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The Extra Meisl is a Catholic homily podcast by Fr. Nick Meisl, offering weekly reflections on the Sunday Mass readings. The title plays on the Gospel call to go the extra mile (Matthew 5:41), inviting deeper engagement with Scripture and everyday faith. Recorded at St. Peter’s Parish in New Westminster, the homilies draw on Fr. Nick’s work as a parish pastor and biblical scholar.
Episodes
Jun 6, 2021
May 15, 2021
May 15, 2021
8 min
When Jesus ascends into heaven, we are confronted with a paradox: Jesus loved us so much that He needed to leave us behind. If Jesus had not ascended, we would never have matured as disciples.
Dec 20, 2020
Dec 20, 2020
3 min
The Mandalorian and the Nativity both tell the story of a child entering a dark world who, though rejected by some, has the potential to bring hope and a new direction to life. Don't worry, there are no spoilers in this reflection for the 4th Sunday of Advent!
Dec 13, 2020
Dec 13, 2020
4 min
Living in a pandemic, it can be very hard to appreciate how we are supposed to rejoice on this Gaudete (Rejoice!) Sunday. The Gospel today (John 1) gives us hope. It tells us that Jesus is light in the darkness. When we are in a dark place, a little light makes a big difference. We can rejoice by recognizing the small ways Jesus is a light to us and by being a light to those around us.
Dec 6, 2020
Dec 6, 2020
5 min
The COVID pandemic has been like the wilderness or desert experiences we read about in the Bible. At different times, God's people found themselves in a literal or figurative desert. These were times of suffering, confusion and disruption. We can have hope because in the midst of these desert experiences God always proclaims a message of comfort to his people: God's saving help is on the way! Desert experiences are transformed into times of renewal. We, like the people in the readings today (Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-8), are called to prepare ourselves to receive this salvation that comes at Christmas in a new way.
Nov 29, 2020
Nov 29, 2020
6 min
Every Advent season - especially an Advent during a pandemic - is a special time to pay attention to how God is working in our life and world. As the Gospel (Mk 13:33-37) tells us, we need to "Be watchful! Be alert!". God is trying to teach us something. Let us pay attention.
Nov 16, 2020
Nov 16, 2020
8 min
God has given each one of us incredibly valuable gifts. In the Gospel (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus teaches us that we will be judged based on how well we have used these gifts. This challenges us to change our perspective regarding what it means to follow Jesus well. Instead of focusing solely on the bad actions that we commit, we also need to pay close attention to those good actions that we neglected to do.
Nov 8, 2020
Nov 8, 2020
10 min
Waiting is difficult! Today's Gospel (Matthew 25:1-13) shows us that the tension of waiting is an opportunity for growth. We prepare ourselves to meet Jesus by growing in faith and the practice of charity. This challenge is particularly important during the pandemic, during which we can accept regulations and other sacrifices out of love and concern for others. In addition, reaching out to the lonely and isolated is especially important now.
Nov 1, 2020
Nov 1, 2020
5 min
The Feast of All Saints reminds us we are all called to be saints. Jesus' beatitudes are a roadmap for how we can be holy. Saints are people who let God's light shine through them.
Oct 25, 2020
Oct 25, 2020
8 min
When asked, "what is the greatest commandment?" it is significant that Jesus answers with more than one commandment (Mt 22:34-40). We need to love God... but... we can't really love God unless we love our neighbour... but... we can't really love our neighbour unless we love ourselves. To love God, then, we need to love others (especially the difficult ones) in a way that shows we actually like them.