Pray To Be Saved

October 9, 2016By

21st Sunday after Pentecost 2016

In today’s gospel the Master of the House forgave a debt owed by the servant which was far in excess of his ability to pay.  But that servant went out and demanded that one of his debtors repay a much smaller dept and showed no mercy in the process.  So, the Master handed the first servant over to the torturers until he paid all that was due.  Is this what will happen to us at the Last Judgment because we do not show Mercy and Forgiveness to those who have hurt us?  Indeed, we are told that we must love our enemies and do good to those who hurt us because as the Lord’s Prayer says:  …”forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”   Implicit in this message is the fact that we must pray in order to be saved because it is unlikely that one who does not pray will show mercy and forgiveness to others.

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The Remains of Sin

November 2, 2015By

All Souls Day 2015

Very few in our day remember the souls of the departed because of the false belief in the universal salvation of all men.  In assisting the suffering souls in Purgatory, we gain friends who will intercede for us.  We must never waste the time we have been given, because the way we choose to spend our moments on earth will make the difference between an eternity in Heaven or Hell.  Many souls can be released on this day, especially through the intercession of the Virgin Mary.  All our sins have a debt of punishment attached to them.  If we pray our penance well, we could remit our entire debt of temporal punishment, but if we die with these dispositions of soul, we would rather throw ourselves into the punishments of Purgatory than remain in the presence of the infinitely perfect God.
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Pray for a Merciful Heart

October 18, 2015By

21st Sunday after Pentecost 2015
Most of us can think of a time during our life when we were slow to forgive one who asked for forgiveness.  The terrible crime of refusing forgiveness to those who sincerely ask for it is in direct contradiction to the Our Father, in which we ask that God forgive our trespasses as we forgive others.  Spiritual reading and the Holy Rosary are powerful weapons against the devil, as well as some of the greatest aids to living a true Christian life.  Every Catholic should be familiar with the 15 promises that the Blessed Mother made to those who devoutly pray the Rosary.
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The Secret To Sanctity

September 6, 2015By

15th Sunday after Pentecost 2015
When Our Lord raised the son of the widow of Naim to life, the miracle was instantaneous, with the child restored as if he were simply waking from sleep.  As Christians we know that all suffering is sent for a reason, and sometimes the greatest joys come from times of sorrow.

The Epistle for this Mass speaks about fraternal correction, a teaching so often misunderstood by Catholics.  Remember Our Lord describes himself as meek and humble of heart.  The virtue of meekness is related to clemency, which gives us the ability to forgive easily insults.  A man who is humble recognizes what he is of himself.  This is what made the saints lowly as the dust.  Pride is the most deceptive of all vices, even disguising itself as humility.  We should be well instructed about this vice so we may recognize it better and more effectively uproot it from our souls.
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Keep A Good Conscience

July 12, 2015By

Sermon From
7th Sunday After Pentecost 2015
Compline, the final prayer of the Divine Office each day, reminds us that our struggle is against the devil who is the primary source of our temptations.  We can overcome him by a pure intention supported by the sacraments, prayer and moral practices.  We should avoid the occasions of sin like people, places and things which put obstacles in our road to heaven.  For the young especially they must not imitate the ways of the world and its celebrities.  Bad friends are the worst influence.  Today we are also celebrating the reception of First Holy Communion.  You have prepared well and now to Baptism and Penance you are adding the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.  Our Lord has miraculously saved many through the Sacred Host and will do so for you.
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God Will Win

June 28, 2015By

Sermon From
The 5th Sunday After Pentecost 2015
Fraternal charity is a theme of this Mass. Tomorrow is the feast of St. Peter and he is a great person who was trained well by Our Lord. A test of courage is the ability to endure challenges patiently. We should imitate the saints in seeking peace and pursuing it. Our love of God is seen in how much we love neighbor too. Our society is deteriorating and is seen in its acceptance of the four sins that cry out to God for vengeance. A heavy chastisement is awaiting us. The Sacred Heart lamented that even consecrated souls are guilty. By our baptisms all of us have been dedicated to the Blessed Trinity and should fulfill our vows of fidelity. God will triumph in the end with a victory as seen by Gideon.
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Mercy And Humility

June 14, 2015By

Sermon From
3rd Sunday After Pentecost 2015
The mercy of God is a mystery like the Holy Eucharist.  We need mercy to be saved because of our sins and we need humility so we recognize our need and ask for divine help.  Instead of being humble like the dirt we are more like the devil in our pride and refusal to pray.  God blesses us with old age so we learn eventually that we are stupid and weak.  Slowly, in the face of death, we learn to beg for heavenly grace, forgiveness and aid in obtaining heaven.  From a battlefield hospital and from a death row cell we hear stories of how the power of prayer, especially to the Blessed Mother, can turn the unrepentant from damnation to salvation.
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The Royal Road of the Cross

April 3, 2015By

Good Friday 2015
This day we put God to death with our sins.  Christ saw all our sins and suffered for each one of them.  He bore the pains which we all deserve for our innumerable crimes.  In this liturgy we acknowledge our sins in all humility and plead for God’s forgiveness.  We do not have the ability to be sorry for our sins without the loving gift of God’s grace.  The unveiling of the cross reminds us that it is not only the Cross of Christ but our own cross, and we all suffer because we are all called to love.  We have the ability to turn all of our pain into love of God.
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The Language of Lent

March 15, 2015By

Laetare Sunday 2015
Penance has a variety of meanings.  It refers to the infused virtue that inclines a person to hate his faults, the sacrament of penance, and the works we perform to make up for our sins.  Mortification refers to works which put to death evil inclinations.  Propitiation is an act by which someone who has been offended is now appeased.  The Mass and our prayers are great works of propitiation.  When we make satisfaction, we punish ourselves for our sins.  Our sufferings may be offered to God as a form of satisfaction.  Atonement refers to the union with God which is achieved when our sins are expiated or wiped away.  This is the Sunday of the Golden Rose, on which the pope would take a golden rose and give it to a privileged monarch, who was favored by the pope.  The rose is seen as a foretaste of the happiness of Heaven.
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Lent Restores Peace

February 18, 2015By

Ash Wednesday 2015
Not one word is said about punishment or damnation in the readings for this Mass, and that should give a hint to Catholics about the true spirit of this season.  There is no such thing as a private sin.  Not only are all our sins known to the heavenly court, but the whole universe is affected by them.  In the early years of the Church, public penitents were driven out of the churches, just as Adam was driven from Paradise after his sin.  This is a time of holiness, mercy, hope, and pardon, not condemnation and gloom.  We must begin Lent as we should examine our conscience, by looking at Our Lord and comparing ourselves with Him.  During Lent Christ pleads with us not to leave Him alone, so we may be united with Him forever.
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