship between the God who is love and each of us and all of creation.

Readings: Romans 3:21-30; Psalm 130; Luke 11:47-54

Wednesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, 12 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (9 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima in Wrangell, Alaska. St Paul calls us all to account for our judgment of others for the very sins we often commit. Jesus calls the Pharisees and Scribes (and us) to account for the self-righteousness and devotion to the details of the law while missing the point about loving God and loving neighbor.

Readings: Romans 2:1-11; Psalm 62; Luke 11:42-46

Tuesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, 11 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (8 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. Paul jumps right in to his first central theme, that he is in no way ashamed of the Gospel. He point out the error of all those who hold that there is no God, or turn the things of creation into "gods" while failing to worship the one true God. Jesus, at the house of a Pharisee for dinner fails to wash his hands, brining ridicule from his host. He answers the our inner disposition must match our outer ritual observance. We are all called to examen how we life our lives and make sure that we have not set up idols of our own making in our hearts while outwardly acting like we are followers of Christ.

Readings: Romans 1:16-25; Psalm 19; Luke 11:37-41

Monday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time, 10 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (6 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. Today we begin a close reading of Paul's Letter to the Romans. We learn that Paul is both a slave of the Gospel and an Apostle sent to preach the Good News.  Jesus warns this generation that we have more than enough signs of His goodness and love and therefore we should repent and be converted.

Readings: Romans 1:1-7; Psalm 95; Luke 11:29-32

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 9 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (16 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. We are all invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb. Many of us fail to say yes to Jesus on a daily basis. Thankfully the Father continues to call us to the Feast, yet we are too busy with our little lives here on earth, forsaking our readiness for eternal life. Let us learn to "put on Christ" and thus being clothed in Love we will be ready to meet the King of all creation.

Readings: Isaiah 25:6-10; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14

Saturday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time, 8 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (4 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. "Blesses are those who hear the word of god and observe it."

Readings: Joel 4:11-21; Psalm 97; Luke 11:27-28

Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time, Our Lady of the Rosary, 7 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (9 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. Jesus teaches us that a house divided can not stand, yet a Family the Prays Together Stays Together! Lets pray the Rosary together so that we might stay together.  Happy Birthday Bishop Edward J Burns.

Readings: Joel 1:13-15, 2:1-2; Psalm 9; Luke 11:15-26

Thursday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time, St Bruno, 6 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (9 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. Jesus teaches us that friendship with God and persistence in prayer go together. Our Heavenly Father will giv us all that we need as often as we ask for God loves us without limit. St Bruno (1030-1101) Founder of the Carthusian Order, whose Mother House is Grande Chartreuse in the French Alps, found friendship with God in Silence and the Beauty of the Mountains. Let us do the same.

Readings: Malachi 3:13-20b; Psalm 1; Luke 11:5-13

Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time, 5 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (6 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Rose of Lima parish in Wrangell, Alaska. We hear the end of the story of Jonah and Jesus teaches us the Lord's Prayer. Let us learn to do the will of God and rejoice in it.

Readings: Jonah 4:1-11; Psalm 86; Luke 11:1-4

Tuesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time, St Francis, 4 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (9 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. As we celebrate with St Francis, Jonah, Martha and Mary we see different responses to the Word of God

Readings: Jonah 3:1-10; Psalm 130; Luke 10:38-42

Monday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time, 3 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (11 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. The beginning of the story of Jonah teaches us that God will get us where God needs us to be, eventually. The parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us how to go way out of our way to Love our neighbor. Jesus recommends that if we want to inherit eternal life we should, "Go and do likewise."

Readings: Jonah 1:1-2:2; Jonah 2:3, 4, 5, 8: Luke 10:25-37

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle A, 2 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen this homily (17 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. Building on the images in Isaiah, Jesus calls each of us to account. Have we produced good fruit or sour wild grapes in the Vineyard of the Lord? The good news is that through the Sacrament of Confession we are able to begin again to produce good fruit. God is so good and loves us so much that God sent his Son to show us the way home to heaven.


Readings: Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80; Philippians 4:6-9; Matthew 21:33-43

Saturday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time, St Therese, 1 Oct 2011

Click here to download and listen to this homily (11 minutes) given by Fr Thomas Weise at St Catherine of Siena parish in Petersburg, Alaska. Today we celebrate with St Therese of the Child Jesus, Doctor of the Church and Parton of the three Dioceses of Alaska. St Therese's "Little Way" was to offer every little act out of Love for Jesus. Her child like simplicity and trust continues to bring new life to the Church.

St Therese, Pray for us.

Readings: Baruch 4:5-12, 27-29; Psalm 69, Luke 10:17-24