His Last Will and Testament

March 28, 2013By

Sermon On
Holy Thursday 2013
Despite being the season of the Passion, the altar and celebrant are draped in white, because the Church cannot conceal her joy and gratitude for the gifts she has received today.  In preparation for His death, Christ promulgates His last will and testament for His offspring, but unlike an earthly father who can only pass on his wealth, Our Lord gives His children His enduring presence in the Holy Eucharist, and the means of perpetuating it in the priesthood.  All the gifts we receive from Christ, especially those of this day, are given freely and lovingly.  We should value these gifts above everything.  The institution of the Mass is the supreme gift of Christ.  Through this sacrifice the Son offers homage and adoration to His Father.  Through it we make reparation for our sins.  In the Sacrament of the Altar is truly present, not only grace, but the Author of all grace.  Now that the priesthood is so reviled and attacked, we should appreciate it more than ever.  Christians of the past were willing to shed their blood in defense of these awesome gifts – are we?
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The Liturgy of Heaven

March 24, 2013By

Palm Sunday 2013
It is important that we be fervent and attentive during Holy Week.  We do ourselves great harm by not entering into these moments with our hearts and minds.  The world will pass away and mean nothing, but what happens in the liturgy has consequences for all eternity.  We have been given a dignity beyond all comprehension.  God needed nothing outside Himself to be perfectly happy but, in His divine plan, God desired to have His Incarnate Son give Him infinite, external glory.  We join in this infinite glory because we are members of Christ’s Mystical Body.  Today we are united with this moment in Christ life by participating in this liturgy, and we look forward to the ultimate triumph of our King and our procession into the heavenly Jerusalem.  As defeated as Our Lord appears in the world today, this will be as nothing compared to the glory of His coming kingship.
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Facing the Consequences of Our Sins

March 17, 2013By

Sermon On
Passion Sunday 2013
Father Violette✟
All creation reflects the glory of God, however, angels and men, because of their freewill, have the obligation to acknowledge and worship their Creator.  We must pray humbly, perseveringly, and confidently.

The Church veils the statues of the saints, those objects of consolation, because we are meant to focus on Christ alone, and on the sufferings He endured for our sins.  We tend to blame our sufferings on the sins of others, but in truth, we experience the consequences of our own sins as much as those of our neighbor.  We are the ones condemning Our Lord to suffer and die.  We should rebuke ourselves severely for neglecting attendance at Mass, when we are able to do so.  The graces available to us at a single Mass are sufficient to save our souls.
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The Life-giving Sign

March 3, 2013By

Sermon From
3rd Sunday of Lent 2013
Our faith in the Blessed Trinity and in our Redemption are expressed by making the Sign of the Cross.  This simple act can win innumerable graces for us, and stir up in our souls sentiments of faith, hope, and charity.  When we remember how much Our Lord has suffered for us, we should be inspired to suffer for Him.  We see how valuable our soul is in the eyes of our Creator, Who went to such lengths to save us.  The early Fathers of the Church offer numerous references to the Sign of the Cross being made by Christians, and they describe the deep meaning contained in the ancient gesture.

The devil attempts to impede our spiritual progress by distractions and temptations, but our rule of life is to do the Will of God.  We should never imagine that we are safe from demonic attacks.
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A Glimpse of the Divine

February 24, 2013By

Sermon From The
2nd Sunday in Lent 2013
Today the faithful gather at the stational church of the Blessed Mother, so that we might be encouraged by the liturgy.  If we are being attacked, that means we are on the right path.  These three Apostles were chosen to glimpse the Divine because they were to witness the sufferings of Christ in Gethsemane.  God desires our sanctification, but we must avoid the vice of impurity which captures more souls than any other.  We must take this lessen to heart if we wish one day to see the triumph prefigured by the Transfiguration.
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What the Season Teaches

December 30, 2012By

Sunday within the Octave of Christmas 2012
St. Paul tells us that although we were under the dominion of the world, we are the adopted sons of God and heirs of His kingdom.  It was prophesied that those who accepted the Messias will rise, while those who reject him will fall.  We have three major feasts after Christmas: St. Stephen, St. John, and the Holy Innocents.  We are taught by St. Stephen that it will not be easy to follow Christ.  St. John teaches us that we will be called to stand against heresy as he did in the first century.  And the Holy Innocents remind us of the secular persecution which desires to put Christ to death once again.  We must resist the attacks on the family which are widespread.  We must be thankful because we have been blessed.  We are the shepherds who have been chosen to approach the manger.
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We Are the Happiest of Mankind

December 2, 2012By

Sermon from The
1st Sunday of Advent 2012
The Catholic Faith is clear and transparent in its revelation of truth.  The effects of the sacrament of matrimony are the increase of Sanctifying Grace and the special graces to aid in the raising of children.

Once again, as we approach the feast of the Nativity, we are forced to defend the doctrine of the perpetual virginity of the Blessed Mother from the attacks of evil clergy, while those who hold to tradition are accused of heresy.

The beginning of the new liturgical year is a chance for a fresh start.  Our resolution for this year should be the liturgy. We should resolve to be faithful in attending Mass, which is the official prayer of the Church, in addition to reciting faithfully the Rosary.  We are reminded of the fearful signs of the end of time because this fear is the beginning of wisdom.  However, there is a ray of hope in this Gospel account.  In that last day we will lift up our heads for the vindication of the just.
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Bear with One Another in Charity

November 11, 2012By

24th Sunday after Pentecost 2012
10am Mass
Living with our fellow man is always difficult.  Remembering the numerous occasions in which we knowingly or unknowingly afflict our neighbor will make it far easier to endure his shortcomings.  Charity is the bond of perfection because when we possess it we love God more than we love ourselves.  We go to God as He is in Himself and surrender ourselves, seeking to be united to Him.  Without charity all the other virtues are worthless, because they are all so many modes of expressing divine love.  God has loved us first, and by expressing our love for Him we only return the love He has given us.

In this parable of the weeds, we are given a bleak look into the life of the Church.  We have the explanation of this parable from the words of Christ Himself.  It is a prophetic story about the evil to be found within the Church especially among the clergy.  However, these trials can also bring out the very best in the faithful who courageously stand against the incursions of the devil.
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Everything from God’s Hand

September 23, 2012By

17th Sunday after Pentecost 2012
St. Paul tells us that we must live the life of holiness to which we have all been called.  When we speak of our neighbor we refer to both our friends and enemies.  Everything that happens to us comes from God.  He controls the universe and wills everything except for sin itself.  It should be easy for us to practice patience and forbearance, if we see all the actions of our neighbor as directly willed or at least permitted by God.  Our enemies provide crosses for us to carry with patience and provide us with the opportunities to practice virtue.  We do not know the conscience of our neighbor, but we know all the graces we have received and the malice of our own souls.  How easy it should be to judge ourselves harshly while being slow to judge our neighbor.
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Obedient Unto Death

September 14, 2012By

Sermon From The Feast Of
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross 2012
We should study and meditate on the cross of Our Lord, because it was on this cross that His greatest work was accomplished.  While the Son of God was suspended on the cross, He was thinking of each of us.  This device used for torture and execution has become our symbol of consolation and hope.  It was under this sign that Emperor Constantine conquered, and it was St. Helena, his mother, who led the expedition to recover the True Cross from the Holy Land.  We should not be fearful and reluctant in the face of the trials Our Lord sends us.  If we embrace these crosses, then we too will be obedient to the Will of God even unto death.

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