The Sign in Which We Conquer

Sermon From The Feast Of
The Exultation of the Holy Cross 2025
In the Old Testament the symbol of the cross was foreshadowed in the tree of the Garden of Eden, in Isaac carrying the wood to be used for his sacrifice, and in the brazen serpent lifted up on the beam to rescue the Israelites.  More importantly, this feast commemorates pivotal events in the age of salvation.  Emperor Constantine’s miraculous conquest, St. Helena’s discovery of the True Cross, and Emperor Heraclitus’ rescue of the Cross are all commemorated today.  The cross, once a symbol of hatred, has now become the greatest symbol of love.  We must not only pray for the strength to bear our crosses, but for the desire to embrace them.  Following the examples of St. Andrew and Fr. Miguel Pro, may we heroically take up our cross and follow Christ as they did before us.
#20250914B

Listen Now

Remember Your Weakness

13th Sunday after Pentecost 2025

The Collect of this Mass reminds us of the three beautiful gifts God gives us at Baptism: Faith, Hope, and Charity. Faith is that belief we have in the revelations of Jesus Christ because He is God. Hope is that virtue that helps us to persevere and trust in God’s promises. Charity is the greatest virtue here on earth. The Hebrews did not have the graces we have today. They had to struggle against themselves without the help of the New Law. In today’s Gospel we are reminded of our own weakness, poverty, and need for confident recourse to God. If our Faith is weak, we do not progress in the spiritual life. Without Faith, we cannot love God as we should. We must not neglect our thanksgiving after receiving the sacraments, especially that of Penance. The greatest hindrance to our spiritual progress is our lack of gratitude.
#20250907K

Listen Now

The First Fruit of the Redemption

Assumption Evening 2025
Judith of the Old Testament is a figure of the Blessed Virgin Mary who crushes the head of Satan and defeats sin.  In the Gospel, the Blessed Mother was early with child when she traveled to visit her cousin Elizabeth. With the infant Jesus only three days old in her womb, the Virgin Mary was affirmed by St. Elizabeth to be the Mother of God.  Tradition teaches us that when the Blessed Mother was near death, the Apostles were inspired to come to the place where she was to die.  Before the Apostles’ very eyes, she rose from the dead and was assumed into Heaven.  The Blessed Mother is the first fruit of the Redemption.  It was only in view of the coming Redemption that she was preserved from Original Sin.  Today is a true homecoming.  Heaven, not Earth, is our home, and we pray that Our Lady will lead us to that home one day.
#20250815K

Listen Now

Hail Mary, Full of Love

Feast of the Assumption 2025
In the Epistle for today’s feast, the applied sense of Scripture is used to connect Judith’s conquest over the prince of the Hebrew’s enemies in the Old Testament to the Blessed Virgin Mary’s victory over the Prince of Darkness.  The passive word Assumption is used to express the direct action of the Trinity on Our Lady in bringing her, body and soul, into Heaven.  One can only imagine the great joy in Heaven at the entrance of its Queen.  In the Hail Mary we are meant to greet the Holy Virgin with fervor and love.  Divine Charity, which we possess in Sanctifying Grace, far surpasses the greatest and most noble of human love.  The intensity of this Divine Love in the Blessed Mother is unimaginable, and it transformed even her smallest works into actions warranting the greatest merit.  What our Savior desires most from us is that we love Him in return.
#20250815

Listen Now

No Longer Slaves of the World

9th Sunday after Pentecost 2025
When St. Lawrence was commanded to turn over all the treasures of the Church to the Roman rulers, the holy deacon brought all the poor among the Christian faithful before the Roman prefect. St. Lawrence desired to show them that the true treasures of the Church are to be found in the poor and humble. He was martyred by being burned alive, and his heroic endurance of this torture showed his complete union with Christ in prayer.

The theme of the Epistle for this Mass is conversion of life. St. Paul reminds the Corinthians not to fall back into sin, particularly sins of the flesh. He uses examples from the Old Testament to warn us about the punishments in store for those who turn away from God. Although, as Christians we remain ever hopeful, let us never presume we are safe in our spiritual life. Souls holier than we have fallen.
#20250810K

Listen Now

A Warning for Vocations

4th Sunday after Pentecost 2025

In today’s Epistle, St Paul speaks of the curse placed on all creation due to the fall of Adam.  All creatures desire to be freed of this curse.  With great hope, we look forward to the day when our bodies will be glorified and our adoption as sons of God complete.

The initial call of St. Peter in the Gospel account for today teaches us valuable lessons about the pursuit of a vocation.  The devil will do everything in his power to prevent a man from becoming a priest.  He frequently tempts the soul to delay his vocation needlessly, to substitute a vocation with a less-perfect life, or to be paralyzed by a feeling of unworthiness.  These temptations, as well as other attacks from the devil, can be expected by all who consider offering their life to God, and it is only through prayer and confident reliance on Our Lord’s assistance that one can persevere towards such a lofty calling.
#20250706B

Listen Now

Have We Rejected the Invitation?

2nd Sunday after Pentecost 2025
The so-called “Theology of the Body” is contrary to the Churches teaching.  We know from Our Lord’s own words that there will be no marriage in Heaven.  During the summer we must remember that are bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost, and we must practice modesty.
The priest wears the liturgical color of green because this season is full of hope.  There is a great feast set for us, but it is up to us to partake.  God generously invites us but if we are “too busy” then He will invite those more worthy.  When witnessing the devotion of those who have recently discover the Latin Mass, we should ask ourselves if we appreciate it as they do. The Holy Eucharist and the Sacred Heart are the great antidotes to tepidity.
#20250622M

Listen Now

The Birthday of the Church

Pentecost Sunday 2025
The Holy Ghost is often referred to as the “forgotten Person of the Trinity.”  However, without Him we would have no Church.  When Our Lord died on the Cross all the merits He won remained within Him, and it was only when He opened the gates of Heaven that all those merits could be shared with us.  All that He won is dispensed to us during the visible reign of the Holy Spirit.  Today the Church made its first physical appearance in the world.  The Apostles gathered with the Virgin Mary in the Upper Room, where the first Mass had been offered, and prayed for nine days in preparation for the coming of the Holy Ghost.  A miraculous wind drew crowds of thousands to the very first church.  The appearance of the tongues of fire expressed the consuming fire of God’s love.  The ultimate gift of the Holy Ghost is for each of us to be filled with the very love God has for Himself.
#20250608

Listen Now

His Temporary Absence

Ascension Thursday Evening 2025
The Church is filled with joy on this day, because of Our Lord’s glorious entry into Heaven and because our human nature, hypostatically united to the Son of God, now sits at the right hand of the Father.  However, despite the great joy, the Apostles surely felt some sadness at the departure of their Lord and Redeemer.  We feel the same way during those moments in our spiritual journey when we no longer receive consolations and Our Lord seems far from us.  It is only by our passage through these purifications that our love of God may be tried, purified, and perfected.  Today God calls us to our heavenly Home.
#20250529B

 

Listen Now

The Ever-Ascending Prayer

Ascension Thursday Morning 2025
During these forty days following the Resurrection, Our Lord appeared to all his disciples.  After He gave them His command to preach to the world, He ascended into Heaven.  Throughout the Gospels, the cloud is the symbol of the Holy Ghost, and when the cloud took Our Lord out of their sight it was as if the Holy Ghost was embracing Him, welcoming Him home.  Our Lord with His human nature and all His wounds is even now sitting at the right hand of the Father, perpetually praying for us.  We read in the Postcommunion about these “visible mysteries.”  In the liturgy, “mystery” is a synonym for “sacrament.”  The virtue that we need most in this age of crisis is hope, because the devil is forever trying to discourage us.  Today is the feast of hope.
#20250529M

 

Listen Now
×
Your Cart
Cart is empty.
Shop our collection of religious items
Go to our Store
$0.00
Final shipping & taxes re-calculated at checkout
$0.00