“The Faith of the Queen Mother” — Sermon for the IV Sunday of Advent, A.D. MMXXIV

          Christmas is the time of year when people can’t help but act Catholic. Everyone sets up their nativity scenes – images of the saints no longer being graven images so long as they form part of a cute manger scene – and you even hear songs about Mary. Preparing for Christmas, we have to […]

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“Finding Real Joy” — Sermon for the III Sunday of Advent (Gaudete), A.D. MMXXIV

          On Monday, we celebrated the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin, and we saw how, due to being completely free from sin and any and all effects of sin (concupiscence), She is completely and totally free, like Dante at the end of his process of spiritual purification in the Divine Comedy: “Already were all […]

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“God Loved Her More” — Sermon for the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, A.D. MMXXIV

In Conceptione Immaculata B.M.V. 9 December, A.D. MMXXIV “In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.” In celebrating Mary’s Immaculate Conception, we usually focus on how Mary […]

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“You Need More Dynamite” — Sermon for the II Sunday of Advent, A.D. MMXXIV

          Compared to some of his other colorful invectives, John the Baptist seems pretty tame today. Scratch the surface, though, and he really isn’t. John is showing us an important truth about Christ’s coming. “With John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit begins the restoration to man of the divine likeness, prefiguring what he would achieve with and in Christ. John‘s […]

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“The Wounded and Victorious King” — Sermon for the Solemnity of Christ the King, A.D. MMXXIV

In Solemnitate D.N.J.C. Regis, B 24 November, A.D. MMXXIV             We could not pick two more contrasting images of Christ as King. We see the Son of Man, the divine Messiah, coming on the clouds, receiving “dominion, glory, and kingship.” And then we see the humble Christ being interrogated by Pilate, insisting “my kingdom does […]

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“The Meaning of Death and the Hope of Resurrection” — Sermon for the XXXIII Sunday through the Year, A.D. MMXXIV

Each Sunday and solemnity, we profess in the Nicene Creed that we believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. What does this mean?           Of course, we know that we are professing faith in the Resurrection of Christ, that after three days in the tomb He rose […]

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“The Sources of Freedom” — Sermon for the XXXII Sunday through the Year, A.D. MMXXIV

“Beware of the scribes … They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.” The prophet Elijah seems to deserve the harsh condemnation given by our Lord to the scribes today. What is he doing if not literally devouring the house of a widow, […]

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“Loving Your Neighbor in a Time of Civil Strife” — Sermon for the XXXI Sunday through the Year, A.D. MMXXIV

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”           For most of us, loving God is the easy part – it’s the other people who present the real problem. But it’s more […]

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“Our Country As Well as Theirs” — Sermon for the Solemnity of All Saints, A.D. MMXXIV

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome is the Pantheon, visited by over six millions of people each year. At nearly two thousand years old, it is the best-preserved ancient Roman structure, and is still the largest un-reinforced concrete dome in the world. During the Middle Ages, when engineers had forgotten how to […]

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