Sermons on Pagan Pope:

A New Temple

Contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn on Oct 28, 2013

Solomon’s temple – a place of sacrifice and divine presence

1 Kings 5:1—5, 8:1-13 “A New Temple” INTRODUCTION Today we are focusing our attention on King Solomon, the son of David and one of the kings of Israel’s golden age. Solomon is remembered for several things. He was one of the wealthiest men, if not the wealthiest man, ...read more

Denomination: Lutheran

How Good It Feels To Come Back To Him Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 23, 2014

In St. Augustine we see the paradigm of the sinner become saint.

Feast of St. Augustine 2014 Evangelii Gaudium As we begin our reflections on Pope Francis’s exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, we happily find the cosmic convergence of these greetings from St. Paul to the Corinthians and the words of St. Matthew’s Gospel with the annual commemoration of ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Denomination: Catholic

How Can We Fail To Share That Love Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 6, 2014

Being a Christian is the result of an encounter with Jesus Christ, giving life a new horizon and decisive direction.

Thursday of 23rd Week in Course and Commemoration of 9/11 Today we remember the events of September 11, 2001. That day, called nine-eleven, the whole world changed. In the Muslim world, it was an anniversary of the battle that raised the siege of Vienna, a huge defeat for the Muslim Turks, and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 6:27-28

Denomination: Catholic

Catch Fire With The Gospel Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 18, 2014

We can do our part to set our parish on fire with devotion to the joy of the Gospel

Thursday of 29th Week in Course Joy of the Gospel St. Paul had during his Christian life on earth at least one experience that he characterized as being lifted up to the heavens. He needed that consolation because of the hard work of evangelization he was called to perform. He saw the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:49-53

Denomination: Catholic

Useless Or Useful? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 8, 2014

Mercy is the greatest of the virtues in the external manifestation.

Thursday of the 32nd Week in Course Joy of the Gospel St. Paul had a dilemma. One of his converts in Asia, Philemon, lived in Colossae. Philemon’s slave, Onesimus, had escaped and probably stolen property in the process. Escaped slaves were dealt with according to their owner’s whim ...read more

Scripture: Philemon 1:7-20

Denomination: Catholic

Open The Doors Of The Church Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 29, 2014

Jesus enjoins us to do the will of the Father, but learning how to do God's will is a lifelong journey.

Thursday of the 1st Week in Advent Joy of the Gospel When I read this passage from the great prophet of Advent, the Hebrew priest Isaiah, my memory goes back almost ten years to our pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Both the Old and New Testaments contain a recurring theme, one we see most perfectly ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 7:21-27

Denomination: Catholic

The Glory We Share With The Father And Son

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 12, 2018

St. Gregory of Nyssa, and other Fathers of the Church, teach that the glory of the Father and the Son is the Holy Spirit, who is love. The glory we are given is the Holy Spirit who enables us to image Christ in our world.

Thursday of the 7th Week of Easter 2018 St. Paschal Baylon The prayer of Jesus we just heard from St. John is part of the High Priestly Prayer Our Lord offered at the Last Supper. If you look carefully at it, you might call it the first Eucharistic Prayer, and here you find Christ offering His ...read more

Scripture: John 17:20-26

Denomination: Catholic

When To Be Seen; When Not To Be Seen Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 19, 2019

Do we let our good deeds shine out or do we do them in secret? Is Jesus talking out of both sides of His mouth here?

Wednesday of 11th Week in Course 2019 A priest I know preached recently on this passage from St. Matthew’s Gospel and pointed out that this part of the Sermon on the Mount appears to contradict the earlier passage that tells us not to hide the good that we do under a basket. So do we let our good ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:11, Matthew 6:1-18

Denomination: Catholic

Keep Salt In Yourselves

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jan 10, 2020

5th Sunday, Year A, Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

The late Pentecostal preacher David du Plessis was once approached by a Christian who complained that people don’t seem thirsty for the Lord these days. Without missing a beat, du Plessis replied, “It’s not that they are not thirsty enough. It’s that we are not salty enough!” Since moisture ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 58:7-10, Matthew 5:13-16

Denomination: Catholic

The Gospel Succeeds Even In An Age Of Fecklessness Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 11, 2020

We need to continue on the path we were set on by Jesus long ago–the path to holiness. That means giving up everything of this world that keeps us from imaging Jesus and Mary.

Tuesday of the First Week in Course 2020 Saint Mark gets right to the point, just like the high priest Eli. But Saint Mark gets the whole picture, and Eli does not. Mark’s Gospel is designed to demonstrate to his Roman audience–and us–that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Messiah. Look how few ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 2:1-8, 1 Samuel 1:9-20, Mark 1:21-28

Denomination: Catholic

New Years, Madre Dei- Sanctify Time Like Mary

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Dec 7, 2019

January 1, 2020

Today on January 1st, it’s all about sanctifying time. Psalm 90:12 says, “Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain wisdom of heart.” Romans 13: You know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became ...read more

Scripture: Luke 2:16-21

Denomination: Catholic

Mary, The Church And The Joy Of The Gospel Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 12, 2017

"He [God] will dwell forever in the knowledge and love of each faithful soul”

Thursday of 19th Week in Course 2017 Joy of the Gospel The story of Joshua and the people of Israel crossing the Jordan River in flood season, on dry land, is reminiscent of the crossing of the sea by Israel in the time of Moses. We needn’t concern ourselves with just how it happened. Into the ...read more

Scripture: Joshua 3:7-17

Denomination: Catholic

The End And The Reward Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 12, 2016

Paul is not focusing on sinful behavior we should avoid, but on exemplary behavior we should practice.

24th or Last Sunday of the Year 2016 Extraordinary Form The five hundred year period since the end of the Renaissance has been marked by two events we Catholics can realistically call religious catastrophes. The first, of course, was the Protestant revolution most agree was begun by Martin Luther ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 24:15-35

Denomination: Catholic

"The Intersection Of Faith And Doubt"

Contributed by David Henderson on Dec 29, 2016

We know from previous passages of scripture that Jesus had given them the authority to heal and they had been successful many times. But this time they seem to be in over their heads. They pray and nothing happens.

"The Intersection of Faith and Doubt" Mark 9:14-24 We find in the scripture that nearly 40 times Jesus performed an act of healing. Water to wine. Fed 5000 without very little food. He healed the blind, the deaf; the lame. And the reason was simple: it was never just about the healing…it was ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:14-24

Denomination: Baptist

How Much Must We Do? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 30, 2016

It’s ironic that when dealing with these positive commandments, we don’t ever come to a point when we can say, “I have fulfilled them.”

Thursday before Epiphany 2017 Joy of the Gospel St. John teaches us today in both Epistle and Gospel: “By this we know love, that [Jesus] laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But if any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 3:11-21

Denomination: Catholic