Your Sunday Sermon Notes

Was there a good point from the Sunday Sermon you heard?

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28 Comments

  1. PhillipE says:

    My Priest used today’s readings(Ordinary Form Mass) to preach about the need to go to Confession because of our God given gift of free will. To paraphrase him he was saying we have a window to see God and what He has planned for us but sin is the mud that gets thrown up onto the window covering it so by going to Confession we are able to see again. Also he wondered if perhaps we should take a Crucifix off the wall hold it and stare at the Body of Christ on the Cross and just say “He did that for me” over and over to help get the point across.

  2. HoyaGirl says:

    This morning Father focused on how the Nazarenes’ lack of faith kept them from experiencing the miracles of Jesus. Many say we don’t have miracles today because of our lack of faith, but Father reminded us that one of the greatest miracles possible is visible to us every day. It’s Holy Mother Church – she has survived for 2000 years with the guidance of the Holy Spirit based on the work of “regular” people, other sinners like you and I. We are so blessed, aren’t we? :)

  3. wmeyer says:

    Fr. Okeke celebrated yesterday the first anniversary of his ordination with a homily on the need to pray for our priests. He spoke on the Internet having given rise to a vast crop of self-educated “theologians” who are inclined to criticize their priests, and on our need for humility. Also that being a priest comes not from whatever knowledge the man in question has accumulated, but on his ordination.

  4. asperges says:

    EF Dominican rite: Sermon on the indelible mark on the soul of Baptism and its value. Various examples of those who had drifted away from the faith but returned. The need to live up to our baptismal promises.

  5. Atra Dicenda, Rubra Agenda says:

    “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

  6. Marie S. says:

    Deacon’s two-fold homily. One part on lack of faith, and how we tend to be like the Nazarenes in our credentialism (who does he think he is, the carpenters son?), rather than listening to the message. Second part on the evil one’s attack on faith by trying to convince people to redefine marriage, and thereby destroy the sacrament, and redefine personhood and thereby destroy the gift of life.

    We also welcomed our new parochial vicar Fr. Luis. We love our priests!

  7. pmullane says:

    The Church teaches us with authority, and the authority comes from Christ. It is difficult for priests and bishops to teach with authority in the face of the world, because the world does not want to hear what the Church wants to say, as the people of Nazareth did not want to hear what Christ had to say. Many priests would like that difficulty to be taken away, as St Paul wanted to have his difficulties taken away, but God says no, we must experience these to witness to the truth. And so it is for all Catholics, we must live out the teaching of the Church, even when it’s difficult, especially when it’s difficult, in order to witness to the truth.
    An excellent sermon from a holy priest, inadequately explained by me.

  8. Philangelus says:

    The same way Jesus’s home town didn’t accept him because they were most familiar with them, we should expect our own families and longtime friends to be most resistant to hearing a Christian message from us. This happens mostly because they’ve seen us at our lowest moments and when we’ve made our worst mistakes, so they won’t necessarily believe anything we say about our faith because they remember our actions.

  9. jenne says:

    I had the kids today without hubby’s help so I heard bits and pieces. One part that I latched onto was how authority means to serve. That the one in authority is there to lead you to holiness. The reason the Pharisees couldn’t listen to Christ was because of lack of humility in what was happening before them.

    There was some discussion on the helps we find to get us to the relationship are just that – helps. What I understood (not necessarily what was said exactly) is that changes in worship are to help us in our relationship with Christ. But in the end it is our relationship with Him that matters.

    The bits I caught were significant in what was happening at our parish. (NO only) Mass times changed to accommodate better the needs of the whole population. Music was overhauled – really overhauled. We have a new cantor sensitive to how music ought to be (in our English Masses) – It is a great thing to be able to witness such transformation! (Chant Father! We have Chant!!! No more Disney led cantoring – phew) There didn’t have to be any notice on appropriate attire. The simple fact of having elevated our music made our parish look like Easter all over again! I mean no summer cut offs in sight –if they were there they were outnumbered by the people wearing their Sunday best!!!!
    Plus we had a new altar for OLG consecrated with Mariachi singing traditional hymns between the Masses. It was wonderful.

  10. mike cliffson says:

    Faith, and lack of: we miss mass easy, for nothings, Nigerians etc carry on going, despite.But not to hate the church’s enemies, rather The enemy who inspires attack.

  11. Supertradmum says:

    Another superb homily from Msgr. Barltrop. He spoke of the line from The Chronicles of Narnia, about Aslan not being a tame lion and how God is not tame. How do we react to saintly people, for example, who do things we may not approve of or which do not fit into the comfort zones of our lives? Msgrs. referred to the fact that many saints would not be easy to get along with and would have extreme ideas. Jesus was not accepted in His own hometown. I thought that some of us are not accepted because we blog about unpopular stuff….

  12. Melania says:

    Fr. Mark spoke about how the Nazarenes took offense at Jesus. He compared that to how many people today take offense at the teachings of Christ, specifically the moral teachings about sexuality. Many people are scandalized by the teaching about artificial contraception which was the universal teaching of all Christians denominations until 1930. When the Church reaffirmed this ancient teaching through Pope Paul VI’s encyclical, even a lot of priests and religious rejected it. We are now seeing the results of that rejection in society. He reviewed the results and then urged the congregation to have faith in Christ and His teachings which is the way to a fulfilled life and a successful society / civilization.

  13. Scarltherr says:

    Father Cook used the readings and gospel to remind us that we can’t have unreasonable expectations about/for others, particularly for our children. He spoke about trying to map out our children’s lives, rather than nurturing them. He also spoke about racism and other prejudices that influence our views of those we see every day. Really wonderful, and necessary, homily for s control freaks.

  14. thoscole says:

    We had a great homily about living our Catholic faith at all times, not just on Sunday in Church, as Nancy Pelosi claimed. Father also read some of the observations of the bishops on being faithful Catholic citizens…

  15. norancor says:

    On this sixth Sunday after Pentecost, the Epistle for today speaks of being dead in Christ by Baptism, yet alive in Christ Jesus by His Resurrection, and the Gospel is Mark’s relating of our Lord’s feeding of the four thousand.

    Father used these readings to give an utterly perfect explication of the Precious Blood of Jesus, and reality of the Sacrifice of the Mass. It was the most perfect explanation of the Precious Blood I have heard, and given I have read some of the works of Saint Gaspar del Bufalo, Founder of the Society of the Precious Blood, this was edifying and impressive.

    Father’s main thrust:

    Jesus very specifically chose to make present His Body and His Blood in two distinct forms. He could have chosen to make His Body and Blood present solely in the bread at the Last Supper, and could have easily made the wine His Body and Blood, but chosen specifically to use, and change, the offering of the priest Melchizedek – bread and wine – in a perfect way, so as to represent the Sacrifice of His Body, and the shedding of His Precious Blood, which are two aspects of His Sacrifice.

    Father went into the punishments of Christ’s Body, and the shedding of His Blood during this Passion, leading to the final shedding of His Blood upon the Cross. In this way the two forms, or species, so more perfectly reflect the reality of His Sacrifice upon the Cross – the punishment and beating of His Body, and the shedding of His Most Precious Blood.

    In transubstantiation by annihilation, that is the utter and complete destruction of the substances of bread and wine leaving only the substance of His glorified Body, Blood, soul & Divinity in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, our Lord gives to us the most glorious aspect of reality now, the presence of God, physically, here and now upon our altars and in the tabernacles of the Most High.

    Christ perpetuates His been slain upon the Cross in the Mass, and we must reflect always on the infinite gift, and infinite sadness, that we witness in participating in the re-presentation of our Lord’s Sacrifice for us.

    Father then spoke of our Lord’s Most Precious Blood being the sprinkling upon the lintel’s of our souls, the Blood of our Passover Lamb, and even though in the natural plain we are often repulsed by the sight or smell of blood, which has almost a stench to it, by our Lord’s Crucifixion and emptying of Himself of His Blood upon the Cross, His shed Blood has the most beautiful essence and odor of Sanctity. It’s sweetness is beyond measure, and we must always praise Him with gracious hearts for having sprinkled our souls with the sweetness and sanctity of His Most Precious Blood.

    I asked Father for his sermon electronically, which he graciously accepted. I should have it later this week. It was perfection in clarity, given with great force and love.

    The rest of the Mass, as even a low Mass, was permeated by the reality of our Lord’s Body and Blood being made present again.

  16. Cool Catholic says:

    Father likes downloading his sermons from the net and reading them out word-for-word. That makes ‘his’ sermon highly forgettable. [How is that a “good point” from a sermon?]

  17. M.D. says:

    Father K, made mention of how in current times communications has developed so well. We can speak very well. We can hear very well. But we often fail to LISTEN -– especially to God. Even in His own House (Church) — people fail to listen in silence. But fear not, God will purify. The community may seem to be getting smaller (don’t distress) – the faith may be truer.

  18. Girgadis says:

    Father drew an analogy between the seven loaves and the seven sacraments that Christ would institute for His Church. He talked about the strength we can draw from the sacraments and how just as Christ had compassion for the multitude who’d spent 3 days listening to Him preach, so did He have compassion for us by leaving us the gift of Himself in the Eucharist.

  19. Chris Garton-Zavesky says:

    The hardest petition (in terms of honesty) in the Pater Noster is “et dimitte nobis debita nostra”, because it’s followed by “sicut et nos dimittimus debitoribus nostris.”

    If I may put this plug in: the wonderful “War of the Vendee” illustrates this point perfectly. Before the Vendeens are allowed to butcher the revolutionary captives, they must pray one Pater Noster. Result: no dead revolutionaries.

  20. gloriainexcelsis says:

    Christ feeds 4000 who followed him for 3 days in the desert (Mark’s Gospel for the sixth Sunday after Pentecost). Our Lord does not feed those who are lazy, who sit comfortably in the city. He feeds those who persevere in following Him through this desert that is our life. He gives us the sustenance to continue. The fallen away and those who do not know Him, for instance, do not receive the spiritual help through the sacraments, the nourishment to strengthen us for the hard journey we make in search of our salvation.

  21. RCOkie says:

    We were traveling so not at our home parish. Father talked about how, in current society, we have lost some of our sense of “sacred” and gave specific examples he’d noticed. He challenged us to be more attentive to the sacred in our lives.

  22. Dies Irae says:

    Father gave a great sermon today about how cremation is only permitted by the Church, and not the standard form of burial. He said that he was asked to say a funeral Mass and was a bit confused as how to go about it when he found out that the body was to be cremated. It was a great sermon; I would give more detail but, besides the fact that Father had a rather thick accent, the sound system was horrible.

  23. PhilipNeri says:

    How is it that Jesus wasn’t able to perform mighty deeds in his hometown? This seems to imply that Jesus’ power is limited by the degree to which we believe in him. How can the power of the Son of God be constrained?

    This was the thrust of my homily! http://hancaquam.blogspot.com/2012/07/amazing-lack-of-faith.html

    Fr. Philip Neri, OP

  24. frjim4321 says:

    Reviewed some of the theories related to Paul’s thorn in the flesh but suggested that its just as well that we don’t know what it was because it makes it easier for all of us to identity with Paul in that we all have some kind of thorn that we deal with; but that in accepting that as did Paul we end up being closer to Christ and more effective in spreading the good news of the Gospel as did this wonderful Apostle.

  25. Robert_H says:

    I had two wiggly, giggly little ones on my lap, so I only heard bits & pieces, but Father did use the word “Heresy” multiple times. So that was pretty cool.

  26. I have to laugh, Father preached nearly an identical homily to Fr. Jim’s.

  27. JohnE says:

    Father contrasted Jesus being amazed at the lack of faith, with the current trend of atheists and agnostics who are amazed that someone would have faith. He gave arguments to show that faith is reasonable and that Christianity in particular is most credible, and that atheists do not recognize their own outlandish presuppositions. He also showed that with atheism there is no real justice or freedom, only illusions of justice and freedom.

  28. PostCatholic says:

    Lay-led pulpit sharing weekend; we had a retired minister visit us to offer a sermon called “Forrest’s Mantra: Three Suggestions for a Richer, Fuller Life.” (That would be the late Rev Dr Forrest Church, not Forrest Gump.) I was asked to choose a reading to accompany it without knowing any of the sermon content–and not being a fan of Forrest Church’s, I might add. Realizing I was flying blind, I went with the two poems “East of the Town” and “Lake Isle of Innisfree.” Thank you for the inspiration. They were much enjoyed and provoked some interesting thoughts.

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