Sunday Sermon

There is no one found to return and give glory to God.” — St. Luke 17:18. To return and give thanks for having been restored to health is certainly an obligation which the law of gratitude imposes on all men; but amongst ten there was found only one who fulfilled this law, as our Lord complains in to-day’s Gospel: “Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine?”

"My soul doth magnify the Lord." (Luke 1:46) Does our soul magnify the Lord? How do we magnify the Lord?

Our Lord instructs us today with a parable about a servant who is forgiven a very large debt by the king, but who then refuses to have patience with a fellow-servant over a very small debt owed to him. We are challenged both to bring ourselves before the King to make answer for the debt which we owe, and to be quick to show mercy to our brethren who owe us. We who are shown forgiveness by the King of all should be happy also to be bringers of forgiveness to each other.

"And when He was come near, He beheld the city, and wept over it, . . . " (St. Luke 19:41) St. Luke describes for us Our Lord's reaction as He travels towards Jerusalem. He describes a profound event for us. The tears of Our Blessed Saviour are indeed the tears of God.

“If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19). The Assumption of Mary means nothing if Christ did not rise from the dead. It never could have happened.

There are not a few Christians whose souls would profit much if their bodily tongues were dumb and their bodily ears deaf, so many sins do they commit by their senses of speech and hearing. Would it not be better for certain talkative people to be altogether dumb than to injure or destroy their neighbor’s honor and good name by their wicked tongues? Would it not be better for those curious ears to be completely deaf than to listen with pleasure to backbiting, detraction and scandal? Certainly it would be much better, if it were God’s holy will, for some men to lose both tongue and ears than to lose their souls.

What does it mean to be deaf and dumb? Saint Gregory the Great says: “For our Lord, then, to put His Fingers into the deaf man's ears was by the gift of the Holy Ghost to enlighten his dark mind unto obedience.”

St. Luke describes the thoughts of the Prodigal son when he came to the realization of his situation: "I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants." (St. Luke 15:19) First and foremost, it is us who have to first realize that we are in need of God and also that we are ready to seek God.

Even having been instruments in our Lord's miracles, today we see that the disciples are unable to cast out a demon on account of their unbelief. Further, our Lord informs us that such a demon as that which they were dealing with is not cast out but by prayer and fasting. Let us take that challenge to heart today - we are all of us called to be faithful and to keep our souls with prayer and fasting, so that through us our Lord may continue to work miracles and deliverance for His glory.

What cannot humble prayer obtain from God? A great, public, and notorious sinner gains more by simply striking his breast, and heaving a penitent sigh, with the few words, “O God, be merciful to me a sinner,” than the proud Pharisee with all his fasting, alms-deeds, and other good works. “I say to you,” such is the testimony our Lord gives on the matter, “this man went down into his house justified rather than the other.” Sinners, behold the true pattern of a penitent! You must imitate the public sinner, if you are really determined to get rid of the filth of your sins in the Sacrament of Penance and to return to God with your whole hearts.

All are called to study of the Sacred Sciences, especially of Sacred Scripture. Let us consider the conditions needed for Sacred Study to be fruitful.

One of the greatest deceptions that Satan has ever deceived believers with is this - making them believe that a man can continue to live for himself and still be saved and go to heaven in the end.

By seeking this life of ease, pleasure and entertainment we prepare ourselves to commit mortal sin. We have established a habit of setting aside God's Law in small things, so when the big test comes we are likely to also set aside God's Law and commit a mortal sin. Ecclesiasticus warns us: “he that contemneth small things, shall fall by little and little.”

Even rich people may be deceived and robbed, as happened to the rich man described in today’s Gospel, who was so unjustly treated by his own steward, who not only robbed him of his goods, but also tried to make an unjust profit out of his debtors. Therefore, money and riches are not able to make one happy, because those who strive for wealth and riches find nothing in them but vanity.

When I speak to the young men that I work with in the juvenile prison where I work as a counselor, I very often emphasize to them to recognize the importance of people who have "unconditional love" for us. In other words, as I point out to them, most of the people that they would consider their "friends" basically only use them. Whereas someone who has unconditional love only wants the best for you.

We hear in the Gospel of our Lord feeding over five thousand people with just five loaves and two fishes. Not only were the multitudes all satisfied, but there were left over twelve full baskets of fragments. We witness the great miracle wrought by our Lord! But we are also challenged by Him to do as the Apostles did. Our Lord did not simply materialize food to feed the crowds like a showman might. No, our Lord took the little that the Apostles could offer, and blessing it, He made it into something more than sufficient to satisfy everyone. Let us never think that what we have to offer is too small or insignificant. When offered to the Lord, He can work miracles.

Let us first consider that there are two propositions concerning this question. The first is that the majority of Catholics are saved. The second is that the majority of adult Catholics are lost.

We must face the fact that many today are notoriously careless in their living. This attitude finds its way into the church. We still have most of our liberty, we have money, we live in comparative luxury. As a result, discipline has practically disappeared. What would a violin solo sound like if the strings on the musician’s instrument were all hanging loose, not stretched tight, not “disciplined“?

Those false prophets, who are dressed in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves, are like those detractors and calumniators who, with smiling countenances and every outward show of friendship, outrage Christian charity in their conversation and take away from their neighbor the best and most valuable thing that he has that is, his good name. Beware of those false people, those ravening wolves, and pay no attention to what they say. “By their fruits you shall know them.” You will find out what they are, by what they talk of; but you will be compelled almost to avoid society altogether, if you wish to keep away from those who malign their neighbor, so common is this vice, and so little do people generally make of it!

We preach far more by how we deal with our suffering than we ever can with our words." I have a friend who said that when you get over 40 every morning when you wake up something hurts....