In Sermons: showing 961-975 of 1,305

The Ascension And Mothers Day

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 5, 2013

We can learn much about our faith from the justaposition of the Ascension feast, Mothers' Day and First Communion.

Ascension Solemnity 2013 Mother’s Day–First Communion On those Saturdays when I have the privilege of baptizing young children into Christ, I give a blessing to the mothers of those young ones. It begins “God the Father, through his Son, the Virgin Mary’s child, has ...read more

Scripture: Luke 24:46-53

Denomination: Catholic

Answering The Atheist Challenge Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 4, 2013

Our witness to modern culture has an ally in the fundamental weakness of atheism.

Monday of 6th Week in Easter 2013 Gaudium et Spes “It is through the gift of the Holy Spirit that man comes by faith to the contemplation and appreciation of the divine plan.” (GS 15) These words of the Council Fathers remind us that we are approaching the great Solemnities of ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

When The Law Of Unintended Consequences Harms Our Work Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 26, 2013

The actions of Paul and Barnabas at Lystra help us to discover how to appeal to those around us.

Monday of 5th Week in Easter 2013 St. Catherine of Siena Gaudium et Spes The Fathers of the Council taught that “God, Who has fatherly concern for everyone, has willed that all men should constitute one family and treat one another in a spirit of brotherhood. For having been created in the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 14:5-18

Denomination: Catholic

Good Shepherd And Church Unity Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 20, 2013

The Council Fathers recognize the obstacles to human unity, and the key to bringing humans together under the leadership of the Good Shepherd.

Monday of 4th Week in Easter 2013 The Good Shepherd The prophet Isaiah complained, with the voice of God, “all we like sheep have gone astray.” This was truly said of the Hebrew people, and their Jewish descendants. Every time God rescued them from the results of their own bad ...read more

Scripture: John 10:1-10

Denomination: Catholic

Believe In The Son And Walk The Talk Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 13, 2013

The answer to the new atheism is the old faith, belief in Christ and reception of his forgiveness and grace.

Monday of Third Week in Easter 2013 Gaudium et Spes It’s been a while, but some years ago I used to hear Christians using the phrase “walk the talk.” That means that what you profess with your lips you have to live with your whole person. Today we are given the first ...read more

Scripture: John 6:22-29

Denomination: Catholic

Do We Really Love Jesus?

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 13, 2013

Sometimes we get a wake-up call, like Peter did. Our culture is assailing Christianity. Will we wake up and take action--prayer, fasting and giving?

Third Sunday of Easter 2013 “Do You Love Me?” There’s an old story about a farmer who had a mule to sell. When the buyer came around to see the mule, he tried several times to get the mule to pull his wagon. The mule would not move. The seller was walking off with his money ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:27-41

Denomination: Catholic

Lower The Nets For A Catch Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 7, 2013

Jesus calls us to lower the nets for a catch, even though it means persecution and rejection. We must learn the four steps of evangelization of our surroundings, friends and coworkers.

Third Sunday of Easter 2013 Vatican II About forty years ago, acting on the directions of the Fathers of the Council, a team of expert Scripture scholars and liturgists gave the Church what is called the “expanded Lectionary” for Mass. The exact words of the Liturgy Constitution are ...read more

Scripture: John 21:1-19

Denomination: Catholic

Honoring The Incarnation With Estate Planning Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 6, 2013

The Incarnation of Jesus Christ, Son of God, manifest the Divine Mercy that we can continue to show to the world during and even after our deaths.

Solemnity of the Annunciation 2013 Honoring the Incarnation with Estate Planning It doesn’t feel like March 25, but for the Church, today is that day–the Solemnity of the Annunciation, our Festival of the Incarnation of the Son of God. Easter came very early this year, the second time ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38

Denomination: Catholic

How To Participate In The Resurrection Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 1, 2013

The witness of the apostles to the Resurrection challenges us to face the mystery of our own existence and life, and adopt a way of life that would inspire others at our own funerals.

Monday of Easter Week Gaudium et Spes Fifty-one days. What a difference fifty-one days can make, if Jesus Christ and the Spirit of Jesus Christ permeates those days. Look at the followers of Jesus in the wake of His arrest, torture and execution. They were cowering in a little upper room in ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 28:8-15

Denomination: Catholic

I Reject. . .i Believe: An Easter Homily Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 29, 2013

The promises we make in baptism are challenges to be soaked with Christ.

Easter Sunday 2013 “I Reject. . .I Believe” In my ministry of deacon, about five times a year I have the privilege of welcoming young children into the Church through the sacrament of Baptism. The rite of Baptism of Infants is pretty straightforward, involving the reading of ...read more

Scripture: Romans 6:3-5

Denomination: Catholic

God Has The Last Word Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 28, 2013

Holy Saturday is a time to contemplate the victory of Christ even in defeat.

Holy Saturday 2013 Holy Week 2013 The Son of God died, and was buried. The one who had kept Peter’s mother-in-law from dying, who raised the son of the widow at Naim and the daughter of Jairus, and even four-days-dead Lazarus was Himself in the tomb. A few guards sleepily watch over the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:53-56

Denomination: Catholic

Dying For His Enemies Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 27, 2013

Jesus had to die for us, his enemies, because the Father promised it to Abraham.

Good Friday 2013 Holy Week 2013 The psalms of Good Friday are the prayers of Jesus on the cross. If we are to understand better why, in my question of yesterday, we must believe that God did not make a mistake in making man, and, in the question of today, why Jesus had to die such a cruel death, ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 38:12-14

Denomination: Catholic

Did God Make A Mistake? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 25, 2013

The Terminator is like a parable about God's creation of humans.

Thursday of Holy Week 2013 Did God Make a Mistake? I think one of the levels of meaning of the “Terminator” movies incorporates a parable. Think about it. Americans, wary of human beings’ ability to push the nuclear button, create something called “Skynet,” a ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Cracking The Hard Seedcoat Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 24, 2013

The hard surface of our hearts must be scarified or we cannot grow and we cannot bear fruit.

Wednesday of Holy Week 2013 Seeds 3 [Preacher: You should have a bluebonnet seed or other seed and either sandpaper or vinegar.] We come to what we might call the last day of the triduum before the Great Triduum, and to the moment Church tradition calls “Spy Wednesday.” This is the ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 50:4-9

Denomination: Catholic

Seeds, Part Ii: The Use Of Compost In The Spiritual Life Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 23, 2013

The seed that needs to die to bear much fruit needs nutrients; these come from composting the great temptations in our lives.

Tuesday of Holy Week 2013 Seeds 2 “Unless a grain of wheat fall to the ground and die, it remains alone; but if it die, it yields much fruit.” As we continue our Holy Week contemplation of the death of Jesus, we encounter the prophecy of Isaiah about the Messiah. This is a later ...read more

Scripture: John 13:21-28

Denomination: Catholic