Was there a good point in the sermon you heard for your Sunday Mass? Share it.
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The priest told us about his vocation call, and talk about how we need to realzie we are all called and sent by God to do something for Him.
On the two possible, but to be avoided, extreme attitudes w.r.t. the well-known phrase “Lord, I am not worthy etc.”: for what sake we should receive Holy Communion (the greater glory of God and a more intimate connection to Christ, or so), and under what conditions (“not having a disruption in one’s relationship with God” or so, do not recall the precise words, “which includes going to Confession within overseeable intervals”).
Yes, actually.
But then, as you have guessed from the allusion to the 3rd Sunday a.E. gospel, it was of course an E.F., to be more precise an FSSP parish. (Well… not parish. We don’t have FSSP personal parishes here. And since “quasi-parish” too is a terminus technicus… I’ll leave it at that and guess you know what I mean.)
This weekend I built on my homily of last weekend which focused on just saying ‘yes’ to whatever God brings into our life, seeking His will for us to be with Him in eternal glory. This weekend I complimented my parish on their devoutness during Mass and commitment to keep our 24 hour Adoration Chapel open (amazing to me as we only have 200 registered families in the parish) leading into preaching on the lay movement Mission for the Love of God. The mission is personal responsibility and growth in holiness to help change the world by prayer and action. More information about this movement can be found at http://www.fortheloveofgodworldwide.org . Please pray that my parish will be open to starting this movement and maintaining it. Thank you and God Bless.
The priest (a good Jesuit) discussed that we have 2 enemies: soft and hard (the hard want to behead us). He noted that NFL reject Michael Sam tweeted his proposal of “marriage” to his boyfriend by posting a photo of the proposal taken from the top of St. Peter’s in Rome (and not from the rooftops in Mecca). And that such soft enemies want to deny us our way of life by demanding we actively endorse their way of life. He noted that ironically these soft enemies are rapidly making it so that our way of life is now considered “intrinsically disordered”. And he read the lovely passage from Cortes (SJ) that Fr. Z posted last week about choosing sides in the war. It was a tour de force.
This was at today’s NO Mass (though he very often says the TLM).
While he is a friend and I did send the Cortes passage to him, he also reads WDTPRS. Thank you Fr. Z for the inspiration.
When someone is in love, they want everyone to kno it, and know the one they are in love with. Jonah saved Ninevah because he was in love with God and faithfully shared the message. We can help save our world by faithfully sharing our love for Christ and Hs Church. Our fidelity can change the world. Uncompromising fidelity is love in action!
Drawing from the story of the repentance of Nineveh, Father preached about the effects of “deism” and “moralism” in the last century or so, as distortions of the Gospel. Deism would be the idea that God is a remote First Cause, who started the world but with whom we have no relationship. Moralism would be the idea that Christianity is no more than a set of rules about how to be good, again with no idea of a relationship to Jesus Christ.
Father closed with a appeal to “fall love, stay in love” with God, quoting from Fr Pedro Arrupe, S.J. (1901 – 1991). http://www.jesuit.org/blog/index.php/2013/02/jesuit-father-pedro-arrupes-falling-in-love/
Following on this past week’s anniversary of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion on demand in the USA, Father asked our prayers for women who have repented of their past abortions. Although the event and its ensuing trauma can never be undone, God invites all who have been part of such a decision to be drawn to Him by means of His mercy and forgiveness. In the words of today’s Epistle, “Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil by good.”
NO Mass.
We’re shocked by the many young people joining ISIS even from western countries, but we shouldn’t be. The basic message of western culture is that YOU DO NOT MATTER. And so we’ll abort you, euthanize you, and throw you away. We give you shopping and a culture that tells you to do what you feel like doing. And yet we wonder why someone would join something evil and monstrous like a terrorist movement.
The Gospel demands of us much more than the throwaway culture. Enough of the touchy-feely gospel. Christ calls us to sacrifice ourselves through love. It is time to proclaim the true Gospel and the Cross. Rather than complain about western decadence, we must consider that Christ calls us individually to leave our nets behind and follow Him.
It was beautiful.
The Mass I went to today ( I posted earlier about the vigil Mass sermon) and the lesson from the homily had more to do with the steadfastness of the priest to glorify God and teach His people. This was apparently a Mass of Thanksgiving for a nun who was leaving after 28 years….the priest who preached the sermon was a retired Franciscan. He made a point of telling us he was going to preach on the Gospel and the message of God rather than glorifying the nun- there would be time for “personalization later, at the reception” and then preached a glorius sermon on answering God’s call, even ( and especially) when it means saving one’s enemies. I was so touched to see his reverence for the Mass and God put before anyone and everything.
The priest, apparently from Boston, used the theme of “carpe diem” after seeing a billboard for a bank reading “carpe dime.” He was disappointed that real Latin was not making the comeback he had originally suspected at a distance. He indicated that, like the apostles, who dropped what they were doing to follow Jesus, we need to seize the moment and not let it get away to our regret. In addition, St. Paul’s letter shows how, fortunately, God calls us again and again even if we don’t get it right the first time or start backsliding.
Later, of note was that the priest skipped the sign of peace. That may have been planned as the organist immediately followed the prayer normally before the sign of peace with the Agnus Dei.
The good point from today’s sermon is that Jesus, by His Cross, can draw great good from evil. Our guest homilist (Deacon) informed us, in passing, that the Book of Jonah is fiction. We don’t need to actually believe that Jonah was actually, you know, in the belly of a fish for three days. As long as we believe the message, we’re good. Sigh. Our Lady of Good Success, pray for us.
In the 1962 calendar Gospel today: Mt. 8:1-13 Our Lord heals the centurion’s servant. Our priest gave a nice elaboration on this particular event. One could only imagine a Roman centurion — similar to a military officer, in charge of roughly 100 men hence the title centurion — arriving to meet Our Lord to make his request in probably his best uniform, which he does with complete faith and humility. This Roman centurion was probably moved after watching Our Lord in His public ministry over time, realized that Christ is God and testifies to it and no doubt converted. Our Lord marvels — how often does Scripture speak of Our Lord marveling — at the centurion’s response to the granting the request for healing his servant, “I am not worthy that Thou should enter under my roof, but say the word and my servant shall be healed” as the centurion had faith in his men and his servants likewise as he tells them to do and they do, he tells them to come and they come, the centurion would not have to follow up with his men, and he firmly believes that Christ as God, ruler, king, full authority, would command as well and it would be done. God’s word completed its effect in an instant with full power and no delay. Amazing that our Lord points out that this real faith can be found nowhere at the time in Israel. I remember first hearing the centurion’s words in the Mass in my youth as preparation for Communion and never thought much of it until now (as a little kid, I thought the roof of the house!), not really fully understanding or appreciating this prayer, where it came from, and the important message behind it. I didn’t even stop to think about what a centurion was until now! I spent part of the day thinking about the power of God’s word and how it always effects what it says and always accomplishes its purpose.
In Jesus’ time, lepers’ movements were restricted. It was thought, in those days, that those who suffered from that disease did something to deserve it, as a plague. The Lord extends his hand to touch and invites us to admit our afflictions, if not leprosy any of those things which keep us down in our own times, those things which keep us distanced from Him, and to let ourselves be touched.
We should treat everyone alike; Friends or foes. God died for everyone.
On the road for business and visited the FSSP parish in Sacramento. In light of Our Lord’s cleansing of the leper, Father recommended five ways of building a life free from the leprosy of sin: 1) prayer and devotions; 2) the Sacraments; 3) avoiding occasions of sin; 4) self denial; and 5) spiritual reading.
Well, being the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany and the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, one of Fr.’s remark’s has stuck with me: ‘blind obedience’. He began his homily in the recounting Christ’s words to Saul being: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Wherein Christ did not say ‘my followers’ or ‘those who profess me’. 2) Saul was struck blind–an indication of his spiritual ailments(my thoughts, not Fr.’s) Ananais was obedient to the request of God, even though he knew Saul to be a persecutor of Christians. 3) Ananais led Saul to Christ via Baptism (not some mere belief in or aspiration or ‘okay, got it’. Ananais ‘prescribed’ what would restore him to God and Saul was obedient. Like the Magi (remember, the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany), this blind obedience is to our salvation and God’s Glory and ‘Thy Kingdom Come’. For the Magi, Saul and Ananais to exhibit an Act of Faith required Humility and ‘blind obedience’. [my interpretation and internalization of Fr.’s homily] Thanks be to God for Holy Mother Church and for the Holy Sacrifice of the Altar; for her Sons, our Priests.
I’m visiting Florida for retreat, and this is the homily I heard in a parish I visited for Holy Mass.
Father keyed off the first reading, about Jonah, and said, if you believe it’s impossible for the prophet to have been swallowed by a fish, because nature won’t allow for it, you aren’t Catholic in your thinking. He developed that to show that such an attitude undermines the Faith in its entirety. Note: he didn’t actually assert Jonah was swallowed; only that ruling it out in that way is not Catholic.
Well, as the priest said after Mass to some of us, some of the Europeans are finally waking up to what is really happening in the world.
His sermon (EF) was on the fact that we must accept suffering as normal and the way of life we are in now. And, this will get worse.
The suffering of parents who have children and grandchildren who have fallen away is just that–suffering, which is necessary for our souls and those for whom we pray.
The suffering of and in the Church is a daily reality.
Later, after Mass, talking to a group of us, the priest added that the Irish and many Europeans have been asleep as to the reality of persecution of the Church, which has begun. I heard one priest in Malta speak like this.
All the priests should be preparing their congregations for intense suffering. To do otherwise is not to be speaking the truth about how the laity can cope in the near future. I am grateful for this priest being so honest and open today.
Jonah succeeds in convincing all Nineveh to repent because he threatens the loss of their material goods, which we tend to want to protect. Jesus preaches a more difficult call to repent and believe in the Gospel for the sake of spiritual goods instead, and we’re more naturally inclined to view the Gospel itself as a threat as the Pharisees did. But our spiritual good is far more important than our material goods — hence living in this world as though we did not.
Fr. said that we can never think our sins are so terrible we should not be in church, that we don’t belong there. God’s mercy is always available to us. He also mentioned the March for Life.
Monsignor read the lyrics to Harry Chapin’s song, “Cats in the Cradle”…
His message was that we should not live in the past or the future, but in the now, where the Kingdom of God is.
Our Priest, too, talked about vocation – in this case, quoting from Frederick Buechner who said that it is where your own deep gladness meets the world’s deep hunger; essentially, that vocation is simultaneously something that you need deeply to do and that the world needs deeply for you to do. He further stressed that life itself is a vocation, and that the simple (if we can call it that) fact of living is a testament to God.
….he then proceeded to remind the Church that he always takes a week off to ski in Utah this time of year, and that the preaching next week will be done by our [female] parish head of communication, rather than the visiting Priest. c’est la vie. Can’t have everything I suppose.
Father’s sermon focused on the reality that each day our Lord asks us to follow him. To follow him on his terms not on ours. Not insisting on knowing the details of how it will all work out but trusting in God.
Father ended his sermon with, “Go to confession.”
Our priest used to be an Anglican Bishop. The Sunday 5 p.m. mass is a mass of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. usordinariate.org
He spoke about Sherry Weddell’s book:
Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus
Then he spoke of Nineva and how we all must repent and turn from sin and follow Jesus and the Gospel. He mentioned metanoia.
He said one reason he became Catholic was the Magisterium. He said he was bouncing from truth to truth but the Catholic church had it.
That was the gist!
First element of the call to discipleship is the call to repentance.
What/who are we willing to leave behind to follow Jesus?
Father reminded us that our daily examen should have three components of reflection, as shown in the readings for today. We should firstly see what things we need to change, improve upon (i.e. sins of either commission or omission), we should look for where God is teaching us/ what we learned that day (as we are called to constant conversion and growing closer to God daily) and for what we are being called to give up or leave behind (whether this is something sinful or a distraction). He also emphasized the need for daily prayer and a focus on becoming holy.
At the Saturday evening vigil I said that the readings and the psalm make a fine summary of Christian life: repent, learn about your faith, be detached from the world (though I described what that is rather than just call it that), and that we are all called to follow Christ and help spread the gospel.
I pointed out that Pope Francis had called once again that morning for the faithful to go to confession (thanks for the heads up) and that it is a great gift; I pointed out that while St. Paul says later in the same letter that going to communion unworthily brings condemnation on ourselves, receiving the graces of confession requires only that we go and ask.
I encouraged the adults (since the children are pretty much all in the parish religious ed. program) to learn more about their faith, especially if they haven’t done anything since they were in religious ed. and now were thirty or more, and I discussed some options for that.
With my description of detachment from the world, I made a connection to the parish St. Vincent de Paul conference for which there was a collection this weekend and invited participants for that and other parish-led charities (a homeless shelter and a food pantry).
With the call to follow Jesus and help spread the gospel, I cited St. Francis de Sales’ “Devout Life” (his feast day is January 24 on the new calendar) that while each of us has a different calling we each have our role. Since there are many families typically at that Mass with small children, I talked about the different roles of parents and children. Then after Mass when I spoke to the children, I asked them more about that.
3rd Sunday in ordinary time NO mass today. Father preached about the importance of confession- that like the people of Nineveh if we show sorrow and try to amend our life and Our Lord will always grant forgiveness. Father also noted at the judgement we will be asked by Our Lord what we did to build up his kingdom depending on our station in life.
N.O. Mass. Father gave an utter cracker on the forthcoming Synod, based on the questions people are being asked to answer, so that our views can be ‘heard’. He pointed out that if people had been catechised properly in the last 30 or 40 years, this Synod would not be necessary. Also reassured us that the Church CANNOT and WILL NOT change her teaching on marriage and the family.
It was announced that there will be, for the first time ever, a TLM in the great chapel of Princeton University next week!
EF. Father spoke of the healing of the leper and the Centurions servant. A leper was a persona non grata to the Jewish community and led an isolated life. He had to be bitter at the world, yet he asks the Lord to heal him, if it is His will. He placed himself in God’s loving hands. The Centurion, probably a pagan no less, by saying the words we say at every Mass, ‘….I am not worthy…’ illustrates the humility we must have when approaching Our Lord. If you are not listening and following God’s will, you must be following something lower and sinful. If you feel you are worthy, think again. Go to confession.
I’d be just as happy if you cut my previous comment down to the first paragraph. I wanted also to say ta for the heads up on the pope’s call to go to confession, but then things got out of hand — the posting-when-sleepy syndrome.
My priest observed something that I have frequently seen and heard: The Protestant misuse of St. Paul and Scripture. For Protestants, there is a canon within the canon, Galatians 3-4 and Romans 4, and all the rest of Scripture is secondary. St. Paul — all of St. Paul — is Catholic! And the Gospels are not to be cherry-picked for pleasing statements.
We were visiting a parish for the baptism of a friend’s child. The priest in his homily spoke about the evils of abortion, how many fewer children there are. Then he continued with the joy that comes from children, mentioning the baptism to take place after Mass, and then the Mass intention (a little Hispanic boy was celebrating his 3rd birthday, who looked rather spiffy in his suit in the front row). He concluded with how we are called to love those who oppose us, and how we are to pray for their conversion, and to pray that those who follow the evils of the world: abortion, Islam, etc. will see the error of their ways and be brought to justice for their crimes.
The visiting priest made an interesting point about Jonah’s mind set but perhaps belabored the point.
His memorable point was that Jonah was consumed by hatred of those different from himself. He refused to preach the word of God to the Ninevites. (And fairly so from a human perspective since the Ninevites/Assyrians conquered most of the Near East and were well-known for their cruelty.) Nonetheless God taught Jonah that His love is indeed not limited to Israel or Judah. Gods’ love is indeed universal.
An important lesson but Father went on to insinuate that as Americans we look down on the poor, immigrant, and dark-skinned amongst us. I’m not really sure that is true for me or for our well-mixed, socially active parish and 15 minutes on that topic was in my opinion excessive.