The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friends,

This Sunday after the Ascension, we are again reminded that we must mature and develop from the physical to the spiritual. Jesus ascended physically into Heaven, but we are still bound to this earth by our physical bodies, so we experience physical separation and loss. However, the Holy Ghost is promised to us if we persevere in believing all that Jesus taught us.

The Holy Ghost enlightens us and shows us the spiritual meaning hidden from us in all the physical words and actions of Jesus. I say "hidden," not because God was trying to deceive us. These spiritual things are hidden to those who still think and perceive only the physical things. We do not understand the Scriptures if we only understand the physical things that are related. To truly understand, we must begin looking for spiritual things. We must search and labor for the message and food for our souls rather than the message and food for our bodies.

The Israelites of the Old Testament faltered or failed simply because they only perceived the physical aspects of all that God gave them. Today's modern "Jews" and many "Christians" are similarly minded. While Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets — physically as well as spiritually — all those with a material or physically minded predisposition cannot see or understand, much less genuinely believe. It is the Holy Ghost Who opens the eyes of our souls to see and understand so that we may believe.

Jesus warned the Disciples and us that the hour cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doth a service to God. Saint Augustine comments on this:

"These words, He added as though to console those who would be driven out from the Synagogues. Would it be that this sundering from the Synagogues would so trouble them that they would prefer to die rather than linger on in this life outside the congregations of the Jews? Be it far from us to think they should be so troubled who sought not the glory of men but the glory of God. This, then, is the meaning of the words: They will put you out of the Synagogues. Have no fear of this isolation. Though cut off from their congregations, you shall bring together so many in My name that they, in fear lest the Temple and the mysteries of the Old Law be forsaken, shall kill you and think that in doing so, they render a service to God; having a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (Rom. 10.2)."

"We must take these words to be said of the Jews, of whom He had said, They will put you out of the Synagogues. For the witnesses of Christ, that is, the Martyrs, even if they were killed by the Gentiles, these did not think that they did a service to God, but to their own false deities. But every Jew who killed Christ's preachers thought he did a service to God, in the belief that whoever became converted to Christ would betray Israel. And so, enraged at this, and having a zeal for God, though not according to wisdom, thinking to do a service to God, they put them to death."

Each passing generation that seeks salvation must pass through this trial. The original Disciples of Jesus grew and developed from the material to the spiritual. The succeeding early martyrs and Fathers of the Church grew to leave behind the world and reach for Heaven. Every generation of Catholics, even in our own times, must first see and hear of the physical and material things God has given us but then search for more in the spiritual realm.

As we rise above this world's materialism, we become obstacles to the worldly-minded. We become a hindrance to their worldly and materialistic pursuits. The materialistic pursuits of the various religions in this world will not tolerate a greater (spiritual) teaching than theirs.

What began in the early days of the Church with physical persecution and killing has now progressed to a kind of social persecution and killing. The teachings of the True Church are ignored, then laughed at and mocked. All those who can only believe in corporal things misunderstand her doctrines. These corporal things become their idols (gods). Today, the physical lives of the faithful followers of Jesus are most often indirectly attacked through slander and libel. This social attack is ever more valuable to them today because of the many social network platforms currently available. In the past we needed to beware of printed material, then the radio and television were added to the worldly arsenal. Currently, we still have all these, but the internet has provided an even more powerful tool in the assault against Jesus in His Church Militant.

Though it may appear very dark, we need not lose hope. The Holy Ghost is still with us. Jesus is still with us in the True Holy Eucharist. Let us lift our hearts and minds above all these worldly beings and material things and call out with Saint John: "Come, Lord Jesus, Come!"

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us!

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