Sermons on Vatican Treasures:

Kneeling In Awe Before The Lord Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Jul 2, 2011

We kneel in worship as Stephen did, in union with the prayer of Jesus in the garden.

Independence Day July 4, 2011 Spirit of the Liturgy The intersection of American Independence Day, these texts, and our continuing study of the Spirit of the Liturgy is providential, I believe. Our Scripture today, as every day, is directed to all humans, not just Americans. Our psalm reminds us ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:31-46

Denomination: Catholic

The Word Of God, Secular Society And The Natural Law Series

Contributed by W Pat Cunningham on Nov 12, 2011

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and the natural moral law.

Monday of 33rd Week in Course Verbum Domini “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” This is one of what the Egyptian hermits used to call “javelin prayers” that the Church has held dear from the beginning. The story we hear in today’s Gospel, which originated in ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:35-43

Denomination: Catholic

Ephphatha!

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jul 12, 2018

Jesus’s Ephphata prayer is the opening up, the removing of the “impediment” of spiritual deafness for us. It’s an Aramaic phrase which literally means “be released.”

Several years ago, in January a major newspaper conducted an experiment you may have heard about. The experiment involved Joshua Bell, one of the world’s greatest violinists who performed for almost all the world’s major orchestras. Joshua Bell was commissioned to play his $4,000,000 Stradivarius ...read more

Scripture: James 2:1-5, Mark 7:31-37

Denomination: Catholic

Who Is God?

Contributed by The Rev Deniray Mueller on Jan 30, 2018

just exactly who is God

The last couple of weeks I have been talking about following Jesus and that the Holy Spirit has been sent to help us do that. But one of the things that is often overlooked, is ‘just exactly who is God’. As I was preparing for this homily, I was thinking that we hear about Jesus and have a ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 22:37-40, Ephesians 2:4-5

Denomination: Episcopal

Pentecost

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Apr 28, 2023

In 1967, she prayed this prayer, “Father, I give my life to You. Whatever you ask of me, I accept. Just teach me to follow Jesus and to love as He loves.” The fire quickly spread, even to other Christian denominations.

On Tesco's brand of Tiramisu dessert, printed on the bottom of the box, it says, “DO NOT TURN UPSIDE DOWN.”1—(too late!) I want to consider how the Holy Spirit has a way of turning things upside down. Like in the Acts of the Apostles in our First Reading, the devout Jews from every nation ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-11

Denomination: Catholic

Role Reversal

Contributed by Rodney Buchanan on Apr 4, 2013

A look at who "got it" when Jesus came and who did not. What you would expect is not what happened.

Role Reversals Luke 8:4-9 Think about it for a moment. If you knew nothing about all the stories of the Bible, especially the New Testament stories about Jesus, who would you expect to be the most enthusiastic and welcoming to the idea of God visiting planet earth? Who would be those most ...read more

Scripture: Psalm 118:19-23

Denomination: Methodist

To Tell The Truth

Contributed by Joseph Smith on Sep 12, 2009

We can and must speak truth to power. We can do so if we receive our own power through prayer; and so speaking makes a difference if there is compassion in it.

You’ll remember the old fable called "The Emperor’s New Clothes". In that story there is a crafty tailor, who persuades the emperor that he can make a suit of clothes out of a magic fabric, a fabric which can be seen only by the wise and intelligent. Stupid people, foolish people supposedly cannot ...read more

Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:1-13

Denomination: Baptist

Mystery Babylon. The Papacy , The Jews, The Muslims Series

Contributed by Bob Faulkner on Jul 13, 2015

Greater and greater grows the power of "Christendom" under the Popes of the darkened ages. Lesser and lesser grows the prospects of the descendants of Abraham. And what is the Islamic connection to Babylon?

TWENTY-FIVE: THE FIRST "REAL" POPES? Some claim that Leo I was the first pope (440-461). "He claimed that he was, by Divine appointment, Primate of all Bishops...that resistance to His authority was a sure way to Hell...advocated the death penalty for heresy..." (Halley, p. 770) Again it is ...read more

Scripture: 1 Peter 5:1-5

Denomination: Assembly Of God

Carrying The Cross With Jesus

Contributed by Sajeev Painunkal, Sj on Apr 9, 2006

Jesus gave a new meaning to human suffering. Now a suffering person can look at the cross of Jesus and find comfort.

She was a Hindu; but all the same, an active member of the Students’ Christian Movement. Then the shocking news came that she was diagnosed with cancer. She was admitted in a hospital. When we went to see her, I expected her to be very bitter. At such a young age to get such a sickness! But ...read more

Denomination: Catholic

Jesus Prays For His Disciples (John 17:6-19)

Contributed by Rick Bezanson on Oct 17, 2007

Jesus prays that His church, which is his people, will be united as one.

John 17: 20-26 In today’s gospel Jesus prays for us. Jesus prays,” I am also praying for everyone else who will have faith in me because of what my followers will say about me.”(20) We believe in Jesus as Lord because of the many disciples who have gone on before us and taught us about Jesus. ...read more

Scripture: John 17:6-19

Denomination: Lutheran

A Picture Of Faith Series

Contributed by Kevin Ruffcorn on Aug 26, 2008

There are many definitions of fatih, but the woman of this text gives a clear demonstration of what makes great faith. We learn that faith is persistent and always relys upon God’s grace and mercy.

Matthew 15:21-28 “A Picture of Faith” INTRODUCTION What would you say if someone came up to you and asked you to define what “faith” is? Here is a short video clip of what some people said. Faith is difficult to define because it is an abstract concept. It is perhaps easier to describe faith ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28

Denomination: Lutheran

Transfiguration--“God From God, Light From Light.”

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Jul 6, 2017

At Mass, we pray that God will “bring us into the light of Your face.”

Transfiguration Jesus was transfigured; his physical appearance changed such that his face shone like the sun. “God from God, light from light.” In the book of Exodus, Moses’s “face shone because he had been talking with God” (Exodus 34:29). So we too can be filled with the presence of God, ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9

Denomination: Catholic

Third Sunday In Ordinary Time, Year C: Using Your Top Three

Contributed by Paul Andrew on Dec 30, 2024

Our “why” will be Biblical, related to your vocation and, within that, your specific top three charisms.

Today is the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, now dedicated each year to promoting a love and knowledge of Scripture, it’s like our new annual “Bible Sunday” for Catholics. We hear in the three-year cycle of Sunday Mass readings, plus the two-year cycle of daily Mass readings: 13.5 percent of the Old ...read more

Scripture: Nehemiah 8:2-10, Luke 1:1-21

Denomination: Catholic

What Is Truth? Series

Contributed by Steven Simala Grant on May 11, 2007

There is a very serious lie rampant in our culture: there is no moral truth, no right or wrong that universally applies. Truth is a person.

What Is Truth? In But Not Of John 18:28-40 May 22, 2005 Intro: When Pilate met God, he ended up articulating a timeless question. Listen to the story from John 18:28-40 (NLT) “Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the ...read more

Scripture: John 18:28-40

Denomination: Baptist

Navigataing The Gray Areas

Contributed by Monty Newton on Jan 30, 2009

We are acting in love when we are considerate of the other person’s conscience.

Title: Navigating the Gray Areas Text: I Corinthians 8:1-13 Thesis: We are acting in love when we are considerate of the other person’s conscience. Introduction: In the Roman Catholic Church there is a list of the seven deadly sins: Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Greed, Lust, Wrath, and Sloth. In ...read more

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:1-11

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational