Sunday Sermon

Miserable the man who, at the hour of death, shall see that he has loved creatures, that he has loved his pleasures, and has not loved God. "When distress cometh upon them, they will seek peace, and there will be none." (Ezekiel 7: 25.) He will then seek peace, but shall not find it; for many causes of distress and trouble shall assail him.

There are a few passages in the Bible in which the sowing of seed or planting is used as an illustration in reference to the Word of God. In this study we want to closer examine Luke 8:8-15 so that we can gain a greater understanding how the Word of God can also bear fruit in our lives.

Sermon given at First Mass of Fr. Francis Dominic, September 27, 2018. Coming from the Gospel of Saint Matthew 10:39: "He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for me, shall find it."

What belongs to God? God wants what belongs to Him and He also marked it. When He created Adam and Eve He created them in “His image”. God’s picture is stamped upon or very souls. Jesus is asking for our hearts and lives. He understands that if He has our hearts He will have our money and talents and worship all by default. It’s a package deal. If there are certain parts of your life withheld from God then there are certain parts of your heart withheld from Him.

Were hell not eternal, it should not be hell. Torments which continue but a short time, are not a severe punishment. The man who is afflicted with cancer, submits to the knife. The pain is very sharp; but, because it is soon over, the torture is not very great. But, should the incision last for a week, or for an entire month, how frightful should be the agony!

All Saints' Day is a solemn holy day of the Catholic Church celebrated annually on November 1. The day is dedicated to the saints of the Church, that is, all those who have attained heaven.

You can best believe that when Jesus speaks, something is going to happen. You might receive revelation, truth, instructions, correction, discipline or feel the magnitude of his love for you. The question that follows this is when Jesus speaks, what will your response be.

Much of the recent news coverage in our nation has been focused on the police, how they carry out their duty, and how they interact with citizens. One of the things they will do if they have to arrest you is they will read you your Miranda Rights. Perhaps the most famous line in this recitation is, “You have the right to remain silent.”

Passion can be a wonderful gift, but if you’re not careful, it can become an awful curse. All too often people become passionate about achieving a goal, and end up wrapping their identity in that goal and losing sight of their inner reasons for setting out to accomplish it in the first place. They take on a success-at-all-costs mind-set, and as a result hurt themselves and others.

It is virtually impossible to exaggerate the importance of love. Nothing is more basic to true spirituality than this singular virtue. Nothing is more central to Christian living. At the very heart of authentic discipleship is love. Without love, we are nothing.

When many from my country hear the word “king,” one or two images typically come to mind: The first is that of a distant tyrant across the ocean who mistreats the people and taxes their tea. The second image is that of a now-meaningless figurehead; a historical office held over from the past that no longer wields any real power. But when we speak of Jesus Christ as our King, we are not alluding to either a tyrant or a figurehead—or even a benevolent king who rules for a season. We are instead speaking of a perfect, righteous, and loving King; one who is absolutely sovereign in His authority and eternal in His reign.

Countless millions throughout the world may live as if Christ is not King, but that does not change reality. Christ is King over all. Whether or not you acknowledge His authority and reign over you, He is your king! He reigns supreme.

"Is it my will that a sinner should die, saith the Lord God, and not that he should be converted from his ways, and live?" [Ezekiel 18:23]

When Jesus Christ called His first four Disciples from being commercial fishermen to fishers of men; He did so for an awesome reason; just as we are being called today!

We probably all know Bart Simpson’s famous thanksgiving prayer: “Dear God, we paid for all this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing.” Well, we know better. In fact, if Bart could have a prayer like that, what kind of prayer should we have?

Every follower of Jesus wants to be valuable to him. We look forward to the day that he will come back for us and say, "Well done, good and faithful servant". When the "day of the Lord" your life will be judged to be successful or meaningless depending on His standards - not the worlds. At the end of your life you want to leave with the knowledge that you have led a successful life!

If we were able to make two requests that would help to improve our lives here on the earth, what would those requests be? Agur, the wise man to whom Proverbs 30 is attributed, told us what his two requests were: “Two things I asked of You, do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches;” (Proverbs 30:7-9). The second request – the desire for “neither poverty nor riches” – is the focus of our Sermon.

What does “One” look like? Ever since Jesus prayed the prayer recorded in John 17:21, this has been a vital question for the Church. Jesus prayed for the unity of his followers. The primary purpose of this unity is to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ and further the kingdom of God by demonstrating that Jesus is who he said he was—God, the Son. How is Jesus’ prayer answered in our lives? Is it necessary for us to be unified in all aspects of our lives, or in selected areas? How can we be unified and still maintain our individuality and uniqueness? Where is the balance between unity and diversity?

Story: A small parish had a hall that needed a new roof. So after every Sunday service, the congregation would go over to the parish hall to pray for the new roof. And at the end of the prayer time, there would be a collection. One old Parishoner, renown for being very tight fisted, used to come and sit at the back during the prayer time - so he could make a quick escape when they started the collection. One day just as he was going to the prayer time he was held up by the Pastor - and so came in a little late. Unfortunately there was only room at the front. So he went to the front and sat down there. During the prayer time, a piece of roof fell and hit him on the head. Feeling spoken to he stood up and said: "Lord, I’ll give $ 1000”. A voice in the back rang out: "Hit him again Lord". Is that how we think God speaks to us?

What is this one thing necessary? It is not necessary to acquire riches, nor to obtain dignities, nor to gain a great name. The only thing necessary is to love God. Whatever is not done for the love of God is lost. This is the greatest and the first commandment of the divine law.