Sermons on Pope Victor:

Moments Of Personal Transfiguration

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 3, 2019

The words of Mary in John’s Gospel are a clear call: “do whatever Jesus tells you.” But to know what that is, we must really listen.

Feast of the Transfiguration 2019 The visions of the prophet Daniel pertain to a community under persecution by a vicious, almost atheistic state. To encourage and console that community, Daniel pulls the curtain on what is really happening, to show the divine power and judgement on those ...read more

Scripture: Daniel 7:9-14, 2 Peter 1:16-19, Luke 9:28-36, John 2:5, 1 Kings 19:12-13  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Catholic

Evangelization Has Many Forms--Some That Would Not Work Today

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 11, 2018

Forgive those who offend you or God cannot forgive your own sins. Be merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful.

Thursday of 19th Week in Course St Stephen of Hungary Today’s first reading, from the prophet Ezekiel, is so short that it tends to run right through our heads without finding purchase. So I’ll read it again, The word of the LORD came to me: 2"Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35, Ezekiel 12:1-2

Denomination: Catholic

Justified By Faith And Living In Love Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 6, 2018

“Luther’s expression sola fide is true if faith is not opposed to charity, to love.”

Thursday After Epiphany 2018 Reformation/Revolution The action of the Israelites and the response of the Philistines we have heard proclaimed from the first book of Samuel help us see the two primitive and wrong conceptions of the divine. For the Israelites, their God was the God of Moses who had ...read more

Scripture: 1 Samuel 4:1-11

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

Apostolic Succession, Persecution, And Joy Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 24, 2014

Thanks to the Church's magisterium, we know what Jesus taught, and we can rejoice, even amid persecution.

Thursday of the 6th Week of Easter EF: Ascension Day; OF: Easter Weekday Today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles gives us one of those rare and precious bits of information that helps us to date the journeys of Paul and his letters. And it does so in one of the most important of his ...read more

Scripture: John 16:16-20

Denomination: Catholic

Your Mission To Your Family Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 7, 2014

We are sent to be a gift, a blessing, to every human being we encounter, especially in our family.

Thursday of the 10th Week in Course 2014 Lumen Fidei One of the beautiful things we lost with the new liturgical calendar is the Octave of Pentecost. Pentecost is the birthday of the Church, the day when evangelization of the nations began in earnest and in the Holy Spirit, so it deserves to be ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:20-26

Denomination: Catholic

God Does Want Humans To Be One In Mind And Heart Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 13, 2014

Faith gives us a heightened respect for nature so that we "discern in it a grammar written by the hand of God." God's Fatherhood makes it possible for us to live together with one heart and one will.

Thursday of the 11th Week in Course 2014 Lumen Fidei Where did we get the idea that God is our Father? Surely the definitive statement of God’s fatherhood is in this prayer we learned from Jesus, the Son. Still, we didn’t fully know what a father is until Jesus came and established ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 6:7-15

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

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