Share the good things you heard in your Easter Sunday sermons.
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My PP gave a great homily at the Vigil mass. He spoke on the letter to the Romans (our priest *always* preaches on scripture, no wishy-washy rubbish) and said St Paul tells us :
– if sin leads to grace can we sin more to get more grace? By no means!
– being baptised in Christ’s death we participate in his new life
– these things being so, why do I continue to sin? Why do I continue to do the things I do (this hit me like a blow, I ask myself this regularly)
– he promised us an answer in part 2 of his homily, which will be at the Vigil 2013! I guess I need to read St Paul for a year…
The Drudge headline of Pope Benedict’s Easter words on the darkness coming over the world because mankind can no longer distinguish good and evil.
“This is the day…. but ‘what’ day? Why not the night? Because if we wander in darkness we will stumble..”
And, my favorite: “Consider yourselves the ‘un-named’ apostle. The one that Jesus loved most and who loved Jesus back the same way, for that is how He sees us.”
At St. Patricks for the Good Friday liturgy Cardinal Dolan gave all the contrasts of Good Friday beginning with why we call it Good when the horrible thing happened on that day.
In Atlanta, our archbishop preached Holy Thursday on the reality that evil was working on Judas and is at work today. He talked about the ways the evil one disguises himself. I cannot remember the last time I heard a homily on that topic, so it was wonderful to hear one from the shepherd of our diocese. The Easter Vigil Mass featured eight ordinary ministers (the bishop, two deacons and five priests) for a congregation of 650, but we managed to add eight Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (overwhelmingly female). My Easter prayer is that the misunderstanding about the appropriate use of extraodinary ministers be cleared up so that vocations will pick up.
Father had a great sermon last night where he weaved in some of the Holy Father’s reflection’s on the city lights that drown out the greater and more true lights in the Heavens. It was especially meaningful in our college atmosphere where there is so much “enlightenment” happening. Let’s not lose sight of the true Light in our pursuit of truth!
Highlights included today, Easter Monday, where Father Terry in his sermon noted that we celebrate this entire week and that our ministry as lay people was to carry the Joy of the Resurrection out into the world.
Simple truths are the best…
At Mater Ecclesiae, the personal parish for traditional Catholics in Berlin, NJ, the great Fr. Pasley relayed highlights of the Holy Father’s Easter Vigil sermon and also urged us foster a true Catholic ethos by greeting each other properly on this Feast of feasts by proclaiming, ‘The Lord is Risen,” and responding, “Indeed He is risen!”
I attended Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday liturgies, all in the Extraordinary Form. The rites themselves were just beautiful and the music and preaching just added to the beauty.
There was lots of Gregorian chant, and on Sunday morning we were treated to the choir, accompanied by an orchestra, singing Haydn’s Heiligmesse and excerpts from two of Bach’s Cantatas. Simply lovely.
On Good Friday, Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday, we had the same preacher. Father wove the theme of mystery through all three sermons. On Good Friday, it was the mystery of the Cross; on Holy Saturday it was the mystery of what is above (he used the Epistle reading from Colossians as a basis for this meditation) and Easter Sunday, it was the mystery of the empty tomb. On Sunday, Father also preached on our Catholic identity, that we need to know who we are as individual Catholics and as a church before we can be taken seriously in the public square.
I had hoped to catch Father after Mass on Sunday to thank him for the very thought provoking homilies and let him know how much they added to my own experience of Triduum and provided much food for thought. Unfortunately, I didn’t happen to see him.
At my parish, the priest came out and said to those who hadn’t been to church in a while, that to preserve their integrity, they should refrain from Holy Communion. I was so proud of him! I haven’t heard a message like in ages.
Also, at another parish, I heard the priest say at the beginning of Mass “Well, I can honestly say I haven’t seen most of you in my entire life”. That was just the beginning of several similar statements.
The Holy Thursday Mass and the Good Friday service were very nice. Now that we have a new music director, the music has improved dramatically. Some Gregorian chant was sung, and lots of polyphony.
See http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/sermon.htm
for the beautiful Paschal homily of St John Chrysostomos (from 400 AD) that is read every Easter in Orthodox liturgies. My favorite bit:
“Enter then, all of you, into the joy of our Lord.
First and last, receive alike your reward.
Rich and poor, dance together.
You who fasted and you who have not fasted, rejoice together.
The table is fully laden: let all enjoy it.
The calf is fatted: let none go away hungry.”
Father based his sermon on St Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians “mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth.” He went on to give us an idea of how huge the cosmos are. He mentioned the principle of entropy, the gradual slowing down of all motion, to cold, darkness, and silent as the grave. God had not prepared that for us, he said, but rather ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, what God has prepared for us.’ God has prepared for us unity with Him in Heaven.
I think you might remember this sermon, Fr Z. It was the best sermon I’ve ever heard. Ever.
(I was in the third pew on the Epistle side, navy three piece suit, and you gave Holy Communion to me).
The Church is truly blessed to have such a Christ-like priest like you. Thank you for your service!
At the Easter morning Mass, Father had talked about the types of leavens out there (some are amazing, some are terrible), but once you receive an amazing leaven, you share it with everyone you know. The bad leavens are the works of Satan, and the good leaven is Jesus Christ.
Our pastor, after spending 10 minutes gathering all of the children at our 11:00 am mass up to the foot of the altar and talking to them about making Jesus smile , sent them back to their parents. He then asked a member of the congregation to tell him when five minutes had elapsed, and went into a stream of consciousness thing where he said he didn’t plan his homily because he is a recovering intellectual. I’m still shuddering… Please pray for him and our community.
Fr. Ben focused on finding that the stone had been rolled away from Jesus’ tomb, on the mysterious power and love there. He wanted to be sure that His Resurrection would become known and eventually rejoiced. He suggested that the stone could be a symbol of our sinful state, closed tomb/ no hope and opened tomb/ a way to go beyond our state to one of hope and joy for now and for eternity. Also, how Jesus spent His forty days as man (breakfast of fish with them) and as God giving us hope for eternal life (passing through locked doors). So, the stone mysteriously rolled away for us to see the empty tomb. I am overwhelmed, hoping my loss for words doesn’t ruin this sermon message.
It was generally a nice Vigil Mass, about 3 hours long as it was last year, with the same number of individuals, 25 or so, receiving the sacraments, not including a couple who were married during the services as well. Our pastor joked that the only sacrament we weren’t going to see that night was an ordination.
There were a few disturbing things, though, and all I could think was that, having attended an EF Mass twice and having read about it here and elsewhere, these things would never have happened in the EF.
First, people started talking during the collection of money/the Offertory. Yes, I know we’d been going at 2 hours at that point, but that is not the part of the Mass where we all take a break and chat. (In fact, there ISN’T a part of the Mass where do that, people!) I was almost surprised that my pastor, who has many times informed the congregation during his homilies that there is to be no talking once one has entered the church, didn’t indicate somehow, even only putting his fingers to his lips, that people should have quieted. It was so annoying and rude to hear the underbuzz of chatter for so many minutes that I just wanted to stand up and shush everyone.
Second, I suddenly noticed the jaw drop of the young EM nearest me, and his panicked expression. I followed his stare to a woman who had walked away with the Eucharist still in her hands. She’d walked a good 20 feet before she put It in her mouth. Again, our pastor has lectured at least a few times that the Host is to be consumed before the congregant steps away and how receiving the Eucharist by hand is a special privilege (dispensation?) that may be revoked.
Third, although the church had been filled with a few folks standing, by the end of Communion, several people had left. In fact, some had left prior to the Offertory.
Ugh.
Each of us is called to be a missionary of the light.
Fr. P reflected on Mark’s Gospel and the fact that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene first and she was the one He cast out seven demons. He could have appeared to any of his apostles or disciples, but he chose someone like Mary M – a truly hopeful example for all of us pewsitters.
Our priest told us something beautiful. Our parish has a relique of the True Cross, and it was used on Good Friday for the adoration. Father said that he got a call from someone on Holy Saturday wishing to come and adore the True Cross. That someone and 9 members of his family drove two hours to come to our parish. He told father that he was a recent convert; he wept as he adored the cross.
Our pastor has his sermons for 3/25 through Easter Sunday on the parish web site.
http://imlaysacredheart.org/homily.htm
Very good stuff! ;-)
I was visiting family so went to a church different from our normal parish. The only thing I can remember (because he spoke so low) was that he thoroughly enjoys black jelly beans, but we must remember that even delicious black jelly beans (his favorite) were not the reason for the season. Christ’s empty tomb is the true celebration.
As fort he Triduum, the highlight, for me, was a question from my 2 year old at Holy Thursday Mass. It reaffirmed my decision to continue taking him with me to Mass. As the sanctuary was being stripped bare, his little voice asked, “What happened?”
Even young, they realize what’s going on, and it made me really happy to be given that confirmation.
http://www.mybrokenfiat.com/1/post/2012/04/vincents-holy-thursday-question.html
Very briefly:
Holy Thursday
Being that it’s the anniversary of the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood, two things the Church needs to exist, it’s an excellent time to pray for vocations to the priesthood and the sanctification of clergy. Also, the washing of feet is supposed to symbolize the charity priests are supposed to show, as well as the humility priests are supposed to imitate.
Good Friday
Jesus suffered and died on the cross to show us just how evil sin is and to show us how much he loves us. He didn’t have to suffer at all, let alone as much as he did, because he is God. He suffered as much as he did to show us the extent of his love for us.
Easter Vigil
I really don’t remember. It was well past my bedtime. I haven’t come home at 3:00 am in a long time. I forgot that’s when all the bars close… Anyway, something about the resurrection (obviously), and the characteristics of Jesus’ resurrected body being able to walk through walls, etc, and that how when we die and after the resurrection, assuming we died as faithful Catholics, will be able to do the same once we have beatific bodies.
Easter Sunday
He discussed the Church’s Easter precept as well as what’s required to be a good Catholic. That we’re required to receive communion worthily at least once a year during the Easter season, as well as going to Confession at least once a year during this time as well. But also, that in order for one to be a good Catholic one must believe and live all that the Church teaches because it comes from Christ himself.
Also, that one must also go to Mass every Sunday and Holy Days of obligation. That while the Church only requires communion reception and going to Confession once a year, anyone who is serious about being Catholic this would be insufficient for them, especially given all the dangers that assails our present society. Then he made reference to a Jesuit Priest who said that in order for one to persevere in this world without mortal sins, one must receive the sacraments as often as one can.
Furthermore, that nothing can replace the Sacrifice of the Mass, that nothing is more pleasing to God. So one can obviously see how important it is to be present at Mass every Sunday. He also mentioned somewhere in there the passage in the Bible about how unless one receives the body and blood of Jesus worthily, he cannot have eternal life.
I detected a subtle hint to those in attendance who were not, shall we say, frequent attendees. It could just be my imagination, though.
The homily I heard while visiting a shrine on Easter Sunday was actually the best I’d heard in a long while, dealing with the four reasons for Christ’s Incarnation and how these relate to the Paschal Mystery, peppered liberally with quotations from St. John Chrysostom and St. Gregory of Nyssa, as well as from the Psalms of the Office for the day and from the Exsultet.
It certainly restored my faith in the Church locally, which had been rather much on the ebb after a Midnight Mass sermon about the Grinch (yes, I’m absolutely serious).
At our pretty standard OF parish a visiting priest gave a shocking (remember the parish context) sermon about the resurrection, which we know by faith and as historical fact. He thundered (normally not of fan of this style but the guy was on fire!) home this point repeatedly and you could almost hear the uncomfortable squirms from the pews. All started with a great “out of the mouths of babes” moment where four-year olds instantly and simply understand the “wow” of the resurrection whereas we adults sometimes have trouble with it.
Father spoke about the good news of the Resurrection. He spoke about visiting Jerusalem, making his way to the Holy Sepulcher Church (there are more beautiful churches in Jerusalem), standing in line to go into a small area where only 2-3 people can be at a time, and seeing…absolutely nothing! There is no body where a body should be. He is truly risen.