Father Mike's Podcast: Recent Episodes
Fr. Mike Walker
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "Jesus walks on water and invites Peter to do the same. How is this possible?"
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "How doe the parables of the kingdom help us to know what God is doing and what he is asking us to do?"
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "What does Jesus ask of us when he says we need to love him above all? What is the cost and how do we express giving?"
Feast of the Holy Trinity - "Why do we believe in the Trinity and how do we believe it? What's unique about Christianity and God revealing himself to us?"
Feast of Pentecost - "Who is the Holy Spirit and what has he done? What is the faith with and without the Holy Spirit?"
Sixth Sunday of Easter - "How are we to understand 1 Peter 3:15? How do we share our faith and what advice might be helpful to do it? Finally, Mother's Day!"
Second Sunday of Easter - "The second week of Easter highlights Jesus' mercy and St. Thomas as a person of seeking faith."
Easter Sunday - "The resurrection is a bold claim. Why do we believe in it and why does that matter?"
Palm Sunday - "The coins Judas is paid reflect how people misunderstood Jesus' infinite Sacrifice. The mockery reflects how people didn't understand Jesus' greatness. Psalm 22 reflects that Jesus knew he would triumph. The passion shows us that Jesus willing gave himself to us in an infinitely valuable sacrifice that brings his triumph to our salvation."
Fifth Sunday of Lent - "Jesus' love and friendship of Lazarus reminds us to know Jesus as our friend so we can see him for who he truly is. He wants to reveal himself to us, raise us up, and set us free. What a friend we have in Jesus."
Fourth Sunday of Lent - "How does suffering, God's goodness, and free will work? What can we do to grow in our faith?"
First Sunday of Lent - "How abandoning himself to the will of the Father helped Jesus to accomplish why he was sent and what that says to us as we begin Lent."
7th Week in Ordinary Time - "Continuing the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus instructs us to be holy, perfect, and merciful like our Heavenly Father."
5th Week in Ordinary Time - "How can we be salt and light and how can we avoid obstacles that keep us from being that. Awesome spaghetti sauce shows us how."
"Who is Mary? What does the Bible say about her and what does the Church teach? What about apparitions and the theology of why she matters? This is a brief talk that touches upon those and other matters. It isn't an exhaustive teaching, but one that might be helpful as we prepare with her this Advent for the coming of Jesus."
Feast of the Holy Trinity - "The Feast of the Trinity is more than just a definition of God. It helps us to know how to enter into relationship with God in a way that would not be possible with other concepts of God."
Feast of the Holy Trinity - "The Feast of the Trinity is more than just a definition of God. It helps us to know how to enter into relationship with God in a way that would not be possible with other concepts of God."
Feast of the Ascension - "Jesus doesn't ascend and disappear. He is with us always and we can live rooted in him and his Gospel as well as be the light to others."
Sixth Sunday of Easter - "What does the Council of Jerusalem teach us about authority and the universal nature of the Catholic Church?"
Fifth Sunday of Easter - "Jesus tells us to love one another as we love him. What does that mean?"
Third Sunday of Easter - "Doing what is right and saying what is true is important. Our worship is a response to that and Jesus' response to us builds our relationship with him."
Palm Sunday - "Why did the crowds who were at first praising Jesus later come to shout for his crucifixion?"
5th Sunday in Lent - "The story of the woman caught in adultery and the details tell us who Jesus is and what he offers us. Our response is important."
4th Sunday in Lent - "Looking at the three primary characters in the parable of the Prodigal Son helps us to understand how we should approach our relationship with God and one another."
3rd Sunday in Lent - "How God manifests himself to Moses and others throughout history show us how we can allow him to show himself to us. How does God interact with his creation and why did Jesus need to help people of his age to see how conversion is the proper response to tragegy?"
2nd Sunday in Lent - "The cross and the glory go together. In the Transfiguration we find that Jesus' words to his disciples also speak to us. We can imitate his life in our faith."
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time - "The miracle of Cana tells us something about Jesus as Messiah as well as gives us a good lesson as people of faith. We too can be obedient to the life of faith while basking in the good things of God."
Feast of Epiphany - "The stofy of the Epiphany and the contrast between Herod and the Magi."
Christmas - "Why did God choose Shepherds and what can we learn from Peanuts and hidden tribes in Papua New Guinea?"
First Sunday of Advent - "What is Advent and what does it teach us? How can we better prepare for the coming of the Lord?"
33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - "What does it mean to be a suffering yet blessed disciple? What can we learn from the lives of Jesus and the saints?"
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time - "What does it mean when Jesus tells us to love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength? More than you think."
29th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "Hebrews tells us to come confidently to the throne of Jesus for mercy and grace. Why would we want to do that and how?"
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "Natural Law helps us to understand what Jesus was getting at when he answered the Pharisees' question about marriage and divorce. What does the fuller message of Jesus' response tell us?"
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "Lessons from 9-11 and scandals. Who is the real Jesus and what is the real Church? It is in knowing Jesus by how he reveals himself to us. Then it is in his presence and action in the world. We as his disciples are called to know this and do what he asks."
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time - "Opening ourselves to God so we can receive his Word and Life. Avoiding partiality. Don't buy into the sell job by the media, politics, or educational institutions who claim we are enemies with other people."
19th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "Jesus as the Bread of Life makes himself accessible to us if we see him with the eyes of faith."
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "Discipleship is spelled out by being excited about what God is doing, counting the cost, resting in Christ, and stepping out when we see need."
15th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "What makes a prophet different than a politician? what does a prophet do and why should we be prophets?"
Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ - "What is the Eucharist and why do we believe it to be Jesus?"
Fifth Sunday of Easter - "The Vine and Branches speak about how we are best connected with God and with one another. Our culture is saying something different, but who's right?"
Fourth Sunday of Easter - "Jesus the Good Shepherd knows us and he says we know him. How do we know him?"
Third Sunday of Easter - "It's pretty clear why Jesus had to rise from the dead. The answer lies with a combination of forgiveness of sin and newness of life. Are we willing to take him up on the invitation? If so, how do we do it?"
Second Sunday of Easter - "The story of Thomas and how we can learn from him to work through doubts and return to the table of the Eucharist."
Easter Sunday - "The effect of the resurrection in history and in the lives of believers."
4th Sunday in Lent - "What is the significance of the bronze serpent and why does Jesus use that image?"
6th Sunday in Ordinary Time - "Turning to God in all times is a hallmark of Christian discipleship. Maturing in our faith is also a part of that process."
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord - "What is baptism? Why did Jesus become baptized? What can we do in response to our baptism?"
Christmas Sunday - "How is it that the humility of God is the great sign that speaks loudly and gives light? What did the incarnation do and who is Jesus, really?"
4th Sunday of Advent - "How Mary prepares us for the coming of Christ by modeling it in various ways."
Feast of Christ the King - "The history of salvation tells us who wins this war. Jesus is King of all. We live according to that reality as people of faith and it affects our relationship with him and others."
33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time - "The Parable of the Talents teach us about having the proper image of God and applying our work for him because we love him."
32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time - "The Parable of the 10 virgins speak to us of our need to live alert and prepared for Jesus."
28th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "The Parable of the Banquet teaches us about the importance of taking God up on his invitation and giving our best."
27th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "The Parable of the Vineyard teach us about gratitude, cooperation in faith, and producing fruit"
25th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "What does today's parable of the workers in the vineyard say about work in general and our particpation in God's work for the sake of his kingdom?"
23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time - "What do we do when we've been wronged? How can we respond in a Christlike manner?"
21st Sunday of Ordinary Time - "The difference between hypothetical and personal responses. What the keys mean and why that matters to us today."
20th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "Jesus and the one truth, what it means for us and how we live it as people of faith."
18th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "How did the disciples miss the possibility of Jesus' power to feed the 5,000? How do we fail to have the right perspective and how can we allow Jesus to complete his will through us?"
15th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "What are the obstacles that keep God and his Gospel away from us, and how can we be better at removing those obstacles for our sake and the sake of others?"
14th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "What is true wisdom, who has it, and how do we get it? What wisdom does our country possess and how can we foster it. Finally, how can we apply Godly wisdom in our country and lives?"
13th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "People devote themselves to many things, but what is worth devoting oneself to? People say they want to follow their passions but Jesus says he wants us to follow him."
12th Sunday of Ordinary Time - "How Jesus' teachings give us a way to live that is not only counter to the culture but the better way to live for many reasons. We don't need to live in fear of anything in this world because our God is a God of justice and love."
Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ - "When Jesus is with us we thrive. When he is far from us we starve. How do we experience life in the kingdom vs. life in the world?"
Feast of the Holy Trinity - "Examples from the beginning of human disunity needs to be corrected by God and following his ways. Contrast between human arrogance trying to control God and God's humility in inviting us to his unity speak about a solution to our current divisions."
Feast of the Ascension - "Jesus is raised to be with the Father in the fullness of his glory. There was a pattern of Jesus lifting himself up to the things of Heaven and the Father. How can we follow his example?"
Sixth Sunday of Easter - "Peter speaks of giving a reason for our hope. What is our hope and how do we explain this reason?"
Fifth of Easter - "Jesus' priestly prayer shows us what he will do for us not only in the future but right now."
Third Sunday of Lent - "The Samaritan woman teaches us that faith grows in stages, that truth matters, and how we can take Jesus to the world regardless of our weakness or insecurities."
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time - "The Sermon on the Mount is a teaching based in having a right relationship with God and others. Being more concerned with God and others than ourselves is countercultural. What can we do to live by Jesus' standard? One thing is our consideration of others"
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time - Sunday of the Word of the Lord. "How Jesus reveals himself to us and why the Bible matters."
The Baptism of the Lord. "My beloved son with whom I am well pleased. This is what the Father said of Jesus, but it is a goal that hopefully we all share."
The Feast of the Epiphany. "What is the story behind the story? We'll look at the significance of the Magi, how they represent all the nations, and how we can learn from them by offering similar gifts and allowing the light of Christ to guide us."
The Feast of the Holy Family. "Families have a history, a present lived out experience, and a future hope. What did the Holy Family do and how does that teach us what to do?"
Christmas. "St. Francis at Greccio popularized the Nativity Scene. Pope Francis in his Apostolic Letter asks us to contemplate the various aspects of the Nativity. So, let's do that a bit."
The Third Sunday of Advent. "John the Baptist part II has him in prison awaiting his execution. He turns to Jesus in his humanness and asks for confirmation. What are we to make of this and what does it say about our lives and the life Jesus wants to offer us?"
"Who is Mary? What does the Bible say about her and what does the Church teach? What about apparitions and the theology of why she matters? This is a brief talk that touches upon those and other matters. It isn't an exhaustive teaching, but one that might be helpful as we prepare with her this Advent for the coming of Jesus."
The Second Sunday of Advent. "John the Baptist was a man of prophet and a man of prayer. What does he tell us about being Catholic and living ready for Jesus' coming?"
The 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Patton, The Battle of Bastogne, and Jesus' description of testimony spell out what is most valuable in life."
The 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why did the Sadducees want to win that argument? What did Jesus say? Why the saints are important for those alive in God, and why sometimes 'too good to be true' is still true."
The 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "God asks us to approach him and life with humility. Why should we?"
The 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "After Jesus heals the leper he tells him that his faith has saved him. What does that mean?"
The 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why does the rich man have no name? What is our response to poverty and why does it matter?"
The 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What is Jesus getting at with this strange seeming parable? How can we apply its principles, especially with evangelization and stewardship?"
The 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What the parable of the Prodigal Son teaches us about life and life in God."
The 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus seems to express extreme views about what we need to do to follow him. Why is he so demanding that we put nothing else before him?"
The 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why struggle to be important, popular, or better than others? God gives us another way to live that is concerned with what our God wants. We practice this through a life of humility."
The 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus says he doesn't know us even if we ate with him and he taught in our streets. How is that possible and what can we do to allow him to know us in the way that brings salvation to us and his people?"
The 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus wants us to be on fire for him. But what are the consequences if we don't live for him, his gospel, and his kingdom? We can see the effects all around us but the good news is that we can live as we were created to do so and have his promises to boot."
Immigration is a hot issue today. In this special teaching, Fr. Mike explores the Bible, Church Teaching, Pope Francis, and some practical responses.
The 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What is faith? What is the fullest meaning of the word and what does a life of faith bring?"
The 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Sodom and Gomorrah are symbolic of idolatry and a people giving themselves over to every kind of sin. How do we understand sin and how do we respond to it as Christians?"
The 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What is hospitality based in? What are some ancient rules that will help us to be good hosts and good guests? Finally, what does it say about our relationship with God and our life in Christ?"
The 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus calls all of us to missionary disciples and missionary Catholics. Today's sending of the 72 gives some great instructions on how to do that well."
The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ - Corpus Christi. "Some things are worth believing including the Eucharist. Why should be believe and what should we do about it? We can live and learn."
The Feast of the Holy Trinity. "How does the Trinity help us to know God and experience him through faith in our struggles and our abiding in him?"
The Feast of the Ascension. "The Ascension isn't about Jesus disappearing into Heaven, but about Jesus being glorified after his humble service. It is also a time we prepare for Pentecost through imitating our Lord's humility, praying, and getting to work."
4th Sunday of Easter. "Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He comes from a long line of shepherds in the Old Testament but he is God so he can fully accomplish what a Good Shepherd must. We also are commissioned to shepherd others.."
3rd Sunday of Easter. "Jesus appears to them a third time and they are overwhelmed with excitement. Jesus invites them to have breakfast and spend time with him. He does the same with us every week."
2nd Sunday of Easter. "Thomas got a bum rap. But the example of what he did right speaks to us all, especially at this time."
Palm Sunday. "What does Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem mean, and how does the way it happened fulfill what the prophets said hundreds of years before and show why Jesus is the Messiah?"
Fourth Sunday of Lent. "The parable of the Prodigal Son is a classic. The three characters have much to teach us about our faith and how to live it."
Third Sunday of Lent. "Jesus uses some tragedies to speak about the the nature of bad things happening to lead to the ultimately more important question."
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus gives a seemingly contradictory explanation of happiness or blessedness. How is it possible to be blessed while enduring hardship?"
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jeremiah and the lesson of the human person. How do we follow the consequence of God's law?"
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why did Jesus read that text from Isaiah? What did it mean? What does that call us all into?"
Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. "What Baptism is for us, why Jesus was baptized, and what we can learn from his example. What does Jesus and baptism lead us to?"
Feast of the Epiphany. "The Magi show us what responding to God's draw to discover truth, justice, and restoration looks like."
Feast of the Holy Family. "The Holy Family teaches us how holiness can be found in the context of ordinary life. Wherever we are in our families, God can lift us up as well."
2nd Sunday of Advent. "John the Baptist quoting Isaiah invites us to allow God to fill in our valleys, bring down our mountains, and make our roads straight and smooth. What does that mean?"
1st Sunday of Advent. "Jeremiah's preaching to turn back to God, worship God alone, and follow God's law is also what he preaches to us. This is because we live by a hope that has been realized in Christ. Advent helps us to live according to the reality to which we have been called into."
31st Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Hear O Israel... The Shema and Jesus' teachings are rooted in God speaking, our hearing, and our responding. Our response in loving action means that we know how to speak naturally about what is most important."
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Jesus and the Rich Young Man helps us to know what is most important and how to follow him."
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What did Jesus teach about marriage and why? How does his teaching help us to strive toward his intention in our creation and how do we do that?"
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "God calls us to make him highest in our lives. We can only do that with trust, humility, and service. Yet, this is how God asks us to live."
24rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "We desire God and he draws us in. So why don't we follow through better? God reveals himself in three ways. It's through revelation in the Church that we can know the fullness of God through Scripture, Church teaching, and prayer."
23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Who is like Jesus? Why is he unique? How do we accept his uniqueness in a world where many choose not to? What can we do practically to live according to his perfection?"
20th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why do we believe the Eucharist is Jesus? What is the Eucharist? What is the purpose of the Eucharist?"
18th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "What does our heart truly seek? How does God provide us a way to that end? What is with the bread?"
17th Sunday in Ordinary Time. "Why was the multiplication of the loaves and fishes so important? What was it really saying? How can we enter into the Kingdom that Jesus, the Messiah, brings?"