Sermons on St Helens:

Working And Praying Together In Spiritual Warfare

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Oct 15, 2025

Our Father will guard our coming and going both now and into eternity.

Twenty-ninth Sunday Integral 2025 One of the most long-lasting feuds in the Bible is encountered in today’s OT reading. “Amalek came and waged war against Israel.” Exodus does not tell us the why or the when, but this nation of Amalek attacked Israel, perhaps without provocation. Moses, the ...read more

Scripture: Exodus 17:8-13, Exodus 17:14-16, Psalm 121:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:14-17, 2 Timothy 4:1-2, Luke 18:1-8, Esther 3:1-15, 1 Samuel 15:1-35  (view more)  (view less)

Denomination: Catholic

Water Flows From The True Temple Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 7, 2020

Jerusalem is on a series of hills, and water has to be brought into the city from elsewhere. But the real Temple of God, the Precious Body of Christ, is the source of living water.

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica 2020 Water Flows from the Temple There are few feasts quite as confusing as today’s commemoration of the dedication of the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, a church in Rome. But it’s not just “a” church in Rome, it is the church in Rome. If I asked a thousand ...read more

Scripture: John 2:13-22, 1 Corinthians 3:9-17, Psalm 69:9, Ezekiel 47:1-12

Denomination: Catholic

Just Who Are You, Anyway? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 6, 2020

The most important question any of us can answer is the same question John answered: "who are you?"

Third Sunday in Advent 2020 “Proclaim liberty to the captives.” Those words from Isaiah have never had such meaning for the prisoners of the world. Haven’t we all felt a lot like prisoners for at least part of this plague year 2020? Our governors, for the most part, have often acted like prison ...read more

Scripture: John 1:6-8, John 1:19-28, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24, Luke 1:46-54

Denomination: Catholic

Everyone Who Asks Receives? Really? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 2, 2021

“We should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” That’s not a suggestion. That’s a demand .

Monday of Epiphany Week 2020 It’s a good idea to read St. John’s words in this first letter perhaps every week of our lives, because in it we find the key to happiness and fulfillment. John says “we receive from [God] whatever we ask.” Hmm, that’s interesting. And we recall that Jesus Himself said ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 4:12-25, 1 John 3:23-24, 1 John 4:1-6

Denomination: Catholic

Contending With Evil Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jan 13, 2019

Just because we are chosen by God, baptized into Christ, does not mean that we are infallibly going to attain God’s promises. We are always tempted, as Christ was, to follow the allurements of the world, flesh and devil.

Saint Anthony of the Desert 2019 Saint Anthony–the less famous one we call “Anthony of the Desert”–died 1653 years ago today. Since he is also called “Anthony the Great” and “Anthony of Egypt” and several other honorifics, we might want to know more about him, and what he can teach us today. But ...read more

Scripture: Mark 1:40-45, Hebrews 3:7-14, Psalm 95:6-11

Denomination: Catholic

Restless Hearts Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 24, 2019

The active atheist's life is not only meaningless,. . . but tragic in the worst sense, because, absent a miracle, he turned his back on a free offer of eternal joy.

Seventh Sunday in Course 2019 For the Catholic Students Group Today our Office readings begin a series from the book of Ecclesiastes, or Qoheleth, which means “the Teacher.” It is one of the best-known of the Wisdom books of the OT, purportedly written by King Solomon, who, at least in his youth, ...read more

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:1-18, 1 Corinthians 15:45-49, Psalm 103:1-13

Denomination: Catholic

Our Face Set Toward Jerusalem Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Sep 28, 2019

Athanasius taught that God became human so that humans could be made divine. But even the baptized struggle with the profound negative impacts of original sins in our physical, emotional and spiritual lives.

Tuesday of the 26th Week in Course 2019 St. Therese of Liseaux The connection between our two Scripture readings today is stark. The prophet Zechariah, writing a couple of hundred years before Christ, is in a society dominated by Hellenist culture, polytheism and utter contempt for Biblical faith ...read more

Scripture: Luke 9:51-56, Zechariah 8:21-23

Denomination: Catholic

Party On! Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 31, 2019

We all know that there were parties last evening, some that lasted well into the morning hours. But I venture to say that these parties were not celebrations of religious faith, such as the ones implied by today’s Scriptures.

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Party On! Today’s Scriptures are so brief that if our minds are not focused, we might not remember any of them. I’ve wondered if that was an act of mercy on the part of those who back in the 1960's put together the three-year cycle of readings, and saw New ...read more

Scripture: Numbers 6:22-27, Galatians 4:4-7, Luke 2:16-21, Matthew 11:19

Denomination: Catholic

You Just Don't Get It, Do You? Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Feb 15, 2020

They are so hungry that they miss the point Jesus is trying to make. Will we miss that point, too?

Tuesday of the 6th Week in Course 2020 “You Just Don’t Get It” I’ve been a teacher pretty much all my career, at all levels except elementary school. So I can empathize with St. James in his epistle, and–although it’s weird to say it–with Jesus as He tries to help His disciples understand the ...read more

Scripture: Mark 8:14-21, James 1:12-18, Psalm 94:12-19

Denomination: Catholic

The Essence Of Joy As We Prepare For The Savior's Birth

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Dec 13, 2018

Bring the Holy Family into the inn. Make your kindness known to everyone.

Third Sunday of Advent 2018 Rejoice The first words of our worship today, in both the Ordinary and Extraordinary forms of the Holy Mass, are “Gaudete in Domino semper,” or “Rejoice in the Lord always.” These are the words of St. Paul in our Epistle reading today, and they stand out like a trumpet ...read more

Scripture: Luke 3:10-18, Philippians 4:4-7

Denomination: Catholic

The First Sunday Of Advent, Year C: Not Very Christmasy.

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Nov 12, 2024

The Church tells the Christmas Story backwards: the focus is to prepare for the coming of the Lord: at the end of the world, and when Christ comes for us at the end of our individual worlds, at death.

Our Gospel from St. Luke today is a little unsettling. Not very Christmasy. Unseasonal thoughts about the end of the world. Yet, the word Advent from the Latin, adventus, means “coming.” The Church tells the Christmas Story backwards: the focus is to prepare for the coming of the Lord: at the end ...read more

Scripture: Luke 21:36

Denomination: Catholic

Bearing With One Another, And What It Does Not Mean Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Apr 16, 2023

Christ’s appearances shocked and surprised His disciples.

Sunday After Easter Office of Readings (Col 3: 1-17) We have been, as St. Paul attests, raised up in company with Christ, and must set our heart on what pertains to higher realms, things above rather than things of earth. Now as earthly creatures, coming from other earthly creatures and set in the ...read more

Scripture: Colossians 3:1-17, Mark 9:10

Denomination: Catholic

Taking God's Word Out From Underneath The Bushel Basket To Restore Righteousness To Our Nation And The World Series

Contributed by Lyla Dahl on Apr 21, 2023

This sermon will inform how a scripture in the Word of God has been placed under a "bushel basket," igniting a raging inferno of depravity in our nation and around the world and what we as a Church can do to restore righteousness in our nation and around the world.

- I want to share a thought-provoking riddle and its answer with those who are open to receiving it. - - The riddle goes: "Why not light a lamp and put a bushel basket over it?" The answer is clear - the light would be rendered useless and may cause a destructive fire ("No one after ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 7:11, Matthew 5:15-16, 2 Chronicles 7:14

When Catastrophe Happens, What Next?

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on May 29, 2022

No external law can fix a problem that comes from deep within a twisted mind and heart.

Ascension 2022 I polished up my Ascension Day homily last Sunday. Then I tore it up on Tuesday afternoon. Senseless, mindless murder down the road in Uvalde, a place many of us have visited or lived. When catastrophe happens anywhere in the world, don’t we all grieve, and ask “Lord, WHY?” “What ...read more

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:17-23, Luke 24:46-53

Denomination: Catholic

Thirty-Second Sunday In Ordinary Time, C--The Sadducees

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Oct 12, 2022

I believe the question I would have asked the Sadducees would be, “Was this woman taking out life insurance policies on all these husbands?”

One of my seminary professors said that it’s easy to remember who the Sadducees were because since they denied that there is a resurrection, they were “so sad you see.” The Sadducees were the ancient version of modern liberal theologians. They were anti-supernaturalistic. They only accepted the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 20:27-38

Denomination: Catholic