Saints

Sanctity Needs Great Desire

November 1, 2013By Servants Of The Holy Family

^{Sermon From The}^{Feast Of All Saints 2013}Our Lord in the Gospel teaches the Beatitudes which show the blessedness of the saints. We must have great desire to be holy and we can achieve this with prayer and effort. Although non-Catholics criticize devotion to the saints they are not following Christian practice which dates back to the second century when several Apostolic Fathers recorded how relics, feastdays and prayers in honor of the Blessed Mother and the martyrs were already well-established. We must go to the saints who are more powerful now in heaven than they ever were on earth. We should take the words of St. Augustine to heart: “If they can become saints why can’t I?” Prayer to the saints will be rewarded. Heaven is our home and for that we have been created.
#20131101S

Listen Now

The King and His Saints

October 27, 2013By Servants Of The Holy Family

^{Sermon From}^{The Feast Of Christ the King 2013}On this feast of Christ the King we recall Quas Primas, the encyclical letter of Pope Pius XI, which explains this teaching on Our Lord’s social kingdom and the reasons for instituting this feast. Later this week we have the holyday of obligation known as All Saints day and the following day we have All Souls day which reminds us of the holy souls in Purgatory who are being purified before entering heaven. Taken together we have the Church Militant, Church Triumphant and Church Suffering being presented to us as the perfect union of the Mystical Body of Christ. The fact that only Truth has rights produces its wonderful consequences in salvation history where the desire for sanctity and living for God are beautifully seen and realized under the peaceful and loving reign of Jesus Christ.
#20131027

Listen Now

St. Francis & St. Thérèse

October 4, 2013By Servants Of The Holy Family

^{Conference On}^{First Friday October 2013}St. Francis is greatly misunderstood in our day but was, in fact, a true son of the Church. By his words and example, he made innumerable converts. The Gospel for the Mass of his feast day emphasizes his charity. He was an utterly selfless man. The Little Flower, St. Thérèse, despite all the differences between her life and St. Francis’, shared many similarities to him in spirit. She promised to spend her Heaven doing good on Earth. Poverty of spirit makes one recognize his nothingness. We must remember that sometimes God sends us suffering to open our eyes to the truth.
#20131004

Listen Now

Surprising Apostle

September 25, 2013By Servants Of The Holy Family

^{Sermon From}^{18th Sunday After Pentecost 2013}This sermon tells the story of Saint Matthew who was unique and unlike any of the other disciples chosen by Our Lord. However, this sermon includes multiple talks including loyalty and friendship with the example of the friends to the man who was lowered down to Christ in today’s Gospel. Also, the vice of covetousness is warned against as seen in people of pride and those who have a grasping desire for power and wealth. We are instructed to pray with faith because our prayers lack faith and this is the cause of the lack of miracles today. Lastly, we are reminded that repentance for sins is paramount and a clear conscience allows one to pray better.
#20130925

Listen Now

Much Is Forgiven Those Who Love

July 21, 2013By Servants Of The Holy Family

^{Sermon From The}^{9th Sunday After Pentecost 2013 – 10am Mass}Tomorrow is the feast of the great penitent, St. Mary Magdalen. Early in life she fell into sin which made her like Satan. However, Our Lord’s love frees us from sin. Some, like the Pharisees, rejected His love. Even mortal sins can be forgiven by a perfect act of contrition. The Blessed Mother will help us as St. Mary Magdalen discovered. Christ praised our saint for choosing the better way in contemplation and giving all as shown by her anointing Him with oil. After the Epistle and Gospel follows an instruction on the priesthood and religious life which stresses the importance of zeal for the commandments as expressed through the vows so thereby we lay up treasures in heaven.
#20130721

Listen Now

The Edifice and the Rock

June 29, 2012By Servants Of The Holy Family

Feast of Saints Peter and Paul 2012
Today the Church focuses particularly on St. Peter. He was a simple fisherman, yet he was chosen to lead the Church. We should desire to imitate the great love and docility that St. Peter showed throughout his life. We observe the flaws of his nature in the Gospel. However, we also see that, by the hand of God, a supernatural edifice was built on that natural foundation, just as the Church was built on this rock. This great saint instructs us in the lesson he was taught by Christ – to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He had such trust in Our Lord that during his imprisonment and in the face of his execution, he slept soundly in his cell. This is the feast which reminds us that we too must possess undying trust and hope in the providence of God.
#20120629M

Listen Now

The Qualities of a Glorified Body

April 29, 2012By Servants Of The Holy Family

3rd Sunday after Easter 2012
The name “Extreme Unction” means the “last anointing,” because this sacrament is only given when the danger of death is imminent. It is in our last moments that the devil has his final chance to strike out at God by tempting us to sin. Oftentimes this sacrament provides health to the body in addition to its spiritual aids.

Easter is the guarantee of the resurrection of all the just. The preternatural qualities possessed by the glorified bodies of the just at the end of time will include impassibility, subtlety, agility, and clarity.
#20120429V

Listen Now

A Father to Us All

March 19, 2012By Servants Of The Holy Family

Feast of St. Joseph 2012
In the Hypostatic Union of Jesus Christ, He possessed no human personality, and because of this, His human nature is transcendent and universal. In a sense all our human natures are found in His. St. Joseph, who was chosen to be the father and protector of Our Lord’s Body on Earth, is a true father to the Mystical Body of Christ – our father. When a boy comes into his manhood, he realizes an inherent responsibility to be a protector of those around him, especially the most needy. A true man must possess both strength and compassion and St. Joseph is the perfect exemplar of these manly virtues. We frequently remember the sorrows of the Blessed Mother, but we neglect to remember how much St. Joseph sacrificed and suffered in the care of the Holy Family. The age when the whole Church will recognize the greatness and authority of this Patron of the Universal Church is yet to be seen.
#20120319

Listen Now