In Sermons: showing 1,036-1,050 of 1,305

Words Of Jesus; Actions Of Jesus Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 16, 2012

In a passage that describes Jesus' teaching about our response to injustice and requests for loans, we must remember that Jesus is describing His own life.

Monday of 11th Week in Course 18 June 2012 Verbum Domini The Word of God is not some naive program to comfort humans in their preconceptions. Both Old Testament and Gospel passages today rub our Christian noses in the reality of evil, and challenge us to take up the hardest labors connected to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:32-42, Matthew 7:1-20

Denomination: Catholic

The End Of The Drought Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 13, 2012

The Word of God truly effects change, like the dewfall, and especially in the Bread and Wine.

Thursday of 10th Week in Course Verbum Domini Drought. Elijah had to get the Israelites’ attention, to help them return to the true God. Ahab and Jezebel stood in the way, worshiping the gods of the land. Yesterday we heard about the contest between Elijah and the false prophets, that ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 18:41-46

Denomination: Catholic

Sons And Daughters Of Encouragement Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 8, 2012

Like Barnabas, we can be sons and daughters of encouragement if we see and make real the connection between Word and Sacrament.

Feast of St Barnabas 2012 Verbum Domini This annual celebration of one of the early Church’s lynchpins, St. Barnabas, brings to mind first of all the meaning of his Hebrew name: Bar-nabas, son of encouragement. (Acts 4:36) When you use that idiom about somebody, it’s like saying, ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Three Items For The Baptism Checklist Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 5, 2012

Your child is beginning a journey that will end in the arms of the Father: here's what you must do as mission controllers to help ensure a good ending.

Homily for Infant Baptism Today is a very special time in your families’ lives. Today is the day in which I, acting as a minister of Jesus Christ, and by the grace of the Holy Spirit, launch your child into a trajectory that, many years from now, should land him/her in the arms of the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:13-16

Denomination: Catholic

What Is Most Precious To You? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 3, 2012

How can we believer that the bread and wine become truly the Body and Blood of Christ? How can we not, because of the power of the Holy Spirit acting through the Word of God?

Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ 10 June 2012 Spirit of the Liturgy What is valuable to you? What is most precious? I propose that the most valuable object in my life and yours is fairly easy to find. It is the object we keep closest to us. It is what we will risk our life to run into ...read more

Scripture: Mark 14:12-26

Denomination: Catholic

The Word Of God Forming Saints Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 2, 2012

St. Peter gives us a program for becoming saints of faith.

Monday of 9th Week in Course Verbum Domini Sometimes the New Testament gives us a long or short example of the earliest movements toward what we call systematic theology. This second letter of Peter begins with something like that–a list of strengths or virtues in logical order. Each ...read more

Scripture: 2 Peter 1:2-10

Denomination: Catholic

Perfect Interplay Between The Word And Faith Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 26, 2012

The love that is the Holy Spirit is the power that saves us, and empowers us to be like Christ in the world.

Monday after Pentecost Memorial Day Verbum Domini Before the reform of the Roman liturgy back in the 70's, Pentecost had its own octave, culminating in Trinity Sunday. Whatever we may think of the change, we are now taken from the mountaintop experience of the commemoration of the coming of the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:17-27

Denomination: Catholic

The Ephesian Church And The Word Of God Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 19, 2012

The growth of the first-century church of Ephesus shows how the Word of God overcomes world-systems by the power of the Holy Spirit.

21 May 2012 Verbum Domini The Word of God, Jesus, has overcome the world. Today’s reading from Acts gives us a glimpse of how the Word overcomes. The Word of God overcomes the world through the working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the disciples. The foundation and growth of the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:1-20

Denomination: Catholic

Reflecting On The Dark Passages Of Scripture Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 12, 2012

As in the story of Judas, there are dark passages in the Bible, but they can help us if we use an interpretation which enables their meaning to emerge in the light of the mystery of Christ.

Feast of St. Matthias 14 May 2012 Verbum Domini Today’s feast gives us an opportunity to reflect on one of the darkest moments in our salvation history. The crucifixion of Jesus was set up by a traitor, Judas “the Iscariot.” It also helps us to consider what the Holy Father and ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:15-26

Denomination: Catholic

The Life Of Julia According To Christ Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 12, 2012

To the two political views of the fictional "Julia," we must add a third in the spirit of Jesus

Mothers Day 2012 Spirit of the Liturgy Just in time for Mothers’ Day, we have been presented with three visions of the future for the women of America. We should be thankful for the opportunity to choose from these visions. Two are social and political, the third, the one we just heard, is ...read more

Scripture: John 15:9-17

Denomination: Catholic

Learning The Ways Of Love Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 5, 2012

We can learn love from Jesus and Mary

Mother’s Day 2012 Spirit of the Liturgy To whom was Jesus preaching this incredible Last Supper sermon on love? Let’s make a short list: • Judas, the revolutionary and embezzler who had already sold Jesus out to the Jews • Simon, the Zealot, who most likely had a history ...read more

Scripture: John 15:1-7

Denomination: Catholic

Four Helpful Senses Of Scripture Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 27, 2012

We can see in the writing of the story of Cornelius and Jesus's words about the sheepfold very helpful examples of the literal and spiritual senses of Scripture.

Monday of 4th Week of Easter Verbum Domini The richness of today’s Scripture readings should suggest to us a couple of responses. First, we need several hours of study of the text and its meanings. Second, we should, in worshipful awe, spend a few more hours before the Blessed Sacrament ...read more

Scripture: Acts 11:1-18

Denomination: Catholic

Both Faith And Reason Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 21, 2012

Both our faith and our reason must inform our study and preaching of Scripture.

Monday of the 3rd Week of Easter Verbum Domini The breaking in of the Word of God into the closed-in Jewish culture of the first century was heavily resisted by the Jews. In fact, by one estimate, only a small minority of Palestinian Jews turned to Jesus as the Messiah and became members of the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:8-60

Denomination: Catholic

St Anselm Patron Of American Bishops

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 21, 2012

The Church is Incarnational, and must have both a sacred and secular existence, and yet must not become subservient to the state, whether kings or democratically elected tyrants who would make us do evil.

St. Anselm Day April 21, 2011 If today’s lesson from Acts chapter 6 has any historical meaning at all, it is a confirmation that there have always been little fissures forming in the living stones that make up the Church. Early in our history, Greek-speaking converts to Judaism were ...read more

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7

Denomination: Catholic

The Divine Mercy Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 15, 2012

As preached at 8 a.m. Mass April 15 2012--revised Divine Mercy homily with comment on the accusation that the early Church was communist.

Divine Mercy Sunday 2012 (As preached Sunday a.m.) Spirit of the Liturgy Before beginning I would like to respond to the folks who, in the past, have argued from today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles that the early Church practiced communism. It is true that Acts records all of them ...read more

Scripture: Acts 4:32-35

Denomination: Catholic