In Sermons: showing 676-690 of 1,304

Gospel Of Joy Is A Gospel Of Peace Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 11, 2017

"Peace in society cannot be understood as pacification or the mere absence of violence"

Thursday of Sixth Week in Course Joy of the Gospel We are now in the season which the Extraordinary Form calendar still calls Septuagesima, or the seventy days before Easter. In other words, we need to remember that we are looking toward the beginning of Lent on March 1, and the sacrifices we need ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 9:1-13

Denomination: Catholic

Less Respect Than A Dog Gets Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 5, 2017

The abortion supporter treats the unborn child with less respect than they would demand for a puppy.

Thursday of Fifth Week in Course Joy of the Gospel This Gospel is one for the thoughtless atheist to seize and wring out for every drop of abuse of the Catholic truth. It looks on the surface like Jesus sinning. He is verbally abusing this poor pagan woman, whose only offense is to ask for ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:24-30

Denomination: Catholic

New Forms Of Poverty: Our Responsibility Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 28, 2017

"It is essential to draw near to new forms of poverty and vulnerability, and recognize the suffering Christ."

Feast of the Purification/Presentation 2017 Joy of the Gospel I have a special affection for this feast, which celebrates the bringing of Jesus to the Temple forty days after His birth, because I was baptized on this day seventy years ago. It is called Candlemas, because a procession with candles ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:22-40

Denomination: Catholic

Grant Us Godly Politicians Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 21, 2017

"I beg the Lord to grant us more politicians who are genuinely disturbed by the state of society, the people, the lives of the poor! "

Thursday of Third Week in Course 2017 Joy of the Gospel Ss Timothy and Titus Today’s feast is a challenge to those whose denomination teaches that the Church is not hierarchical. Most of these denominations consider themselves Bible fundamentalists, but today’s readings clearly show that, from the ...read more

Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:1-8

Denomination: Catholic

Converting The Economy To The Gospel Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 7, 2017

"We can no longer trust in the unseen forces and the invisible hand of the market."

Thursday of Second Week in Course 2017 Joy of the Gospel Mark’s Gospel, which tradition holds is the second one written after Matthew, seems to be a short life of Christ appended to an account of His passion and resurrection. Miracles such as the ones we hear about today occupy a large part of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 3:7-12

Denomination: Catholic

Living Peaceably Amid An Evil Culture

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 7, 2017

If possible, so far as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all.

Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount reveals the Gospel of Our Lord as the fulfillment of the Mosaic Law. To follow the Messiah, all of his disciples are challenged daily to take the narrow path, to pray without ceasing, and to seek blessedness by living and serving just as Jesus ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

How Much Must We Do? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 30, 2016

It’s ironic that when dealing with these positive commandments, we don’t ever come to a point when we can say, “I have fulfilled them.”

Thursday before Epiphany 2017 Joy of the Gospel St. John teaches us today in both Epistle and Gospel: “By this we know love, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:11-21

Denomination: Catholic

We Must Serve The Poor Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 25, 2016

The church ministered to the poor. If we lose that character, we are no longer the true church.

Fifth Day of the Christmas Octave 2016 Joy of the Gospel St. John the Evangelist is the apostle and evangelist of love, but he can write in very black-and-white manners. In his first epistle his language is stark: if you obey the law to love your brother you are walking as Jesus did. If you say ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:22-35

Denomination: Catholic

Christmas Is For Helping The Poor Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 17, 2016

After all, what is important about Christmas?

Thursday of Fourth Week in Advent 2016 Joy of the Gospel The prayer we just heard in the Gospel is one of the most beloved in Catholic history. It is likely that it was part of the public and private prayer of Christians from the very beginning of the Church. We still pray it every day at Vespers. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:46-56, Luke 1:46-49

Denomination: Catholic

When God Moves Our Cheese

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 10, 2016

If we prayerfully look at our own lives, and especially at the times when somebody “moved our cheese” and inconvenienced ourselves, I think we can almost always see the finger of God at work amid the ruins of our plans.

“Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht.” The stark Yiddish proverb is true: man plans; God laughs. Now there’s many ways to interpret the saying. A politician might work for years on a piece of legislation that looked like the smartest thing for the greatest number of people, only to see it shot down in ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

"Path Of Life And Wisdom"

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 10, 2016

The Pharisees refused to repent because they thought they were doing everything correctly; if we follow them, we will ignore the most important part of being Jesus' disciples.

Thursday of Third Week in Advent 2016 Joy of the Gospel Listen once more to these words of today's Gospel: “When they heard this all the people and the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John; but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Thoughts For The Third Sunday Of Advent Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 3, 2016

I and you need to ask who Our Lord is in relationship to ourselves, and who we are in relationship to Him.

Third Sunday of Advent 2016 In nomine Patris, . . . “Who are you?” “Just who do you think you are?” “Who in the world???” All of these questions strike at the fundamental awareness of our personal existence. All of these questions merit an answer, because what ...read more

Scripture: John 1:19-28

Denomination: Catholic

In The Spirit Of St. Francis Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 24, 2016

Perhaps what we need to pray for and accept is the spirit of St. Francis. That way we can say “Lord, Lord” and do the will of the Father.

Thursday of First Week in Advent 2016 Joy of the Gospel We are at the beginning of a new year of grace, and we are hit in the face with some pretty strong Gospel language, even in the first reading. “Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps faith may enter in.” Righteous ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-27

Denomination: Catholic

Now Thank We All Our God

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 19, 2016

Politics will not save us. Only the God whom we thank today can do that.

Thanksgiving 2016 “Now thank we all our God. . .who wondrous things has done. . .who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our way with countless gifts of love.” Martin Rickart’s magnificent hymn of thanks, used by almost all Christians, is inspired by this text from the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Denomination: Catholic

The End And The Reward Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 12, 2016

Paul is not focusing on sinful behavior we should avoid, but on exemplary behavior we should practice.

24th or Last Sunday of the Year 2016 Extraordinary Form The five hundred year period since the end of the Renaissance has been marked by two events we Catholics can realistically call religious catastrophes. The first, of course, was the Protestant revolution most agree was begun by Martin Luther ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:15-35

Denomination: Catholic