Sermons on Milton Cunningham:

What Our Mother Can Do For Us

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 3, 2009

We can have confidence in our relationship with God if we imitate the Mother of Jesus.

Mother’s Day May 10, 2009 One of the most successful movies of all time was the 1981 blockbuster Raiders of the Lost Ark. In it, swashbuckling adventurers contended in the pre-World War II era for the privilege of finding the Ark of the Covenant, the Old Testament repository of the manna, Aaron’s ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:18-24

Denomination: Catholic

Obedience And Art In Worship Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 9, 2009

As the disciple is obedient to the word of Christ, so we can witness our obedience to the Father in the world by respecting the need for beauty in worship.

May 11, 2009 Sacramentum Caritatis When we read the words of the Last Discourse in John, which we will hear each day between now and the Ascension, we can be struck with an apparent disjoin in the conversation. The apostles often ask a question, and Jesus appears to give a good answer to an ...read more

Scripture: John 14:21-26

Denomination: Catholic

Mary And The Blessed Sacrament

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 9, 2009

Mary’s example can inspire us as we strive to believe that Christ is present.

Mary and the Blessed Sacrament May 12, 2009 Today’s Marianist festival sits in a cluster of Marian commemorations from all over the world. Tomorrow we celebrate Our Lady of Fatima. In one diocese, today is the feast of Our Lady of Power. Yesterday was the commemoration of the apparition of Mary ...read more

Scripture: John 6:41-59

Denomination: Catholic

Spirit Is Alive Through Obedience Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 17, 2009

The Church’s song is two millennia old and is deserving of use and respect

May 18, 2009 Sacramentum Caritatis Acts 16: 11-21 and John 15: 21-27 When we listen to the Gospel of Luke and the Acts, and to the Gospel of John as well, we get the impression that the Holy Spirit was more active in the early Church than today. Paul was forbidden by the Spirit–probably warned by ...read more

Scripture: John 15:21-27

Denomination: Catholic

Learn Your Lessons Well

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 17, 2009

The downward movement of God becoming man is mirrored by the upward movement of Christ returning to the Father

Tuesday of 6th week in Easter Acts/John Earthquake! What a terrifying sound that must have been to a first-century Greek. We in South Texas, sitting on this tapioca-karst bed of limestone as we do, far from any real tectonic plate junctions, have no idea what fear the word “earthquake” provokes. ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:22-34, John 16:5-11, Ephesians 4:7-10

Denomination: Catholic

Singing And Contemplation Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 23, 2009

The point of art, and especially music, is to lead us beyond what we can apprehend at the material level, even to contemplative prayer.

May 25, 2009 Sacramentum Caritatis Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds; his name is the LORD, exult before him! 5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation. The anointing of the Holy Spirit is the action of ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:1-8

Denomination: Catholic

Found Difficult And Not Tried

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 23, 2009

Everything that is important for the growth of God’s kingdom is also difficult.

Tuesday of 7th Week in Easter Time May 26, 2009 The gift of prophecy is a lot like spiritual dynamite. It can be used to build up or to tear down. False prophets abound–think of the damage that has been done by charlatans like Joseph Smith or Jim Jones. St. Paul himself in his earliest writings ...read more

Scripture: Acts 20:17-27

Denomination: Catholic

Globalization Guided By Charity In Truth Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 23, 2010

Globalization is neither inevitable nor evil,but must be guided by charity in truth

Conversion of St. Paul January 25, 2010 Caritas in Veritate Today’s feast of the Conversion of St. Paul also concludes the week of prayer for Christian Unity. The Scriptures remind us that nothing is impossible for God. The great persecutor of Christians becomes the Apostle to the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 9:21-22

Denomination: Catholic

Our Rights And Duties Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 30, 2010

Rights presuppose duties, if they are not mere license; without this understanding, human development is over.

February 1, 2010 Caritas in Veritate The people of Gerasa had no desire for Jesus to hang in their territory one moment longer. He seriously disturbed the status quo ante by exorcising the evil spirits who had kept the emotionally disturbed man–Matthew says there were two of them–in ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:1-20

Denomination: Catholic

Populations And Human Development Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 6, 2010

When governments try to help the family, both family and society seem to go into decline. Our task is to restore young peoples' yearning for forming natural families.

February 8, 2010 Caritas in Veritate St Jerome Emiliani It is very likely that one of the motivations behind Solomon’s building of the Jerusalem temple was a desire to make the Lord the personal god of the Davidic dynasty. After all, the Temple was just next door to the palace. Governments ...read more

Scripture: 1 Kings 8:1-13

Denomination: Catholic

Fast And Give Alms And Pray

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 6, 2010

The key to making Lent a time of growth.

Ash Wednesday Homily 2010 There’s not much chance today that someone will see the ashes on your forehead and say “Oh, what a wonderfully pious person that is.” It’s more likely that someone who doesn’t know you are Catholic will ask, “did you know there’s ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:1-18

Denomination: Catholic

Send Not To Know For Whom The Bell Tolls

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 7, 2010

Ash Wednesday gives us what may be our last Lenten opportunity to repent and turn back to God.

Ash Wednesday Homily 2010 2 Cor 5:20 - 6:2 The great bell called St Ferdinand at our diocesan cathedral tolls solemnly several times each month. Many years ago I heard the toll as my father’s casket was slowly pushed out toward its ultimate resting place. Each day the low sound of bells ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Equal In Dignity, Diverse In Function Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 21, 2009

In our worship, we are all equal in dignity, but, as Jesus gave different ministries to his disciples, in and out of worship, we differ in function and service; that is the meaning of hierarchy.

Solemnity of Peter and Paul June 29, 2009 The readings for this solemnity help us to understand how it is that Christ left us–as a gift–a hierarchical Church. I was reading some fairly recent articles in Pastoral Music recently, and came across a rather angry one from a nun who was complaining ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 16:13-19

Denomination: Catholic

Engaged Participation In Worship Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jul 4, 2009

We cannot come to worship unprepared. Silent prayer, fasting and confession are recommended.

Monday of Fourteenth Week in Course July 6, 2009 Sacramentum Caritatis The House of God and Gate of Heaven is, fundamentally, Jesus Christ. The woman with the hemorrhage found that out through her experience of the healing touch of His garment. The little girl experienced it through her ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 9:18-26

Denomination: Catholic

The Prophet Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jul 8, 2009

There are prophets in every age speaking for God. In our age Pope Benedict has called us to look at Charity in Truth, and consider our responsibilities to the world economically.

Fifteenth Sunday in Course The Prophet July 12, 2009 All over the temperate zone, fruit from the varieties of fig and sycamore are ripening now, and so the Church gives us a reading from the migrant worker, Amos, the reluctant prophet. I call him a migrant worker because he engaged in seasonal ...read more

Scripture: Amos 7:12-15

Denomination: Catholic