Sermons on Pope Francis:

The Request God Never Turns Down Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 4, 2013

We don't have to look at Jesus's promise "Seek and you shall find" like a disappointed kid at Christmas, but with the light of faith. There's at least one prayer we always get a "yes" to.

Thursday of 27th Week in Course Lumen Fidei Today’s Gospel is written for adults, but the problem is that even in old age we tend to read it like an eight-year-old waiting for Christmas. We read “Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:5-13

Denomination: Catholic

Little Children, Love One Another Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 23, 2014

John believed, and spent the rest of his life preaching agape love.

St John’s Day Mass 2014 (December 27) Thirteen Days of Christmas Tradition tells us that of the three first witnesses to the empty tomb, St. John lived the longest. That is not surprising, since Tradition also holds that he was the youngest, perhaps a teenager during Jesus’s ministry. ...read more

Scripture: John 20:1-8

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

Secularism And The Fight For The Family Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 7, 2015

The information-driven society is one that tries to secularize and pervert the human family into something it can never become.

Thursday of 5th week in Course 2015 Joy of the Gospel Jesus has such a sense of humor that some commentators have mistaken it for cruelty. Of course, Jesus never sinned, so thinking this comment about throwing the bread to the dogs is a real insult is wrongheaded thinking. In reality, Jesus was ...read more

Scripture: Mark 7:24-30

Denomination: Catholic

Saint Joseph And The Joy Of The Gospel Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 14, 2015

We can learn much from Saint Joseph about the ways to fight acedia and to recover the joy of evangelization.

Feast of St. Joseph 2015 Joy of the Gospel It is humbling to lead this prayer service on a solemnity, especially that of St. Joseph. He is the patron of fathers, of workers, of carpenters, of social justice, and of the universal Church. He has titles such as St. Joseph the Worker and St. Joseph ...read more

Scripture: Romans 4:13-22

Denomination: Catholic

The Lure Of "Spiritual Worldliness" Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 11, 2015

Although the Christian life brings conflict, we cannot flee from a personal and committed relationship with God which still commits us to serving others.

Thursday of 2nd Week of Easter 2015 Joy of the Gospel If you have ever wondered why the Season of Easter is the longest one in the liturgical year, consider this: after the Resurrection of our Lord, we are living in an Easter season that will last until the Lord comes again! All our lives are a ...read more

Scripture: Acts 5:27-33

Denomination: Catholic

Ministry To The Young And Our Evangelical Mission Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 16, 2015

In our quest to be One Church, we must show forth Goodness, Beauty, and Truth, especially to the young.

Thursday of the 7th Week of Easter 2015 Joy of the Gospel It would not be disrespectful of St. Paul to point out that, even among his great works, he made some monumental personal blunders in his ministry. Last week we heard him trying to preach to the Athenians on a philosophical level. It fell ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Unity Over Conflict Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 6, 2016

Christ has made all things one in himself, and we must strive for unity if we are to have peace.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday 2016 Joy of the Gospel There really is only one choice in this life. We either choose to walk in the path set down by Our Lord or we don’t. Psalm 1, which we just prayed, says it very well: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:22-25

Denomination: Catholic

Scandal And Anti-Scandal

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 22, 2014

We must stay award of the stories of those around us who are on the journey of faith

Thursday of 7th Week in Course 2014 Lumen Fidei There is a horrible temptation always attracting the Christian, the one who has been invited to the banquet of Word and Eucharist, has accepted the invitation, has led a good life of service to others. The temptation is to believe that we have ...read more

Scripture: Mark 9:41-50

Denomination: Catholic

Faith Seeking Understanding

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 1, 2014

God redeemed the world through suffering, and we can understand, if not fully comprehend, the mystery.

Thursday after Ash Wednesday 2014 Lumen Fidei On this first day after the solemn beginning of Lent, as we begin our forty-day retreat, the Church gives us some stark words. Deuteronomy tells us that the choice is between life and death, between blessing and curse. Honor and obey God alone, and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:22-25

Denomination: Catholic

An Unbroken Chain Of Witnesses Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 15, 2014

The rich man was isolated, even from his brothers. True faith comes usually from someone sharing it with us.

Thursday of the Second Week of Lent 2014 Lumen Fidei Recently we discovered an infestation of what are called “acrobat” ants, Crematogaster hespera, in our house. We had the pest control folks treat the house with good success. The treatment was a chemical friendly to the good fauna ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31

Denomination: Catholic

Faith Needs A Setting Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 29, 2014

what is communicated in the Church, what is handed down in her living Tradition, is the new light born of an encounter with the true God, a light which touches us at the core of our being and engages our minds, wills and emotions.

Thursday of 4th week of Lent 2014 Lumen Fidei The name “Israel” was given to Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebecca, after an incident in which this patriarch wrestled all night with a divine being. That name means “God-fighter,” and it applied well to his descendants. Our OT ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 32:7-14

Denomination: Catholic

Baptism Is A Gift We Receive Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 4, 2014

God loved us so much that He gave up His only begotten Son, as the blood-price of our justification. You and I first enter that covenant when we, or our parents and godparents, make covenant promises to God at our baptism.

Thursday of 5th Week in Lent 2014 Lumen Fidei The Gospel of John, more than the Synoptics, clearly states what the Church has always and everywhere taught–Jesus is the fleshly manifestation of the same God who made a covenant of love and fidelity with Abraham. Although Israel turned its ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 17:3-9

Denomination: Catholic

Judging Sinful Actions As We Accompany The Fellow Sinner Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 3, 2015

Someone good at accompanying others will not give in to frustration or fear

Thursday of 27th week in course 2015 Joy of the Gospel “The day that God will take action.” These words of the prophet Malachi are not about just any day. They distinguish from every other day the time called “the day of the Lord.” That’s the last day, the day of ...read more

Scripture: Malachi 3:13-20

Denomination: Catholic

Building The Kingdom Community Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 17, 2015

The fire that Jesus longs to cast on the earth is the Holy Spirit building a community of hope.

Thursday of 29th week in course 2015 Joy of the Gospel Those who are or were enslaved to sin, as Paul teaches, were liberated from righteousness, but it did them no good. When we have a habit of sin–whether it is pride or sloth or envy or lust or anything else–we really can’t do ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:49-53

Denomination: Catholic