Sunday Sermon - 3.30.25
LATIN MASS: FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT (LAETARE SUNDAY)
EPISTLE: Galatians 4:22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, and the other by a free woman. 23 But he who was of the bondwoman, was born according to the flesh: but he of the free woman, was by promise. 24 Which things are said by an allegory. For these are the two Testaments. The one from Mount Sina, engendering unto bondage; which is Agar: 25 For Sina is a mountain in Arabia, which hath affinity to that Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 26 But that Jerusalem, which is above, is free: which is our mother. 27 For it is written: Rejoice, thou barren, that bearest not: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for many are the children of the desolate, more than of her that hath a husband. 28 Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. 29 But as then he, that was born according to the flesh, persecuted him that was after the spirit; so also it is now. 30 But what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son; for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the free woman. 31 So then, brethren, we are not the children of the bondwoman, but of the free: by the freedom wherewith Christ has made us free.
The comparison here that St. Paul is making has a triple effect. The first is that we are children of the Spirit and have been made free. We are no longer children of sin and in bondage. We have been made a part of the family of the Holy Trinity and have an inheritance waiting for us in Heaven if we will endure until the end.
The second level is the nature and differences of the Testaments. (Testament means Covenant). So under the Old Covenant/Testament, mankind was under the bondage of sin because we failed to uphold our part of the Old Covenant. Under the New Covenant, we must still uphold our part of the Covenant, but we have also been made free from the bondage of sin. We have been given the grace of God so that we are able to uphold this New Covenant/Testament.
The third level is the one of juxtaposition. In the story of Abraham’s two sons, the heir was Isaac and from him came the Israelite people. They were the inheritors of the Old Covenant. The other son was Ishmael, who became the ancestor of many of the Gentiles. Yet here now, in the New Covenant, not only are the Israelite people welcome to become heirs of God and join the family of the Trinity, but so are the Gentiles, who were the sons of the bondwoman. So this is reversal of the Old Covenant, which was with one people. The New Covenant is with all mankind.
GOSPEL: John 6:1 After these things Jesus went over the Sea of Galilee, which is that of Tiberias. 2 And a great multitude followed Him, because they saw the miracles which He did on them that were diseased. 3 Jesus therefore went up into a mountain, and there He sat with His disciples. 4 Now the Pasch, the festival day of the Jews, was near at hand. 5 When Jesus therefore had lifted up His eyes, and seen that a very great multitude cometh to Him, He said to Philip: Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? 6 And this He said to try him; for He Himself knew what He would do. 7 Philip answered Him: Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one may take a little. 8 One of His disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, saith to Him: 9 There is a boy here that hath five barley loaves, and two fishes; but what are these among so many? 10 Then Jesus said: Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves: and when He had given thanks, He distributed to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would. 12 And when they were filled, He said to His disciples: Gather up the fragments that remain, lest they be lost. 13 They gathered up therefore, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above to them that had eaten. 14 Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said: This is of a truth the Prophet, that is to come into the world. 15 Jesus therefore, when He knew that they would come to take Him by force, and make Him king, fled again into the mountain Himself alone.
Right before Our Lord will give His teaching on the Eucharist, He performs the miracle of feeding the five thousand. He explicitly shows that He holds power over the entire universe, to show that He is able to give His Body to all mankind throughout eternity. He shows that he can take a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, and can feed a multitude. He is omnipotent. Even with this miracle, the very next day they crowd still doubts Him when He says that He will give His Body and Blood for us to consume. They witness with their own eyes a miracle and still refuse to believe. Guard yourself that you do not have a heart of stone and refuse to believe.
NOVUS ORDO: FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
OLD TESTAMENT: Joshua 5:9 The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.” And so that place is called Gilgal to this day. 10 While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the Passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. 11 On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12 The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.
The first covenant and the manna in the dessert were prototypes and prefigurements of the greater covenant and true Manna that were coming. It is of great comfort to know that God had all of this planned out before the universe was even created. Nothing is unseen by Him and nothing will be left unattended. He prepared mankind so that it was ready for the almost unbelievable truth that He Himself would give us His Body for our spiritual nourishment.
NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Corinthians 5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 20 So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making His appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
The ministry of reconciliation that Paul speaks about here is the sacrament of Confession. The Corinthians he was writing to were already baptized believers. So Paul is talking about how even though we commit sin, God have given us the ministry of reconciliation to bring us back into communion with God. None of this is the doing or work of the priest. It is Christ working through the priest who reconciles us to God. That is why even an evil and wicked priest can perfectly and truly forgive all our sins, even while he himself is covered in mortal sin. He is not the source of God’s grace and the grace from the sacrament does not depend on his holiness, but instead on the holiness of Christ.
GOSPEL: Luke 15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 So He told them this parable: 4 “Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
8 “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
11 Then Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So he divided his property between them. 13 A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. 14 When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. 16 He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. 17 But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’ 20 So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. 21 Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. 27 He replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’ 28 Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’ 31 Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
No matter what evil we have committed. No matter how far from God we have travelled. The Son is always looking for us to find us, and the Father is always waiting for us to return to Him. Of course we can reject Him, but God is always willing for us to return to Him. If you are reading this and you have been separated from God, or you have not gone to Confession in a while, today is the perfect day to come back.
Those who are faithful Catholics must always be on guard not to become the jealous and angry brother of the Prodigal Son. We must never be upset when we see our brothers and sisters return to God and receive an abundance of God’s grace. Never let animosity or resentment grow in your heart. Rejoice that our brother or sister has returned to life! Rejoice that our brother or sister who was dead has been brought back to eternal life.