Always with Christ

Truly is St. Leo remembered as "the Great," for we remember him for his work as the Bishop of Rome, turning aside the invading forces of Attila the Hun, and, also by sparing the city greater damage by his intervention with Genseric, king of the Vandals; but even greater work did he do in defense of the Faith of Christ's Church. He withstood the heresies of Nestorius, Eutyches, Appolinarius, and the Manicheans, holding forth the true faith, the faith once-for-all delivered to the saints. 2 Timothy 4:1

In the year 2018, the feast of St. John of Damascus, which is normally celebrated on March 27, is transferred to April 9. We remember this John for his many gifts to the Church, but chiefly among these we celebrate the grace of God at work in him, raising him up to battle valiantly against the iconoclasts, thereby bringing to our minds the faith of the whole Church in regard to holy images. 2 Timothy 1:13-14, 2:1-3

This Homily was preached on the First Sunday after Easter, 2018. In the Lessons for this day, we hear St. John speaking in his first Epistle about the faith the overcomes the world, but what is faith? And how is this walking by faith that we overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil? 1 John 5:4, John 20:19-23

This is a replay of an episode that was originally broadcast on our local radio station, KVLF, AM 1240, earlier today. On this First Sunday after Easter, the Church calls us to a scene that took place on Easter evening, where we find the Apostles hiding behind locked doors out of fear, and where we see Jesus appearing in their midst. In the few words that he speaks to them, we find the very heart of the Christian message, which is the message of Easter. John 20:19-23.

Because the normal date of the celebration of the grace of God at work in St. Richard (April 3) fell upon the Tuesday after Easter, his feast is transferred to today, April 7. In the life of Richard, we see a life filled with grace and heavenly virtue, and though he dies at the age of 55, his few years in the Episcopate, were rich in the fruit of the Spirit, as he sounds out a call to the clergy to walk by the Spirit and fulfill the oaths of their ordinations. Matthew 25:14.

Because March 25, the usual date for the celebration of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, fell within the days of Holy Week, the feast was transferred to today, April 6. In this feast we celebrate the marvelous outworking of God's love in sending his Son to be the Savior of the World through the Virgin Mary, who is ever called "Blessed among women," for to her was given this great honor.

April 5 calls us to the celebration of the Spirit empowered life and work of St. Vincent Ferrer, who, through his labors in preaching, brought many heretics to the true faith and many Christians to a lively faith in Christ. We also remember him for his tireless work for the union of the seamless garment of Christ's body, the Church. Luke 12:35.

St. Isidore is remembered for both his humble faith and his intellectual mastery of many different subjects. He reestablishes orthodoxy in Spain after the barbarism of the Visigoths and he completes the works begun by his brother, St. Leander, of bringing the liturgy, missal, and breviary to the Goths. Some of his homilies survive to this day and in this episode, we are privileged to hear a homily on true leadership.

Always with Christ is the weekly program of Holy Cross Anglican Church in Alpine, Texas, and is broadcast on our local KVLF AM 1240 each Sunday, walking the listener through the Church Year. In this episode, we are brought to Easter Sunday where we consider the restoration of St. Peter.

Today, we celebrate the greatest of the Holy Mysteries in the celebration of Easter and the Resurrection of our Lord. Resurrection stands as the decisive act of our salvation, demonstrating the defeat of death by death. Colossians 3:1;3, John 20:1-10.