Sunday Sermon

We know that God is pure simplicity, but do we know what simplicity really is?

A truly simple Catholic is a Catholic that has turned his body, life, heart and soul completely over to God and follows Him wherever He may lead us.

Our Lord offers living water to a Samaritan woman whom He meets at Jacob's well. This woman, though a Samaritan, had performed a corporal work of mercy unto the Lord, giving Him water to drink at His request. Regardless of her background, and regardless of her state of life, she was well disposed towards the grace and the word of the Lord when she encountered it.

May we, too, imperfect as we may be, today hear the word of the Lord and seek after the living water of His divine grace!

How sad and forlorn were the hearts of the disciples when their beloved Master said to them: “A little while, and you shall not see me.” Still, there was some consolation in store for them “A little while and you shall see me;” and then your sorrow shall be changed into joy; “your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man shall take from you.” Far more sorrowful is the state of those sinners to whom God can say, after confession: “A little while and you shall not see me!” For, in a little while, by relapsing into sin, they will drive the divine Guest out of their hearts, and lose his grace and friendship. Perseverance in good is the surest sign of a future resurrection with Christ to glory, and of his possession in heaven; hence, to avoid relapse into sin, and to encourage you to be constant in the divine service, I will now proceed to draw some considerations from that exhortation of the Holy Ghost addressed to us all by the Wise Man: “With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it” (Prov. 4: 23). Therefore, O man, carefully guard your heart from all evil thoughts and desires, if you wish to continue in the grace of God and to rejoice with him in heaven.

The Gospel tells us of a man, suffering from paralysis, who had waited daily for thirty-eight years for the opportunity to be healed of his infirmity.

The Feast of St. Mark that we celebrate today is a reminder that the Gospel occurs in a human setting and condition. Mark, also known as “John Mark”, was at the center of tension between Paul and Barnabas and the differences were so severe that it led to a parting of way for the two.

And yet, St. Mark despite his less than stellar beginning in Church Leadership, and Barnabas, who seemed to start off as a mentor to Paul, was reconciled to St. Paul.

Have you ever received a gift and for whatever reason you just never used it? St. Paul makes the point that each and everyone of us is given grace. And each one of us is given various gifts which we are called to use...

The children of God dread nothing more than offending him by a mortal sin; the bare remembrance of their past sins makes them weep and lament. The children of the world have very little fear of sin; they commit it without the least scruple, for the sake of some miserable thing, and they rejoice about it afterwards, as the Holy Scripture says: “They are glad when they have done evil, and rejoice in the most wicked things” (Prov. 2: 14). Nay, there are some who go so far as to boast of their sins and exult in them. But He who rejoices at and boasts of his sins, is the most shameless sinner of all.

God’s faithful and generous people acknowledge that everything comes from, returns to, and belongs to God. Our job is to be faithful stewards of what we receive from Him.

Today we hear of the holy myrrh-bearing women who went to the tomb of our Lord that they might anoint His body. When they arrived, they were met by an angel who deputed them to tell the Lord's disciples and Peter that the Lord was, indeed, arisen from the dead! It was in going about their own practical devotion that these women became witnesses and messengers of the greatest miracle of all history - the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thus it is for all who would follow Christ.

The “I Am” statement, concerning the good Shepherd in John, might best be understood as falling under, and echoing this claim of Jesus being the Good Shepherd. He is God, and He is the God of Israel. All the OT and God’s redemptive acts were pointing to the coming of Jesus as the God-in-flesh, the true and better Israel, and the fulfillment of all the OT types and shadows." So how does Jesus fulfill the OT picture or type of God as a Shepherd?