It’s back! My not so subtle way of poking you to pay close attention to the sermons you hear on Sunday, so that when there is a good point, you can relate it to others succinctly.
So.
Was there a good point in the sermon you heard during the Mass that fulfilled your Sunday obligation?
Sisyphus is freed from his punishment and goes mad. How do Christians react when we are freed from our sins?
http://hancaquam.blogspot.com/2014/05/no-troubled-hearts.html
Fr. Philip Neri, OP
One of our deacons John Scailia, gave the homily, beginning with “Where are we going and how to find the Way.” Deacon Scalilia recently lost his wife, which many of us were aware of, and it has been a difficult time for him. Anyways, he began by relating that he has never had a sense of physical or geographical direction. He told the story of how his family never relied on him to get them where they were going when the car was loaded and it was time to head out on vacation. He allowed that he always had to rely on his “navigator”, his wife. He then told a tale of recently going to interview a potential deaconate candidate and his wife, becoming totally lost in a maze of suburbia. He does not have a cell phone or a GPS. He arrived, embarrassed, over 1 hour late.
He tied it to today’s Gospel by emphazing the importance of our following THE SPIRITUAL NAVIGATOR.
In addition, yesterday’s daily Gospel was the same, and the homily was given by Fr. Semple, and I think it may have been the record for the shortest homily I have heard. Fr. Semple brought out the point that many of us are always asking for a “sign” from God, and if and when we get it, we will believe , just what Phillip presented to Jesus. Fr. Semple allowed that it is decision time for those of us who are wanting a sign. “There is not going to be any signs. Take Jesus at his word and get on with it.”
Peace and God bless.
Fr., as always, gave a lovely sermon (the kind that takes 5 mins longer than you would say your ideal is, without you even noticing!). It was E.F so the Gospel was John 16:5-14, Jesus explaining His Ascension was coming. Fr. started by discussing the bittersweet nature of Ascension Day for him, with all the Paschal decorations being removed – and how the Ascension must have been worse for the Apostles! He then moved on to Jesus’ statement’s regarding sin, justice, and judgement. His remark that the world has needed reminding of these for 2000 years, and that the Church has always had to fight against the “world knowing ‘best'” made me much more optimistic about the usefulness, and possible success of today’s fights – even though, as he said, “I need hardly innumerate the pieces of legislation which show the world thinking it knows best”!
God bless; and please pray for the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, and all the good they do
EF: By the Holy Spirit we are given the grace to please the Father by thanking Him for the gift of His Son.
Our pastor is a gifted homilist..and today was no exception to that statement. His main point was that none of us will ever know the love God has for us ….but the “Divine Sorrow” is that we fail so miserably in our efforts to know that Love.
Fr. John Perricone at St. Anthony of Padua in Jersey City, NJ (9 AM EF High Mass):
He talked about our Blessed Mother and how we often look at images of her but we miss so much. He went on to talk about the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help… and how in this image Our Lord clings to His Mother, with an uneasy expression on His face… as two angels come to him, one showing him the pillar on which He will be scourged… and the other showing Him the cross. He went further but I forget the details…
He explained how every single grace we receive during our lives comes from Our Lord to us through Our Blessed Mother… every single grace… as we have just (or soon will… forget) celebrate Mary, Mediatrix of All Graces. (checked… looks like it is upcoming)
He then taught how She teaches us to 1) Love the World (as it is good, God created it good), 2) Hate the World (because through our sins we defile the world) and to 3) Rejuvenate the World (not sure if that is the actual word he used, but I am pretty sure it was an “R” word… )
I should really record them sometimes! I have left out so much, but I think you probably get the message. I always feel I sell a great sermon short when I try to repeat what was said! ;)
Father talked about marriage and the necessity of setting aside something precious to us (our sexuality) in preparation for the Sacrament of Matrimony, and how he, as a seminarian and deacon, practiced obedience and celibacy in preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Orders. He reminded us that this practice of preparation for a lifetime commitment is contrary to the way the secular world sees dating and marriage, but encouraged those discerning God’s call (priesthood, religious life, married life, single celibate life) to follow Jesus, knowing that He has prepared a place for them, and to realize that following Jesus is the only way to true happiness.
Even better…this was the “teen” Mass.
You won’t be surprised to read that this pastor recently approved the establishment of a schola in the parish….
Fr Pat suggested that “seeing Christ” in people you totally dislike is one of the hardest things a Christian is asked to do. Immediately my mind went to our current Disaster in Chief and the rest of the homily was lost to history. Sorry Christ!
Not from Sunday homily but from confessional advice: When we face temptations, we are like those defending the castle. We take turns on the battlements, fighting for one another, allowing others to rest. That really encouraged me.
I went to a new priest’s first Mass today. The homily was very good. In addition to all the very good things the priest who gave the homily (one of the parish’s former pastors) said, he made a joke about almost calling a bride by the wrong name and gave the advice “if you need to remember something important, write it on a Post-It note!” As a lay person, I found that homey, practical advice in the midst of some excellent spiritual advice to be a great reminder that our priests make mistakes and forget things too — so we need to help them out. With our prayers, of course… but sometimes by giving them a helpful written list!
Yes. Thank you Fr. for asking. We had First Holy Communion last Sunday following a week long mission so Fr. did not mention the mission last Sunday…he did mention it this Sunday. The mission was not a ‘feel good’ week. Fr. said…you don’t go to a doctor with some pathology and want to hear “all is good, carry on”; so it was with the mission last week. He said the mission, rich in opportunity for confession, was to help remedy some pathology (my words). He then related a true story of a Jewish man in Dachau concentration camp who witnessed the survival of Orthodox Jews and Catholics because of their “rigid” religion they did not crumble like those who espoused and lived the elitist life and lived for modernism. (my bad paraphrasing). This man survived the camp and converted to Catholicism. He said another word for ‘rigid’ would be tenacious and that would best describe those who do not allow modern ideas and values to invade their worship…..poor paraphrasing on my part but that is the gist of it.
One good nugget from todays homily: When you are angry don’t speak….wait until your anger passes and then speak. There was much, much more, but you asked us to be succinct :)
Jesus had to leave this world so he sent the Holy Spirit orParaclete. The Latin root of the word Missa means to have been sent. Ite Missa est means: go, it is sent already. We send our masses to Bibb God.
Traveling this week, went to an EF Missa Cantata at a chapel we used to go to when we lived in the area, it was First Communion Sunday. This is a traditional group with lots of large families so there were several newly minted communicants. Father used this opportunity to preach on the importance of being prepared to receive, noting the number of people who show up at the last minute or even late yet still present themselves for communion. In order to receive the benefit of the sacrament we must be properly disposed, besides having confessed any mortal sins of course.
Father talked to us about Our Lord preparing a room for us and the focused on how are we preparing for Him. Are we doing the minimum or are we living our lives according to Divine teaching and sacred tradition? Makes me go hm…
My pastor this week used the second reading as his jumping off point, starting with the wonderful verse from Ps. 117: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done, a marvel in our eyes.” Then he talked about an old stone quarry in a local town and then about the Jerusalem stone quarry, relating it to Christ and the new life he gives us.