Sunday Sermon - 9.1.24
LATIN MASS: FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
EPISTLE: Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be made desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying on another.
6:1 Brethren, and if a man be overtaken in any fault, you, who are spiritual, instruct such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens; and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if any man think himself to be some thing, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every one prove his own work, and so he shall have glory in himself only, and not in another. 5 For every one shall bear his own burden. 6 And let him that is instructed in the word, communicate to him that instructeth him, in all good things. 7 Be not deceived, God is not mocked. 8 For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the Spirit, of the Spirit shall reap life everlasting. 9 And in doing good, let us not fail. For in due time we shall reap, not failing. 10 Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
There’s a lot to unpack just in this short passage. First St. Paul warns about pride and the temptation that it brings. This is especially a temptation for anyone to think of themselves as holier than others or special. It reeks of the Pharisee who thanked God for how incredible he was compared to the tax collector. We must always maintain humility. Then in a spirit of meekness, to teach, encourage and help others to become more holy. Meekness is not weakness, but instead is power under control. Helping others but not being taken advantage of.
There’s also confusion that Paul says to bear the burdens of others and then three verses later saying that each person should bear their own burden. What he’s saying here is that each person should carry their own weight and help others. Of course there will come a time when each of us needs help, and others should help us. But this should not be perpetual and ongoing. Weakness, temptation, hardships and calamities will come for everyone, but they cannot be an excuse for being perpetually in need and making others carry your burden.
Then St. Paul says one of the most memorable lines of Scripture when he says to not be deceived, because God will not be mocked. A Christian who refuses to render aid to others and fails to do good works is mocking God. Each one of us has been given the infinite and eternal gift of salvation and we need to act like it. After God has given us so much, to turn around and not do good works is mocking God.
He also then makes sure to teach that there is a hierarchy in our good works and charity. We must take care of the household of God (fellow Christians) first, and then those outside the Church. We must take care of our own family first, and then our parish brothers and sisters, and then those outside the Church.
GOSPEL: Luke 7:11 And it came to pass afterwards, that He went into a city that is called Naim; and there went with Him His disciples, and a great multitude. 12 And when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold a dead man was carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow: and a great multitude of the city was with her. 13 Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, He said to her: Weep not. 14 And He came near and touched the bier. And they that carried it, stood still. And He said: Young man, I say to thee, arise. 15 And he that was dead, sat up, and began to speak. And He gave him to his mother. 16 And there came a fear on them all: and they glorified God, saying: A great prophet is risen up among us: and, God hath visited His people.
Our Lord has pity because an elderly widow with no sons in that time was going to be destitute and in danger of starvation. Life was harsh and heavy labor was needed to keep people alive. This mother was not only mourning the death of her only son, but was looking at a life of poverty and hunger. Our Lord felt this great sorrow of the woman more deeply than even she felt it. He knew the pain Our Lady would suffer when she was experiencing His Passion and death. This is also why He gave Our Lady into the care of the Apostle John so that she would be cared for all her life.
NOVUS ORDO: TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OLD TESTAMENT: Deuteronomy 4:1 So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you.
6 You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!” 7 For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to Him? 8 And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire Law that I am setting before you today?
We must always be on guard that we do not make optional acts of piety into human commands. Especially if those human commands conflict with the actual commands of Our Lord and His Church. We must also keep the hierarchy of commands and acts of piety in their proper order.
For example, attending Mass on Sunday is a command and obligation that we must obey. We cannot skip this command because it would interrupt another spiritual devotion we might have. Another example would be attending daily Mass. This is of great spiritual benefit and a very holy thing to do. But a father cannot do this if by doing so he would lose his job and not be able to provide for his family. If he can find another job where he can go to daily Mass, that would be wonderful. But the hierarchy in this example is first Sunday Mass, then the job, and after that attending daily Mass.
NEW TESTAMENT: James 1:17 Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 In fulfillment of His own purpose He gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of His creatures.
21 Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
We have been purchased at an infinite price, namely the life of Our Lord was given in payment for our souls. We are not allowed to go back to our old sinful lives. We must turn away from sin and all the evil it brings. We must also do the will of the Father. We must (not should) do good works that God lays before us. This isn’t optional. Do not believe for a second that attending Mass and going to Confession will save you if you do not also do good works of charity as well. We MUST be doers of the word, not just hearers. You cannot worship God while refusing to obey Him and refusing to care for those in need.
GOSPEL: Mark 7:1 Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Him, 2 they noticed that some of His disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4 and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me; 7 in vain do they worship Me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ 8 You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.”
14 Then He called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.”
21 For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22 adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Many people, especially Protestants, think Our Lord here is saying that human traditions are bad or that we must avoid them. But look again. Our Lord only condemns those human traditions that negate the commands of God. Human traditions are fine as long as they are in conformity with the commands of God and also in their proper order in priority behind the commands of God. If your tradition of man has you wearing a sports jersey to Mass, you are out of line and you have placed your tradition above God.
It also needs to be said that we need to differentiate between Sacred Tradition, which is the oral word of God, and the traditions of man. These are two entirely different things. Sacred Tradition is not a tradition of man. It is the Tradition of God and it comes to us from His Apostles.