Sunday Sermon - 11.5.23
LATIN MASS: TWENTY-THIRD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
EPISTLE: Philippians 3:17 Be ye followers of me, brethren, and observe them who walk so as you have our model. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often (and now tell you weeping), that they are enemies of the cross of Christ; 19 Whose end is destruction; whose god is their belly; and whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly things. 20 But our conversation is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 Who will reform the body of our lowness, made like to the body of His glory, according to the operation whereby also He is able to subdue all things unto Himself.
4:1 Therefore, my dearly beloved brethren, and most desired, my joy and my crown; so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. 2 I beg of Evodia, and I beseech Syntyche, to be of one mind in the Lord. 3 And I entreat thee also, my sincere companion, help those women who have laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement and the rest of my fellow labourers, whose names are in the Book of Life.
St Paul strongly urges the Philippian Catholics to stand firm in the faith and to follow in his example that he showed when he was first evangelizing there. He reminds them that the Christian who wishes to be saved must walk the narrow path. He must live a life of holiness and focus on Christ. Temptation and worldly pleasures will always surround us but they must be ignored. The narrow path to Christ can only be walked with a cross upon your back. If your life is comfortable, you need to re-examine it.
Side note: This might be a reference to Pope Clement I who also wrote 1 Clement.
GOSPEL: Matthew 9:18 As He was speaking these things unto them, behold a certain ruler came up, and adored Him, saying: Lord, my daughter is even now dead; but come, lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live. 19 And Jesus rising up followed him, with His disciples. 20 And behold a woman who was troubled with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind Him, and touched the hem of His garment. 21 For she said within herself: If I shall touch only His garment, I shall be healed. 22 But Jesus turning and seeing her, said: Be of good heart, daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour. 23 And when Jesus was come into the house of the ruler, and saw the minstrels and the multitude making a rout, 24 He said: Give place, for the girl is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed Him to scorn. 25 And when the multitude was put forth, He went in, and took her by the hand. And the maid arose. 26 And the fame hereof went abroad into all that country.
Those with a simple and powerful faith know that Christ can heal everyone. While miracles of physical healing will be rare, Christ promises absolutely to spiritually heal anyone who comes to Him in humility and faith. Those surrounding the dead girl mocked Christ, but the ruler held firm to his faith in the face of their mocking. The sick woman held firm to her faith even while fighting to get through to just touch the garment Christ was wearing. They knew He could heal them.
Christ promises to heal us all spiritually if we will only come to Him. In the longer version of the sick woman, Christ asks who touched His garment (even though He already knew the answer). He wanted her to come to Him and admit it. This prefigures the sacrament of Confession. Our Lord already knows all our sins, but He wants us to come to Him in the sacrament and admit our sins. If we will only do this, He promises to forgive all our sins. He has infinite and eternal mercy for those who will just obey His simple commands.
NOVUS ORDO: THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OLD TESTAMENT: Malachi 1:14 Cursed be the cheat who has a male in the flock and vows to give it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished; for I am a great King, says the Lord of Hosts, and My Name is reverenced among the nations.
2:1 And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2 If you will not listen, if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to My Name, says the Lord of Hosts, then I will send the curse on you and I will curse your blessings; indeed I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart.
8 But you have turned aside from the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction; you have corrupted the Covenant of Levi, says the Lord of Hosts, 9 and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept My ways but have shown partiality in your instruction. 10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then are we faithless to one another, profaning the Covenant of our ancestors?
This warning from Malachi applies even more so today than when it was first uttered by the prophet. Those priests who profane the sacrifice of the Mass and profane the Eucharist are storing up for themselves the curses of hell for eternity. They must repent. We also must speak up when we see such profanation of the Mass and the Eucharist. Always be humble towards Christ in the Eucharist. Never take for granted the unfathomable gift Our Lord has given to us by allowing us lowly humans to physically receive Him and His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
Never profane the New Covenant. Never profane the Mass and the Eucharist. And if you have, then go to Confession immediately.
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Thessalonians 2:7 though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
9 You remember our labor and toil, brothers and sisters; we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how pure, upright, and blameless our conduct was toward you believers. 11 As you know, we dealt with each one of you like a father with his children, 12 urging and encouraging you and pleading that you lead a life worthy of God, who calls you into His own Kingdom and glory.
13 We also constantly give thanks to God for this, that when you received the word of God that you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it really is, God’s word, which is also at work in you believers.
Always remember that your behavior towards others and how you conduct yourself is how others will see Christ. As parents will remind their children, those children carry the name of their family wherever they go. So if you behave in a terrible manner, you will sully the family name among others. The same is true for us.
When you were baptized, you were made a part of God’s own family. You were baptized in HIS NAME. You carry His Name with you wherever you go. So how you act is how others see Him. You can be like Our Lady and magnify the Lord. Or you can besmirch the Holy Name of God by acting like a fool. Magnify the Lord in all you do and help to spread the Gospel everywhere you go.
You are the Lord’s, so act like it!
GOSPEL: Matthew 23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to His disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6 They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, 7 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. 9 And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in Heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
Here we see Jesus affirm the authority of Sacred Tradition (the seat of Moses) and the authority that He would grant to the Church. Even when we might have the worst of all bishops, Jesus is clear that they still hold authority. He never said we have the right to ignore their authority.
One thing to remember is that we must also not sway too far into clericalism. The authority that Christ grants to the Church, the bishops and the priests does have limits. They can never command you to sin. They can never command you outside their area of authority. We must discern the commands of priests to make sure they are within their authority or not. But do all of this with humility. The proud will not enjoy Judgement Day.
For a perspective on the teaching about calling no man “father”, I can’t improve on the explanation from Catholic Answers that they gave about this. You can read their article on it here.
I’m am trying to act like a child of God each day. The words echo in my heart daily. 🙏 thank you.