In Sermons:

Solemnity Of Saints Peter And Paul, Apostles

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jun 22, 2025

Paul’s sense of being captured by Christ defined his spiritual experience. Peter understands his error when a vision enlightens him to a fundamental truth: that which has been purified by God cannot be called "profane" by anyone.

At the narrowest part of the strait of Gibraltar, where two land masses meet (Africa and Europe, at the mouth of the Med), there are cliffs called the “Pillars of Hercules.” It was the end of the known world. On the old coins of Spain were depicted the two pillars of Hercules, with the Latin motto, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-19

Denomination: Catholic

The Solemnity Of The Most Holy Body And Blood Of Christ-- Corpus Christi

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jun 20, 2025

“Heavenly bread, hellish misunderstanding."

Paul Allman Siple was the scientific leader of the United States' first permanent station at the South Pole. In his workroom at that distant outpost he had a large globe of the world. It was upside down. In other words, it had a South-up map orientation; sometimes called upside-down maps. We ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:11-17

Denomination: Catholic

Solemnity Of The Ascension Of The Lord: Under His Feet

Contributed by Paul Andrew on May 27, 2025

To rise, ascend up, into the next level living, seated with Christ, rising to a place of trust to take dominion over what troubles us; over all limitations.

Christ's winning hand is His death and resurrection, but I have a fellow diocesan priest friend who likes to remind others that it’s not just Jesus’ death and resurrection but his Ascension too, which completes the paschal mystery. The Paschal Mystery in Christianity is from the Hebrew ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11

Denomination: Catholic

Third Sunday Of Easter, Year C- "You Will Find Something” John 21:6

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Apr 25, 2025

In the spirit of allegory

They caught one hundred fifty-three large fish. Why was the actual number mentioned, does it mean something? Theories abound, with most saying it’s an allegorical number. For example, St. Jerome saw 153 as representing all the known fish species which represents the catholicity or universality ...read more

Scripture: John 21:1-19

Denomination: Catholic

Easter: "Show Me Your Resurrection.”

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Apr 5, 2025

“You say you are people of the Resurrection. Show me your resurrection.”

[humor] I heard a kid say, "What I like best about Easter time is the candy and Jesus not being' dead anymore!" In his book “Living Buddha, Living Christ,” Thich Nhat Hanh remarks to a visiting Christian: “You say you are people of the Resurrection. Show me your resurrection.”1 ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-9

Denomination: Catholic

Palm Sunday Of The Lord's Passion: Cry Of Dereliction, And Salvation And Healing

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Mar 13, 2025

In marriage, husbands, and wives fulfill your vows in your interpersonal communication. Abandonment prevails in small and large ways. The healing is to deliver the intimacy in your marriage out of what Jesus did for you.

Brennan Manning was an author who later was ordained as a Franciscan priest and who served in the Korean War. He tells the story of how he and his best friend, Ray, enlisted together and served in the same Marine platoon. One night a grenade landed in the foxhole where Brennan and Ray were. Ray ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Third Sunday Of Lent, Year C- Exhausting The Soil Or Bearing Fruit

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Feb 8, 2025

I believe that there are a number of Christians living in their spiritual grace period

Jerry Flury, who once worked in the insurance industry, said, “I constantly had to deal with people seeking to maintain their policies perpetually in what they referred to as the policy’s grace period. A grace period is defined as the additional period of time a lender, or an insurance policy ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 3:1-15, Luke 13:1-9

Denomination: Catholic

Second Sunday Of Lent: Transfiguration Year C-- Higher Leagues

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Feb 8, 2025

Lessons from the heavenly three and the earthly three

There was a baseball player, Brooks Robinson, former third baseman of the Baltimore Orioles. In his entire 23-year career, he is considered the greatest defensive third baseman in major league history. “It was often said of Brooks that he played third base as if he "came down from a higher ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:28-36

Denomination: Catholic

First Sunday Of Lent, Year C--Assume The Power, The Devil Told Him

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Feb 7, 2025

An image or fantasy is presented to me...

Satan tries to drive a wedge between Jesus and his Father. “If you are the Son of God,” Satan begins two his temptations. Same with us, with baptism, “If you are a child of God.” Doubting baptismal identity. Lent is a time of self-appraisal and accountability. When we remember and reflect on our ...read more

Scripture: Deuteronomy 26:4-10, Luke 4:1-13

Denomination: Catholic

Eighth Sunday In Ordinary Time Year C- Mote And Beam

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 27, 2025

We get impatient with others who represent aspects of ourselves that we have pushed away

Doctor Jesus is like an ophthalmologist and a psychologist in our Gospel today. He is speaking about projection. We get impatient with others who represent aspects of ourselves that we have pushed away.1 We are aware of all the mitigating factors that go into our own mistakes but not those ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:39-45

Denomination: Catholic

Seventh Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C -- The Word Nonviolent Can Be An Adjective, It Modifies How

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 20, 2025

Jesus is asking us today not so much as “how can I find a gracious God? But “How can I find God in my enemy?” And, how can we be children of God in real life without loving our enemies?

The fictional Klingon language from Star Trek has no words for love. Of course, the Klingons were creatures of pure logic, not emotion. So, the closest words for “love” in their language were “honor” or “unhate.” That would be easy for us if we could define love simply as “unhating” others. ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 26:2-23, Luke 6:27-38

Denomination: Catholic

Sixth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C- The Beatitudes: Area Code 212 Or 04?

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 20, 2025

Heaven is not just up, but in.

The 212-area code is Manhattan, and it’s a status symbol as one of the most recognizable area codes in the United States. It’s considered more authentic than the more recent 646, 332 or 917 area codes for Manhattan. With a 212 Manhattan phone number, you’re sure to turn some heads, stand out from ...read more

Scripture: Jeremiah 17:5-8, Luke 6:17-26

Denomination: Catholic

Fifth Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C: Fishers: The Call, Objection, Assurance, And Commissioning Stories

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 8, 2025

“You got it bad and that ain’t good. But there is a doctor in the house and his name is Jesus."

Robert Coles, a Pulitzer Prize winner who taught at Harvard, believes that “the characters in novels can be persistent voices reminding us of the constant temptation toward egotism, and self-deception to which the mind is heir,’ and exhorting us to live lives that are morally inspired.”1 For ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8, Luke 5:1-11

Denomination: Catholic

Presentation Of The Lord In The Temple

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 2, 2025

Individuals choose their own fate by deciding for or against Jesus

The Presentation is also Groundhog Day. Originally it was known as Candlemas Day: if it was clear and sunny on Candlemas Day, it means "winter will have another fight." Firstborn is a title. It does not imply that there is a second child. Even if a mother only had one-child like Mary, ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:1-4, Luke 2:22-40

Denomination: Catholic

Third Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C: Using Your Top Three

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Dec 30, 2024

Our “why” will be Biblical, related to your vocation and, within that, your specific top three charisms.

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, now dedicated each year to promoting a love and knowledge of Scripture, it’s like our new annual “Bible Sunday” for Catholics. We hear in the three-year cycle of Sunday Mass readings, plus the two-year cycle of daily Mass readings: 13.5 percent of the Old ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:2-10, Luke 1:1-21

Denomination: Catholic