Sunday Sermon

When Our Blessed Saviour told the parable of the "Sower," He explained that the Sower sows his seed on various types of ground. Some of the seed went on rock, some of the seed went among thorns, some of the seed fell by the wayside, etc. The parable certainly makes sense for it shows that the seed will grow (or not grow, for that matter) depending on the soil it is planted in.

If there are any days in the year on which most men lead an idle, or rather an unchristian and sinful life, it is on these days of Shrovetide.—that is to say, the time that immediately precedes the Lenten fast; a time that, according to the vicious custom of the world, is supposed to begin almost on Christmas day, as far as revelry and dissipation are concerned.

Wednesday, February 17 is Ash Wednesday. I like to think of Lent as a time of Spiritual Spring cleaning. And with Septuagesima let us think about what we want to do, during Lent.

Hear today about Zacchaeus the tax-collector, and how he let nothing stand in the way of his effort to catch a glimpse of the Lord as He traveled through Jericho. Our Lord's presence brings about a remarkable and lasting transformation for Zacchaeus! The same can be done for all of us, even today.

“And Jesus also was invited, and his disciples to the wedding.” John 2: 2. Truly that was a happy marriage-feast, at which Jesus, the Son of God, and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and the Apostles of our Lord appeared among the guests. Ah, Christians, would that all our social gatherings, conversations, meetings, entertainments and marriage-festivities were so arranged that we could invite Jesus without scruple to be present at them. But alas! How many there are in such assemblies who cannot hope to have Jesus as their friend and companion. I allude to the danger and occasion of sin.

Today when division seems to be around every corner. It is now when we need to remind ourselves that we belong to God. We are His children. We were chosen by Him to be His adopted sons and daughters. Our identity as humans beings is not based on what political party we belong to. It is not based on who we voted for in an election. Our unity is based on the fact that God loves us . . . God has chosen us . . . and Our Blessed Saviour died on the Cross to save us from our sins.

Do penance! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand! With these words Saint John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord, and with these words our Lord begins His own public preaching.

Do we stop and thank God for all of His many blessings? And how many things that come into our lives are blessings in disguise.?

The great feast of the Nativity comes upon us quickly! Just as we have been preparing our hearts now during the Nativity Fast for many weeks, so the world itself prepared from generation to generation for the coming of the Saviour. With each passing generation, the Advent of the Lord approaches - sometimes seemingly imperceptibly... until that great day in which the Sun of Righteousness dawns! So also, for us, with each passing day the great Feast approaches - are we making the preparations we should in order to meet the Newborn King?

Second Sunday after Christmas, January 3rd, 2021 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” (Isaiah 60:1) Make this your motto for 2021! Live by these words this year! Remind yourselves each and every day that God is in charge and He is with us every step of the way!

Saint John wrote five books of the Bible, his Gospel, three Epistle and the Apocalypse at the end. Many read the Apocalypse as a book of prophecy, which it is. However, when we read the Bible, let us look for spiritual advice. And this includes the prophetic books, because there is much spiritual advice there.

"A voice of one crying in the wilderness saying : The voice of one crying in the desert: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness the paths of our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh together shall see, that the mouth of the Lord hath spoken." (Isa.40:3-5). This message has an application for us. The Lord is coming back a second time. And just as John the Baptist prepared the people for His first coming, the church must prepare people for His second coming.

All of us are messengers. We all convey messages whether we realize it or not. But unlike us many times, Jesus' answer to Johns disciples were not just by his words, he answered them by his actions.

None of us can know where we will be in eighteen years. We can know, however, how we ought to face each day between now and then. In the Gospel we hear of our Lord preaching in the synagogue, and calling to a woman who had suffered a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years. She could not even lift up her head for her illness. And yet she sought the Lord and His grace with resolve and dignity. Our Lord heals her on the Sabbath, in the sight of all, even to the consternation of those who would hold that being healed on the Sabbath was against the law. Let us take an example from the woman both in her infirmity and in her healing.

The First Commandment says, “You shall have no other gods but me.” Specifically, we must not attribute the efficacy of prayers or of sacramental signs to their mere external performance, apart from the interior dispositions that they demand ”

While it is wise to provide for the future, we ought always to do so according to the richness of God. For all that we have and all that we can offer is given to us by the rich mercies and bounties of Almighty God. Our first concern is that all the goods which are placed in our care are used in the manner desired by the Lord. Hear today a short parable from the Lord about the rich man who sought to provide only for himself, forgetting the mercy of the Lord. We can avoid falling into the same trap by cultivating true thanksgiving in a joyful heart.

Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my Word shall not pass away- Luke 21:33

Third Sunday After Advent

We are all looking for an easy way to become a saint. If becoming a saint is easy, why aren't we all becoming saints?

“Behold, Thy King cometh unto thee” (St. Matthew, Chapter 21) Hear Jesus' own declaration of his kingship. Accept the amnesty that King Jesus holds out to you, and renounce your allegiance to self and success and money and family and physical pleasure and security – and whatever else rules you more than Jesus.