Sunday Sermon

We know that God is pure simplicity, but do we know what simplicity really is? A truly simple Catholic is a Catholic that has turned his body, life, heart and soul completely over to God and follows Him wherever He may lead us.

Our Lord offers living water to a Samaritan woman whom He meets at Jacob's well. This woman, though a Samaritan, had performed a corporal work of mercy unto the Lord, giving Him water to drink at His request. Regardless of her background, and regardless of her state of life, she was well disposed towards the grace and the word of the Lord when she encountered it. May we, too, imperfect as we may be, today hear the word of the Lord and seek after the living water of His divine grace!

How sad and forlorn were the hearts of the disciples when their beloved Master said to them: “A little while, and you shall not see me.” Still, there was some consolation in store for them “A little while and you shall see me;” and then your sorrow shall be changed into joy; “your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from you.” Far more sorrowful is the state of those sinners to whom God can say, after confession: “A little while and you shall not see me!” For, in a little while, by relapsing into sin, they will drive the divine Guest out of their hearts, and lose his grace and friendship. Perseverance in good is the surest sign of a future resurrection with Christ to glory, and of his possession in heaven; hence, to avoid relapse into sin, and to encourage you to be constant in the divine service, I will now proceed to draw some considerations from that exhortation of the Holy Ghost addressed to us all by the Wise Man: “With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it” (P

The Gospel tells us of a man, suffering from paralysis, who had waited daily for thirty-eight years for the opportunity to be healed of his infirmity.

The Feast of St. Mark that we celebrate today is a reminder that the Gospel occurs in a human setting and condition. Mark, also known as “John Mark”, was at the center of tension between Paul and Barnabas and the differences were so severe that it led to a parting of way for the two. And yet, St. Mark despite his less than stellar beginning in Church Leadership, and Barnabas, who seemed to start off as a mentor to Paul, was reconciled to St. Paul.

Have you ever received a gift and for whatever reason you just never used it? St. Paul makes the point that each and everyone of us is given grace. And each one of us is given various gifts which we are called to use...

The children of God dread nothing more than offending him by a mortal sin; the bare remembrance of their past sins makes them weep and lament. The children of the world have very little fear of sin; they commit it without the least scruple, for the sake of some miserable thing, and they rejoice about it afterwards, as the Holy Scripture says: “They are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the most wicked things” (Prov. 2: 14). Nay, there are some who go so far as to boast of their sins and exult in them. But He who rejoices at and boasts of his sins, is the most shameless sinner of all.

God’s faithful and generous people acknowledge that everything comes from, returns to, and belongs to God. Our job is to be faithful stewards of what we receive from Him.

Today we hear of the holy myrrh-bearing women who went to the tomb of our Lord that they might anoint His body. When they arrived, they were met by an angel who deputed them to tell the Lord's disciples and Peter that the Lord was, indeed, arisen from the dead! It was in going about their own practical devotion that these women became witnesses and messengers of the greatest miracle of all history - the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus it is for all who would follow Christ.

The “I Am” statement, concerning the good Shepherd in John, might best be understood as falling under, and echoing this claim of Jesus being the Good Shepherd. He is God, and He is the God of Israel. All the OT and God’s redemptive acts were pointing to the coming of Jesus as the God-in-flesh, the true and better Israel, and the fulfillment of all the OT types and shadows." So how does Jesus fulfill the OT picture or type of God as a Shepherd?

“I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of Mine.” (St. John 10:14​)

The Church calls to our minds the Precious and Life-giving Cross of our Lord. Recall that our Lord tells those who would follow Him that they, too, must daily pick up their own crosses. In fact, our Lord instructs those who would follow Him with three instructions or conditions: They must deny themselves; they must take up their crosses; and they must *actually* follow Him. Let us hear this challenge today from our Lord and let us make haste to put into action His words to us!

Saint Thomas Aquinas advises: “In order to avoid sin, pleasure must be shunned, not altogether, but so that it is not sought more than necessity requires.” Let us remember that all of the penances in the world will not save us without true repentance for all of our sins.

Life is scary, sometimes, when we do not know what is coming. And yet we know that when we are afraid we should stand with Christ.

There are two practices, penance and mortification. The actions of both are the same, although the reason differs. Mortification is to help us stay away from sin as Saint. Paul said: "But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway." [1 Corinthians 9:27] Penance is for penitents, which we consider an act only penitents can do. Do any of us think of giving up sin?

“Jesus came and stood in the midst” (St. John 20: 19.) Jesus stood in the midst of his Apostles, in the room in which they had shut themselves up for fear of the Jews, and in which they were talking of Christ. Jesus is never to be found in the company of those who, without fear or shame, place themselves in the danger of sin; because he who without necessity runs into such danger, will not long preserve the grace of God. There is a certain kind of company that seems to many not at all dangerous, although it is the most dangerous of all-that is, the company of young people of both sexes, who meet at night to amuse themselves; call it what you please, ball or party, or anything else; I call it, in plain language, a nightly promiscuous gathering of young people for the purpose of amusement. If what I have to say offends any of you, I hope you will forgive me; the danger that threatens your precious souls and the duty of my office force me to speak of this matter in order to satisfy my conscience. I do not envy

How quickly the novelty of a new Lenten season can wear off! But do not become discouraged by this, for Lent is a time for renewal, rather than novelty. We hear today how our Lord healed the man sick of the palsy, and how the Lord did use this man's healing as a sign to all that the Lord had the power to forgive sins. This forgiveness is the start of the great renewal that we all must seek within our souls, our lives, and our society. Hear how the Lord uses even that which seems insignificant to be a manifestation of His grace and power.

“Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulcher?” Mark 16:3. The greater the desire of these holy women was to behold and anoint their dear Lord, the greater was their anxiety lest they should not be able to carry out their intention; for the entrance to the grave was closed by a huge stone; and therefore, they asked each other: Who shall roll us back the stone from the door of the sepulcher? Poor weak women (that they were), they had not the strength to do it; nevertheless, they went on their way, determined to do their best. In like manner, sinners are deterred from doing sincere penance, and being really reconciled to God. I say sincere penance, and real reconciliation; for the great mass of the ordinary annual confessions, enforced on bad Catholics at Easter, are mere shams and sacrileges. Most of such sinners are shut up in the grave of sin by a huge stone which they fear even to attempt to roll away. The inveterate habit of a certain vice, some unlawful intimacy, or proximate occasion

When we think of penance and mortification, we think of fasting. Some even think of hair shirts. We think of giving things up in order to atone for our sins. However, let us remember that the publican, who prayed: "I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess," was not justified. How can penance and mortification have a positive side?

Do know the most common time people report that they worry? The most common time for worrying is between 9:00 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. It’s when the lights go out, activity ceases, you’re lying in bed, all those worries come flooding into your mind, and you just can’t seem to turn it off. God says all that worrying is in vain. It doesn’t accomplish anything. He wants to take those worries away and give you sleep.