Sermons on Milton Cunningham:

Just Like Jesus And Mary Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 28, 2014

We need to understand what it means for the Word to become flesh, and dwell among us.

Seventh Day in the Christmas Octave (December 31) Thirteen Days of Christmas Every so often you’ll find a columnist or author complaining or inferring that God has no sense of humor, or that the Church is too serious. Today’s readings, on this last day of the year, prove that to be ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-18

Denomination: Catholic

In What Sense Is Mary The Mother Of God Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 29, 2014

We will understand better the term Mother of God if we realize that the January 1 feast is really a feast of Our Lord Jesus.

Solemnity of Mary Mother of God–January 1 (Thirteen Days of Christmas) To begin every New Year, the Church gives us a great gift, the Solemnity of Mary in her title “Mother of God.” But even though the feast has Mary in the title, like every Marian celebration, it is really a ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:16-21

Denomination: Catholic

God From God, Light From Light Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 30, 2014

The anointing by the Holy Spirit makes all special knowledge worthless. Gnosis is not the way to salvation.

Feast of St. Basil and St. Gregory (January 2) Thirteen Days of Christmas Let’s be clear about something as we move into the new year. The word “Christ” in English is the same as “Christos” in Greek and “Mashiah” in Hebrew. It means ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 2:22-28

Denomination: Catholic

The Holy Name Of Jesus Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 31, 2014

We should take time to consider the meaning of Jesus's name, and the respect we owe that name.

The Holy Name of Jesus (January 3) Thirteen Days of Christmas The Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus is placed at this time of year because January 1 is the Octave day of Christmas, and that day was the day Jesus, Son of Joseph, Son of Mary, underwent the ceremony of circumcision. At a boy’s ...read more

Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11

Denomination: Catholic

Prophecy And Discernment Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 1, 2015

All Christians are anointed with prophetic gifts by our baptismal anointing, but before speaking for God, we must also practice discernment of spirits.

Feast of St. John Neumann (January 5) Thirteen Days of Christmas Today St. John speaks to us of “testing the spirits.” In theological language, derived from St. Paul, this is the spiritual gift of discernment. Let’s talk about its exercise in the first century: in the churches ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

All Are Called To Right Thinking, Living And Worship Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 2, 2015

The Feast of Epiphany is a call to people of every background to come and worship the newborn Messiah of Everybody.

Solemnity of Epiphany (January 6) Thirteen Days of Christmas The twelfth day of Christmas is the sixth of January; on that day, traditionally, the Church celebrates the Feast of the Three Kings, or Epiphany. It is one of the big four festivals of the Church year, and traditionally it is even more ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-6

Denomination: Catholic

Can We Refuse To See Our Brothers And Sisters? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 3, 2015

We cannot love God if we refuse to work for the betterment and evangelization of the poor.

Thursday after Epiphany 2015 Joy of the Gospel St. John’s letter is pretty stark today: “If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.” Our love for our brothers ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Harden Not Your Hearts Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 10, 2015

Not to share one's wealth with the poor is stealing from them.

Thursday in the First Week in Course 2015 Joy of the Gospel The two NT readings we have heard today are linked by a single notion expressed in the words “moved with pity.” Jesus looked on this poor leper and, in the Greek, became splagchnistheis. This is something we have all ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:40-45

Denomination: Catholic

Evil Embedded In The Structures Of Society Leads To Death Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 17, 2015

The sacrifice of Christ needs to be imitated by the Christian, by loving service and working to put down evil.

Thursday of 2nd Week in Course Joy of the Gospel There is an innate drive in every human, once he has discovered the existence of a transcendent reality, a creative Being who can impact his life, to offer something to that Being. In pagan societies, where the forces of nature, or economics, or ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Let Us Astonish Like Jesus

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 18, 2015

The teachings of Jesus were radical and astonishing; if we are to convert the world, especially Islamic adherents, we must be both loving and astonishing in our witness.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Amen. Today’s communion verse, which is taken from the Gospel lines just preceding these two healing stories from St. Matthew, are as follows: “the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 8:1-13

Denomination: Catholic

Creativity--The Opposite Of Liturgy Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 21, 2011

Our profession of faith in Christ is guided not only by Scripture, but by the Fathers of the Church, the historic creeds, and our liturgical tradition.

Monday of the 5th Week of Easter Spirit of the Liturgy Mistaken identity. It’s an embarrassment, and occasionally a lethal inconvenience. Consider poor Jude here. No wonder he appears to have preferred the name “Thaddeus,” and became patron saint of hopeless causes. Even the ...read more

Scripture: Acts 14:5-18

Denomination: Catholic

Rites Are Not Rigid Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 28, 2011

The new churches of the apostolic age did not make up their worship, but developed that of the synagogue into the Divine Liturgy, with due respect to the foundation by Jesus and the characteristics of the particular churches within which these liturgies d

Monday of 6th Week in Easter Memorial Day Spirit of the Liturgy Imagine the founding of a new church, down on the riverbank in Philippi, under the leadership of the great apostle Paul and his companions. She was not a Jew, but did worship the one God. Did the Holy Spirit inspire this little band ...read more

Scripture: Acts 16:11-15

Denomination: Catholic

What Is Our Action In Worship? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 4, 2011

Our action in the Holy Mass is to become one with Christ, to become holy through His grace, and to preach the truth of the Gospel.

Monday of 7th Week in Easter Spirit of the Liturgy At Ephesus, there were some disciples. They were probably emigres from Palestine who had settled in Asia Minor. They had received the baptism of repentance that John the Baptist had preached three decades earlier. This shows that there was a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 19:1-8

Denomination: Catholic

The Liturgical Training Ground For Our Bodies Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 10, 2011

Both spirit and body are trained in the liturgy for the Resurrection existence

St. Anthony of Padua 13 June 2011 Spirit of the Liturgy The feast of San Antonio de Padua, patron of our city, leads us to focus on the deep humility of this amazing member of the then-young Order of Friars Minor, the Franciscans. It was not well known at the time that he was probably the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:43-48

Denomination: Catholic

Be Reconciled To God

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 7, 2010

The father only seems like a chump, taking back the wastrel son. But I am not the elder son, I am the prodigal, needing forgiveness.

4th Sunday of Lent 2010 So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. If God had to join the rest of us in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-32

Denomination: Catholic