Sermons on St Helens:

Reform, Not Revolution

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 18, 2015

The Church has always been in need of reform, and the Holy Spirit empowers true reformation rather than revolution.

Thirtieth Sunday in Course 2015 Last Sunday in October Reformation or Revolution? Today, the last Sunday in October, is called “Reformation Sunday” by Protestants. In two years, they will celebrate the five hundredth anniversary of Martin Luther’s dissent. As we today remember ...read more

Scripture: Mark 10:46-52

Denomination: Catholic

The Survey At Caesarea Philippi

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 20, 2017

Let's review our attitudes toward authority, particularly in the Church.

21st Sunday in Course 2017: Ordinary Form Homily Is authority a divine gift? The story we read from Isaiah suggests that Shebna, the corrupt official whose name we learn in an earlier verse, was given his office by God, and cast out of that office by God. Then God raised up Eliakim ben Hilkiah to ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 13:16-20

Denomination: Catholic

Building Brotherhood

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 7, 2008

In a school, there are ways to build a brotherhood and ways to destroy it; Scripture leads the way.

It was pretty early in the morning that September Tuesday. I was a brand-new principal; you all were about eight or nine years old, just about the age when long-term memories begin to stick in your head. I walked out into my assistant’s office; she was turning on the television to see what was ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Denomination: Catholic

Our Silent Prayer At Mass Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 6, 2011

Both clergy and congregation should have ample time to participate in the Mass by praying in their hearts.

Monday of 19th Sunday in Course August 8, 2011 St. Dominic As we stand impotent before the withering rays of the August sun, the Church gives us two back-to-back gifts, followed by a week of the most amazing saints. On Saturday, we saw Jesus transfigured refulgent in the blinding light of ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 5:13-16

Denomination: Catholic

Bring Us Together By Thy Word Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Aug 25, 2012

The existence of the Word of God makes it necessary to have a living and authoritative interpretator "of last resort," in the Church.

Monday of 21st Week in Course St. Monica/St. Augustine Verbum Domini St. Monica could easily be called the patron saint of frustrated prayer. A Catholic herself, she found herself married to a pagan, with a son who, unbaptized as a child, turned into a kind of semi-pagan hellion during his youth. ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 23:13-22

Denomination: Catholic

Karma Or Compassion?

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 16, 2019

If we listen to the word of God and trust in His promises, we will have a happy, fruitful life even if everything around us is going to pieces.

Thursday of the 2nd Week in Lent 2019 Karma or Compassion? Only St. Luke among the four Gospel writers records this story of the rich man and the poor beggar, Lazarus. A superficial reading of the words may suggest to us that this is an example of the Asian principle of “karma,” where the good or ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:19-31, Psalm 1:1-6, Jeremiah 17:5-10

Denomination: Catholic

Nathanael- From Prejudice To Purity Series

Contributed by Shawn Drake on Sep 13, 2019

This is the 6th sermon in the "Getting Acquainted With The 12 Apostles" series.

Series: Getting Acquainted With The 12 Apostles [#6] NATHANAEL- FROM PREJUDICE TO PURITY John 1:45-51 Introduction: The 1st time we see Nathanael, his heart is filled with prejudice. Prejudice is a strange thing. Where does it come from? Why is it so strong? Are we born with prejudice? Yet, in ...read more

Scripture: John 1:45-51

Denomination: Baptist

Work And Pray Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 23, 2016

To be effective at evangelization, we must be firmly rooted in prayer and adoration.

Thursday in Fifth Week of Easter 2016 Joy of the Gospel Early in St. Paul’s ministry in Anatolia, his success in planting new congregations of Christians inspired others to do missionary work outside the more traditional areas of Judea and the adjoining provinces. But something else was ...read more

Scripture: Acts 15:7-21

Denomination: Catholic

How Do You Clean A Heart Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Mar 15, 2017

If the house, once cleaned of this demon, is not filled with goodness, the evil spirit will return with seven more vices and perversions and make our souls even worse, our souls and families even sicker.

Third Sunday of Lent 2017 Extraordinary Form Today we find Christ, speaking through the Church’s liturgical texts, teaching us about the birds and the bees. I say the birds because the Communion verse tells us that the sparrow has found a home and the turtle dove a nest to lay her young near the ...read more

Scripture: Ephesians 5:1-14

Denomination: Catholic

Writing Straight With Crooked Lines Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 9, 2017

In the midst of the Reformation, God weaves a tapestry of faith in the lives of weak human beings.

Thursday of the 2nd Week in Advent 2017 Reformation/Revolution When external situations are the bleakest, God acts to fulfill His promises to His people–first in the history of the Jews, and now in the age of the Church. The second and third parts of Isaiah were probably written by his followers ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 41:13-20

Denomination: Catholic

Saint Nicholas And The Gospel Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 2, 2018

Let’s take this story as a challenge to become more compassionate to the destitute, and provide for their education, food and shelter so they may grow spiritually, physically and emotionally in Christ.

Thursday of the First Week of Advent 2018 Beginning any new liturgical season, we try to shake off our slumber and be more present to the Lord whom we worship. We know that we must change so that we can become more like Jesus and Mary, and so we listen to the Word of God with particular attention. ...read more

Scripture: Isaiah 26:1-6, Matthew 7:21-27, Acts 20:35

Denomination: Catholic

Fourth Sunday Of Advent C- The Visitation

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Dec 14, 2021

Heart-based people look out at reality with soft eyes, so we can become encouragers of one another. It’s easy to be critical or withdrawn. It’s not so easy to offer encouragement in healthy ways.

Elizabeth and Mary teach us a few things today in our Gospel- 1.Mary’s Service- Luis Angel is a professional cleaner. A new client texted him the address and said the key was under the mat. Luis Angel arrived, found the key, and got to work. After three hours of mopping and scrubbing, he was ...read more

Scripture: Luke 1:39-45

Denomination: Catholic

Do Not Fear; Only Believe

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jun 27, 2024

God made man and woman in His image, with the plan that they would act and become more and more good, more and more like Himself. That was the divine order.

Thirteenth Sunday in Course 2024 In his great Summa Theologiae, St Thomas Aquinas wrote “the order of the Divine government is wholly directed to good. . .no one acts intending evil.” (ST I Q 104 Art 1) Those words are an appropriate commentary on the words from the post-exile writing Book of ...read more

Scripture: Mark 5:21-43, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Exodus 16:18, Psalm 30:2-12

Denomination: Catholic

Knowing And Following God's Will Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 3, 2023

Jesus Grew in Wisdom and Knowledge, and how did that happen?

Saturday of 2nd Week of Christmas 2023 Many of us, when we lay out our plans for the day or week or year, like New Year’s resolutions, add the tag line, “God willing.” That may be an ancient holdover from paganism, whereby a petitioner at a shrine would make his sacrifice or offering and then say ...read more

Scripture: 1 John 5:14-21, 1 Timothy 2:4, John 2:1-11, Matthew 18:15-17

Denomination: Catholic

Jet Tour Through 2 Thessalonians Series

Contributed by Travis Moore on Oct 31, 2000

Introduction to 2 Thessalonians

2 THESSALONIANS - Reassurance INTRODUCTION: 2 Thessalonians was the 3rd Epistle written by Paul. The messenger who had delivered 1st Thessalonians had obviously returned to Paul with a report on the conditions of the Church. Paul writes this 2nd Letter to them without delay to address the ...read more

Denomination: Baptist