Sunday Sermon - 9.24.23
LATIN MASS: SEVENTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
EPISTLE: Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, a prisoner in the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation in which you are called, 2 With all humility and mildness, with patience, supporting one another in charity. 3 Careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 One Body and one Spirit; as you are called in one hope of your calling. 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism. 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in us all.
One Lord, one faith, one baptism. There is only one New Covenant. There is only one Christian religion and it is Catholicism. Protestantism is not the Christian faith. It has varying degrees of error. When the Catechism refers to Protestants as our “separated brethren”, exactly what are they separated from? Everyone focuses on the fact that they are brethren but ignores the separation. They are separated from God and His Church.
Protestants, like everyone on earth, have a right granted to them from God to hear the actual gospel of Christ. You OWE it to them to tell them the truth and let them know they are in error. This is not optional. You have NO AUTHORITY to withhold this truth from them. Their souls are at risk. So tell them. (In gentleness and charity of course.)
GOSPEL: Matthew 22:34 But the Pharisees hearing that He had silenced the Sadducees, came together: 35 And one of them, a doctor of the law, asking Him, tempting Him: 36 Master, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? 37 Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind. 38 This is the greatest and the first Commandment. 39 And the second is like to this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two Commandments dependeth the whole Law and the prophets. 41 And the Pharisees being gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 Saying: What think you of Christ? whose son is He? They say to Him: David's. 43 He saith to them: How then doth David in Spirit call Him Lord, saying: 44 The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on My right hand, until I make Thy enemies Thy footstool? 45 If David then call Him Lord, how is He his son? 46 And no man was able to answer Him a word; neither durst any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions.
Tied in with the reading above, you only love someone if you will let them know about the Catholic faith. Telling them the truth is how you love them. Withholding the truth from people is evil and hateful. So tell them the truth.
You don’t have to like your neighbor, but you do have to love him. Pray for him and tell him the truth so that everyone has the opportunity to hear the actual gospel and make their own decision about whether they will accept or reject it.
NOVUS ORDO: TWENTY FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; 7 let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts; let them return to the Lord, that He may have mercy on them, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 8 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
Our time on earth is limited. Each day that you wake up, you are one day closer to your Judgement Day. Your time to call upon the Lord and ask for His mercy is always getting shorter, never longer. So now is the time to do so. Now is the time for Confession. Forsake your sins and evil ways.
NEW TESTAMENT: Philippians 1:20 It is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be put to shame in any way, but that by my speaking with all boldness, Christ will be exalted now as always in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which I prefer. 23 I am hard pressed between the two: my desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better; 24 but to remain in the flesh is more necessary for you. 25 Since I am convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in faith, 26 so that I may share abundantly in your boasting in Christ Jesus when I come to you again.
27 Only, live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that, whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel
God placed you in exactly this moment for a purpose. You are here to do the good works that He desires you to do. You have work that He wants done. So go do it. Be a productive servant for God. Do the good works that He places before you to complete. Live your life worthy of Christ. Live your life worthy of your baptism. Live your life worthy of the sign of the cross which saved you from hell.
GOSPEL: Matthew 20:1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. 5 When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same. 6 And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’ 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.’ 9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. 11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? 14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
To those who have worked all your lives doing the works of God, do not be frustrated or angry that salvation is possible for even those who repent very late in life. Celebrate with the angels at the repentance of even one sinner. Christ promises salvation to any who turn to Him and obey Him. Some will obey Him early in life and some will do so later in life. Let us always work to encourage everyone to turn to Him and never be frustrated that salvation can come to even the worst of sinners.
Thank you for your enriching and inspiring work for both Masses.
🙏