Your Sunday Sermon Notes

Was there a good point made in the sermon you heard during your Mass to fulfill your Sunday Obligation?

Let us know.

For my part, I worked from the readings for this 18th Sunday after Pentecost.

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9 Comments

  1. Imrahil says:

    Our priest gave an excellent sermon on the term “the richness of grace” from the Epistle (18th S. p. P, TLM, 1 Corinthians): what does grace mean?

    Some might say that we attribute our more or less agreeable life to God’s grace; some the arbitrary favor of God shown to us while He does not have to (he noted that this is more or less the Protestant view); and some – these with more justification – might say this is the helping grace (the usual German term for what is in English normally called an “actual grace”) which assists and enables us to comply with God’s will and to turn away from sin (“see the paralytic from the Gospel”). While there is some truth in all of these, especially the last, this is not what this richness of grace really and primarily means, which is sanctifying grace.

    Consider for illustration the relationship between men and beasts; and, specifically, between men and their pets. There is a chasm of difference between man and beast (we have a personality, they don’t etc.) which means that we can never really understand each other and never really be satisfied with each other. It is no doubt a nice thing to stroke a cat, etc.; but we cannot talk to her, (at least not really), notwithstanding the fact that many a lonely man that lives with his pets in an empty apartment might very much wish to do so*: might wish to give her something of his own personality to relate to her.

    Now this is exactly what God has done; between us and Him, also, there is an insurmountable chasm; but God, who can, has chosen to surmount it. He has given us something of His own essence** so that the Church fathers actually dare to say that, since Baptism, we have something Divine in us.*** Though, of course, we must not confuse that with the hypostatic union.

    And that is what we call grace.

    [* An additional thought of mine: if anyone speaks German and has tolerance for children’s stories, a nice illustration of this idea is found in the rather misleadingly titled episode Bibi Blocksberg and the Bank Robber, no. 4 of the audioplay – not television – series.

    ** While I trust I get the general idea of what our priest said, I’m not so sure now about the precise terms on the one hand and their translation to English on the other. So, I’m not so sure now whether to speak of “essence” is here theologically correct, but if there’s a fault, it’s in all probability due to my incorrect remembering.

    *** Our priest did not mention it is lost by mortal sin. This was in all probability due to his – in my view correct – situation-assessment that many of his flock don’t or do inadequately know what grace is, but all do, already, know it is lost with a mortal sin, so he did not mention it.]

  2. scotus says:

    Well, I lost track of the number of times the priest used the word sin or a variation of it (sins, sinfulness). Must have been at least six times if not more. He was preaching on the Gospel reading for the Mass in the Extraordinary Form where Jesus asks the question whether it is easier to forgive or to say, “Arise and walk”.

  3. Atra Dicenda, Rubra Agenda says:

    The Ordinary Form readings made me think of poor +Viganó and Fr. Kalchik and other seemingly just men being beset by the worldly men in power who want to destroy them.

  4. Joy65 says:

    We had a Priest from Cross Catholic Outreach come and speak to us about helping the poor.

  5. iPadre says:

    In the EF, I talked about the importance of caring for the sick. We must be sure they receive the Sacraments – Anointing, Confession, Last Blessing, and Viaticum. We also must make it know to our loved ones that we desire the Sacraments when we are in these situations. Too many people die without the Sacraments!

  6. iPadre says:

    PS: Yes, I know the Last Blessing isn’t a Sacrament, but it is a very powerful aid in our journey.

  7. CaliCatholicGuy says:

    Father preached on sin and the devil – saying unlike the movies the devil doesn’t appear as a big bogeyman but is smarter than that – he will appear in little voices giving us doubt – and that the higher you are in the church and life in general the more the devil would love to target you and keep you from Our Lord.

    Father also mentioned in the parish announcements that there will be a parish sponsored seminar about estate planning and encouraged us to go or at least make sure your worldy affairs are in order as we are all going to die.

  8. My homily title was, “Detachment: what it is, why we need it and how to gain it.” I also talked about Flannery O’Connor’s idea of grace not necessarily being pleasant, but rather far from it. Detachment from all that attracts us frees us to embrace Jesus Christ. I was aluding to Augustine, but I quoted enough people by that point. Too many, “as So-and-so saids” bogs down a sermon, I think.

  9. JesusFreak84 says:

    Our priests have begun to go as “bland” and “generic” as the EF lectionary could allow. I wouldn’t be surprised if the actions of our Cardinal-Archbishop this year alone, heck, this past month, have them nervous =-\

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