The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friends,

There exists a unity between God and His Church, as between a man and his wife. An insult hurled upon one is an insult hurled upon the other also. Some act as if they may insult the Church while proclaiming their love for God. Others insult God and proclaim their love for the Church. They both offend against God and His Church.

The "Christian" who consults "fortune tellers," follows "horoscopes," or practices various superstitions offends God and insults God with these idolatries. He is foolish to believe that he is a "good Christian." It does not matter that he tithes or goes to Church on Sundays — He is not in good standing with the Church if he offends God. Likewise, those who insult and calumniate the Church cannot truly profess to worship and honor God.

The heretic and schismatic offend the Church, and therefore, offend God. They cut themselves off from the Church (The Bride of Christ) and thus they cut themselves off from Christ. The cold or indifferent "Christian" often remains physically in the Church, but worships demons (and insults God) with their various superstitions and idolatry.

In today's Gospel, ten lepers approached Jesus to be cured. Nine were of the Chosen people. They were members of the Church. One was from outside the Church. All ten were sent to present themselves to the Church (the priests) and make an offering. On their way to comply with this directive of Jesus, all ten were cleansed of the leprosy. The nine were members of the Church but, they failed to truly worship God; because they did not return to thank Jesus. The stranger, entered the Church by showing himself to the priests, and he worshiped the true God by returning gratitude to Jesus. It is the stranger that hears the consoling words of Jesus that he is made whole. The nine were cleansed of the leprosy, but they were not made whole, because the stain on their souls was not cleansed through giving honor and glory to God. Only the stranger was a good and faithful member of the Church and a true worshiper of God.

Today, we see a very similar situation. The majority claim to be Catholic or Christian, but they dishonor God. They have the outward appearance of worshiping God. They wish everyone to believe that they are good, but they hold onto modernism, materialism, or any other heresy; and therefore offend God. The minority, on the other hand, appears to be a stranger to the Church, but is truly Her child — as he honors Her as well as worships the True God. He honors the true Church by maintaining her doctrines, worship, and traditions. He honors God by giving Him all the honor and glory. He returns to God to thank Him for all the graces he has received — especially the graces that he has received through His Bride the Holy Catholic Church.

We are truly social beings, and it is attractive to us to be with the majority — to be with the "in" crowd. It is convenient to attribute the name of Catholic or Christian to ourselves, while conforming to the perversities of our modern "culture." Many "Catholics" want to believe and say that it is okay to practice homosexuality, fornication, adultery, transgender-ism, etc. They want to enjoy membership in the Church, but wish to insult and blaspheme against the Creator and His design and law of reproduction. These "nine" are not going to be made whole while they follow this direction. They are also gravely mistaken in believing that they are good or faithful members of the Church. In insulting God's design, they blaspheme against God, and they remove themselves from His Mystical Body the Church.

While the majority go off blindly to use and abuse the graces of God, we must cooperate with the grace of God and find the courage to break away from the crowd. We must return thanks to God for the gifts that He has given us — and not suffer the abuse of these gifts to destroy our souls. Even if we are alone against the rest of the world, we must defend the laws of God as well as the laws of the Church.

God has attached pleasure to the use of our reproductive faculties as a reward for cooperating with Him in creation. To seek these pleasures, and deny the God intended gift of procreation, is gravely offensive to God. It is a worship of ourselves (our pleasure) rather than worshiping and serving of God. It does not matter if we call ourselves Catholic, if we offend God by following the world in accepting, condoning, or practicing these abominations — such beliefs separate us from God and from His True Church.

If we must be alone against the world then, so be it. Let us say with St. Theresa of Avila: God and I make a majority. May we always worship Him truly in the Catholic Church, as well as return to give Him thanks, praise, and honor; even if we are alone.

email: father@friarsminor.org Franciscan Benefactor Seraph Subscription Vocations Have you remembered God?