Sunday Sermon - 1.28.24
LATIN MASS - SEPTUAGESIMA SUNDAY
EPISTLE: 1 Corinthians 9:24 Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but one receiveth the prize? So run that you may obtain. 25 And every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things: and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one. 26 I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air: 27 But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection: lest perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a castaway.
10:1 For I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. 2 And all in Moses were baptized, in the cloud, and in the sea: 3 And did all eat the same spiritual food, 4 And all drank the same spiritual drink; (and they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.) 5 But with most of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the desert.
This passage from Paul cannot be more emphatic about the danger that we all face of damnation if we decide in the future to not follow Christ or repent of our sins. Paul says that even he himself could end up damned if he doesn’t obey Christ. Paul certainly had true and saving faith. He was saved. Yet here he is explicit that he could end up in hell if he doesn’t follow God.
You see in the next chapter where it talks about Moses and the Israelites in the dessert. This is a warning to Catholics. We have been baptized. We have eaten of the spiritual food of God in the Eucharist. These bring us eternal life and salvation. Yet if we think we cannot be damned, we are wrong. God offers the Eucharist to us, but that only guarantees salvation if we obey Him. Our works must follow our faith. We must produce good fruit or we will be thrown into hell. This isn’t optional.
GOSPEL: Matthew 20:1 The Kingdom of Heaven is like to an householder, who went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And having agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market place idle. 4 And he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just. 5 And they went their way. And again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did in like manner. 6 But about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing, and he saith to them: Why stand you here all the day idle? 7 They say to him: Because no man hath hired us. He saith to them: Go you also into my vineyard. 8 And when evening was come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward: Call the labourers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last even to the first. 9 When therefore they were come, that came about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more: and they also received every man a penny. 11 And receiving it they murmured against the master of the house, 12 Saying: These last have worked but one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, that have borne the burden of the day and the heats. 13 But he answering said to one of them: Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny? 14 Take what is thine, and go thy way: I will also give to this last even as to thee. 15 Or, is it not lawful for me to do what I will? Is thy eye evil, because I am good? 16 So shall the last be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.
This passage is also a warning to Catholics to not become resentful or angry with God for those who find salvation late in life. We can toil all our lives in service to Him and we will receive salvation just the same as the degenerate who converts late in life. We must never be upset or angry with this. This is what God wants and we should celebrate every conversion, even those who convert late in life.
I would also remind everyone that as we do the good works of God and we follow Him, we are fashioning ourselves into a larger and larger reservoir for God’s grace. Picture the difference between the amount of water a thimble can hold, and compare it to a glass. Now picture both compared to the amount of water a bucket can hold, or even a large barrel. Now imagine the amount of water held by a water tower. The more we do God’s will, the more we let God expand our souls to hold His grace. In Heaven, God will fill everyone to overflowing with His grace. But each will be able to hold a different amount. The one who converts late in life will hold only a small amount while those who have been faithful all their lives will hold a massive amount. God promises greater gifts in Heaven to those who produce more good works, but He promises salvation to all. Never be upset at those who come to the Catholic Church late. Rejoice that they have come!
NOVUS ORDO: FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OLD TESTAMENT: Deuteronomy 18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you shall heed such a prophet. 16 This is what you requested of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said: “If I hear the voice of the Lord my God any more, or ever again see this great fire, I will die.” 17 Then the Lord replied to me: “They are right in what they have said. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their own people; I will put My words in the mouth of the prophet, who shall speak to them everything that I command. 19 Anyone who does not heed the words that the prophet shall speak in My Name, I Myself will hold accountable. 20 But any prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, or who presumes to speak in My Name a word that I have not commanded the prophet to speak—that prophet shall die.”
God promised to Moses and the Israelites that He would send a prophet like Moses to them again. He did exactly that when the Father sent the Son to mankind. Christ is the prophet that we were promised. That is also why we see Christ speaking to Moses at the Transfiguration. God ties back everything together to show that His plan of salvation is perfect and everything has been fulfilled.
NEW TESTAMENT: 1 Corinthians 7:32 I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the affairs of the Lord, how to please the Lord; 33 but the married man is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please his wife, 34 and his interests are divided. And the unmarried woman and the virgin are anxious about the affairs of the Lord, so that they may be holy in body and spirit; but the married woman is anxious about the affairs of the world, how to please her husband. 35 I say this for your own benefit, not to put any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.
Do not be confused here. This passage is not saying that marriage is bad or wrong. God Himself gave us marriage and commands us to be fruitful and multiply. He gave us the sacrament of marriage as well to give us the grace of salvation to help both spouses and their children to make it to Heaven. Marriage is a beautiful, holy and lovely thing. What this passage is pointing out is that celibacy and consecrated virginity to God is even higher than marriage.
Those who willingly forsake the good of marriage to devote themselves to God alone are able to focus all of their energy and time on Him, whereas the spouses must spend some of their time on each other and their children. This is just reality. Both are holy but there is a hierarchy to them. Whichever one God has called you to, make sure you enjoy and relish it. But also make sure you live out your vocation completely and dedicate your life to Him.
GOSPEL: Mark 1:21 They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, He entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, “What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 At once His fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
When God says something, it IS. God is in authority of all things. When He says “this IS My Body”, then it no longer is bread by it IS His Body. When He said “let there be light”, there was light. What He says, happens or will happen in His timing. His is in charge. We must always remind ourselves that He calls us His friends, but He is also our King and God. We are His friends when we remember this and obey Him.
🙏📿 in thanks for your Sunday Sermon.