Your Sunday Sermon Notes: 13th Sunday after Pentecost (N.O. 23rd Sunday)

Too many people today are without good, strong preaching, to the detriment of all. Share the good stuff.

Was there a GOOD point made in the sermon you heard at your Mass of obligation for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost (23rd Ordinary in the Novus)?

Tell about attendance especially for the Traditional Latin Mass.  I hear that it is growing.  Of COURSE.

Any local changes or (hopefully good) news?

A few thoughts of my own, HERE.

In this Sunday’s Gospel Christ leads a lawyer down a steep path into a gentle mugging with the Truth.

In medias res

[…]

Holy Mass, particularly as celebrated – these days in particular – with the Vetus Ordo, more clearly manifests the fact it is not focused on man. It is focused on God. Certainly, we participate at Holy Mass because we desire that transforming touch in our encounter with divine mystery. But it is not the usefulness of Mass as being transformational that is primary. It is the religious rightness of being there, in awe-filled gratitude, for the sake of God. Of course, the one does not exclude the other, such is the magnificent love of our God. Paradoxically, the more we allow Mass to be less about ourselves, then the more it affects us. Our “active participation” in Holy Mass is rooted in our active receptivity, our outpouring of self that opens for the inpouring of what God wants to give.

[…]

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

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3 Comments

  1. Francisco12 says:

    Today, Father preached a homily and knocked it out of the park. We went to a Byzantine Catholic parish we frequent, and it was packed.

    Additionally, the sacrament of Chrismation (or Confirmation) was taking place for several adults during Divine Liturgy. For whatever reason, they didn’t receive the sacrament at infancy, and a large contingency of family was there. Father tied the sacrament in to his homily.

    Apparently, on the Byzantine calendar, today is the feast of St. Babylas of Antioch. He was martyred in 253 during the Decian persecution. Father began speaking about the gifts of the Holy Spirit to start his homily, ending on his “favorite”: fear of the Lord. He said that St. Babylas especially embodied this gift, and relayed a story from his life where the visiting pagan emperor (most likely Phillip the Arab) demanded entry into the church. St. Babylas refused him entry into the church on account of his public crimes and would not waver, guarding the doors to entry, and therefore guarding the Sacred Mysteries.

    Father asked why we can’t do that today. Why can’t we protect our Lord in the Eucharist? He elaborated upon what it means, when during the Divine Liturgy, the Deacon exclaims “The doors! The doors!” Father said that is to keep unbelievers out. It was also the time the catechumens would leave because what was taking place was so holy, so exclusive, only the faithful initiated could remain as the Holy Sacrifice was confected. By virtue of our baptism and confirmation, we may approach the sacred mysteries; but he stressed ONLY if we believe what the Church teaches. We are part of an elite, exclusive society. And being a part of this Body requires us to live with great faith and humility, he continued.

    He derided those that only believe some of what the Church teaches, or those that reject certain teachings. In no uncertain terms, he made it clear that no one should come up to receive the Eucharist unless they are in full communion with Christ’s Church and profess the Catholic Faith whole and entire. That’s why St. Babylas refused the pagan emperor. He possessed fear of the Lord. Do we have fear of the Lord? Do we really hold that these Mysteries are holy?

    He then concluded by saying that if we lose our faith, others will receive that faith, paraphrasing our Lord Jesus in the Gospels. He said Europe, collectively, has lost the faith. They’ve turned their backs on the gifts that the Holy Spirit gave them, and now falsehood and error has creeped in all over Europe. Any glory that Europe had, he said, cane from Jesus Christ. And now they refuse the gifs that were given them. He urged us to not individually make the same mistake. If we are going to profess to be Catholic, we must accept it whole and entire. Because if we don’t, the gifts we’ve been given will be taken away.

  2. JonPatrick says:

    Traveling in the UK to visit relatives, on Sunday we found ourselves in Rayleigh Essex where we went to mass at Our Lady of Ransom Church. It was a standard NO but done properly and with a wonderful choir. The church was very full for the 10 AM mass. Father preached on the Gospel where Jesus says we must hate our family and be totally committed and not wishy washy. We often feel we have too many choices in life such as going to a restaurant and facing a menu with many choices. In our life there is really only one choice that matters, whether we are with Christ or not. Just as in the Gospel we have to count the cost before we make our decision less we go on half heartedly and not attain our goal. Christianity is not easy and we have to be aware of what we are getting into. It will be hard at times but will be well worth it in the end.

  3. Clayton Hynfield says:

    This weekend we’re visiting our son’s family in the diocese of Arlington, and we were blessed to assist at the parish’s last TLM before it moves to the school gymnasium. Father apologized for a mistake he had made in the prayers at the foot of the altar, because he was momentarily overcome with emotion. “I hope and pray for all of you, that you live to see this overturned, and the Mass of the Ages returned to its proper place, *in God’s house*. We are on the side of right in this, I have no doubt, and we pray for the total restoration of this form of the Mass.”

    “Go show yourselves to the priests.” Father has heard from countless people in four decades of priesthood, “I take my confessions directly to God!” He emphasized the necessity of making a good confession, *through a priest*, at least once or twice a month.

    “Where are the other nine?” So few Catholics today are practicing, and even among those, many disbelieve in the Real Presence. The much-needed Eucharistic revival can’t succeed without removal of ritual Eucharistic abuses like communion of the faithful standing and in the hand. And this attack on the traditional Mass is certainly not going to help reverence for our Lord in the Eucharist! Father drew a particularly poignant comparison between the way some people – and even some priests – view time spent at Mass on the one hand, and on the other, a married couple out on a date, where one looks at his watch and thinks, “I’ve spent enough time with you.”

    As with any Sunday TLM I’ve been to, there were many, many families with lots of kids (and ours was no exception), and it wasn’t only the little fussy ones with wet cheeks after that sermon.

    I’m really looking forward to the TLM pilgrimage in a couple of weeks.

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