Sunday Sermon - 6.30.24
LATIN MASS: SIXTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
EPISTLE: Romans 6:3 Know you not that all we, who are baptized in Christ Jesus, are baptized in His death? 4 For we are buried together with Him by baptism into death; that as Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we also may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His Resurrection. 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin may be destroyed, to the end that we may serve sin no longer. 7 For He that is dead is justified from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall live also together with Christ: 9 Knowing that Christ rising again from the dead, dieth now no more, death shall no more have dominion over Him. 10 For in that He died to sin, He died once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God: 11 So do you also reckon, that you are dead to sin, but alive unto God, in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Baptism is how we are born again! Baptism is how we enter into the New Covenant. Only those who are in the New Covenant may eat of the Passover/Paschal Lamb of God. This eternal and infinite gift of Baptism and the New Covenant were not given to us so that we can be indifferent to it. We were given these gifts so that we may put to death the sins and sinful nature we possess. We were given the gifts and grace from the sacraments so that we could turn away from our sin and be purified by Christ. As St. Paul says, we must “walk in newness of life”. This isn’t optional. This is mandatory. We must turn away from sin and walk towards God. If you haven’t been to Confession in a while, today is the day to go. Do not delay any longer. Be purified by Christ and walk in the newness of life He offers to you.
GOSPEL: Mark 8:1 In those days again, when there was a great multitude, and had nothing to eat; calling His disciples together, He saith to them: 2 I have compassion on the multitude, for behold they have now been with Me three days, and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I shall send them away fasting to their home, they will faint in the way; for some of them came from afar off. 4 And His disciples answered Him: From whence can any one fill them here with bread in the wilderness? 5 And He asked them: How many loaves have ye? Who said: Seven. 6 And taking the seven loaves, giving thanks, He broke, and gave to His disciples for to set before them; and they set them before the people. 7 And they had a few little fishes; and He blessed them, and commanded them to be set before them. 8 And they did eat and were filled; and they took up that which was left of the fragments, seven baskets. 9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand; and He sent them away.
Note a few things in this passage. First this is not the same event as the feeding of the 5000. The feeding of the 5000 happened near Bethsaida near the Sea of Galilee, a mostly Jewish area. This miracle happens in the area of the Decapolis, which is more Gentile. In the 5000 miracle, there are 5 loaves (representing the five books of Moses) and they collect twelve baskets of leftovers (representing the 12 tribes of Israel). In the 4000 miracle, there are seven loaves (representing the seven days of creation) and they collect seven baskets (the number of completeness in Scripture, representing the collection of all mankind in the New Covenant).'
Also note that the crowd had been with Jesus for 3 days. Just as Jesus was in the tomb for 3 days and then Resurrected, He brings to the people the sustenance of life for them after they had followed Him for 3 days.
NOVUS ORDO: THIRTEENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OLD TESTAMENT: Wisdom 1:12 Do not invite death by the error of your life, or bring on destruction by the works of your hands; 13 because God did not make death, and He does not delight in the death of the living. 14 For He created all things so that they might exist; the generative forces of the world are wholesome, and there is no destructive poison in them, and the dominion of Hades is not on earth. 15 For righteousness is immortal. 16 But the ungodly by their words and deeds summoned death; considering him a friend, they pined away and made a covenant with him, because they are fit to belong to his company.
2:21 Thus they reasoned, but they were led astray, for their wickedness blinded them, 22 and they did not know the secret purposes of God, nor hoped for the wages of holiness, nor discerned the prize for blameless souls; 23 for God created us for incorruption, and made us in the image of His own eternity, 24 but through the devil’s envy death entered the world, and those who belong to his company experience it.
God did not create death. That was a creation of Satan and man. By Satan’s sin, death entered into creation, and by man’s sin, death entered into the world. As it says here, righteousness is immortal, and the ungodly summon death and think he is a friend. This is not the death of the body, which happens to all. This is the second death of hell and eternal separation from God. Remember that God created you and all of us for incorruption. We are made in His image, which means we have an immortal soul and are capable of creating other immortal souls. So let us all follow God into all righteousness and incorruption.
NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Corinthians 8:7 Now as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in utmost eagerness, and in our love for you—so we want you to excel also in this generous undertaking. 8 I do not say this as a command, but I am testing the genuineness of your love against the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, so that by His poverty you might become rich. 10 And in this matter I am giving my advice: it is appropriate for you who began last year not only to do something but even to desire to do something— 11 now finish doing it, so that your eagerness may be matched by completing it according to your means. 12 For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has—not according to what one does not have. 13 I do not mean that there should be relief for others and pressure on you, but it is a question of a fair balance between 14 your present abundance and their need, so that their abundance may be for your need, in order that there may be a fair balance. 15 As it is written, “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.”
The Church does not command a certain amount of charity, although it does give some modest guidelines (not commands). The Church wants to keep our burdens light but encourages us to be generous in our charity. It is an old cliche that may annoy us but it is true. We should always examine our level of giving of our time, talent and treasure. Our charity here on earth will be rewarded eternally by God in Heaven.
GOSPEL: Mark 5:21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around Him; and He was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw Him, fell at His feet 23 and begged Him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.” 24 So He went with him.
And a large crowd followed Him and pressed in on Him. 25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind Him in the crowd and touched His cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch His clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from Him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 31 And His disciples said to Him, “You see the crowd pressing in on You; how can You say, ‘Who touched Me?’” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
35 While He was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 36 But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37 He allowed no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38 When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, He saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39 When He had entered, He said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40 And they laughed at Him. Then He put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with Him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42 And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43 He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.
Two stories of healing. Jesus knew already who had touched His clothes. He still wanted the woman to come to Him and admit what she did. She didn’t do anything wrong, but He doesn’t want us to withhold anything from Him. This prefigures Confession. He is always willing and ready to heal us of our spiritual sickness & death, but we must first come to Him and admit what we have done. We must be honest with Him and not withhold anything.
The second miracle of raising the girl from the dead shows that He has power over everything, including sin and death. He can raise the dead, and He can raise us from spiritual death. We must have the theological virtue of hope and know that He is waiting to raise us to eternal life if we will only obey and love Him.
Thank you for your wonderful recap of the Scripture readings this week. I have had a medical problem which has kept me home and quiet! And unable to go to Mass for the past 3weeks. Please say a prayer for me and keep up the “Sunday Sermon”. It means a lot to me.