April 28th -- Who was St. John the Evangelist? The history of the life of the Beloved Disciple. Adult Formation on the Gospel of St John, session 2

Catholic Commentary on the Gospel of St. John

An overview of the life of the Beloved Disciple. Who was St. John? The son of Zebedee, the brother of James the Greater, the caretaker of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the theologian and priest and prophet, the Evangelist.

Handout is below the audio recording.

Good Shepherd Sunday, April 26 -- Christ alone feeds his flock with his own doctrine

Christ is the Good Shepherd who feeds and defends his sheep.
He feeds them with his own teaching, and he defends them by dying that they might live.

The Church is a big tent, all are welcome, there is room for everyone. But Jesus is the Shepherd and he alone feeds the sheep, and there is only one Gospel and one doctrine. Therefore, all are welcome, but not all ideas. There is room for everyone, but not room for every opinion.
In fact, no other doctrine is welcome in the Church, but that which is professed as the true Faith. And there isn't room for any opinions in the Church when it comes to matters of faith and morals.

And priests who preach their own opinion or who dissent from Church teaching are not your friends, they are the enemies of your salvation, they are wolves and not shepherds.

Priests today are called to lay down their lives for the sheep. That means sacrificing their reputation in order to teach the truth that comes from Christ, through his Church!


Listen online [here]!

Daily Homilies, April 21 - 25

Daily Homilies for the 3rd Week of Easter.
St Anselm, the Good Shepherd, St George, St Fidelis, St Mark.

April 21 -- Who wrote the 4th Gospel? Adult Formation Course on the Gospel of St. John, Session 1

Introduction to Catholic Commentary on the Gospel according to St. John.

Catholic commentaries on the Gospel of St. John. The preeminence of this Gospel.
Discussion of who wrote this Gospel -- Who was the beloved disciple?

See handout below the audio recording.

Sunday Sermon, April 19 -- Jesus was made known in the breaking of bread

This Sunday Gospel is the continuation of the apparition to Cleophas and the other disciple on the road to Emmaus. As Jesus appears to convince the apostles and disciples that it is truly he himself, present in his very body, he is also attesting to the fact that he is present to his Church always in the "breaking of bread", i.e. in the Eucharist.

We also discuss who this Cleophas was -- the father of James the Less and Jude Thaddeus, the grandfather of James the Greater and John, and the brother of St. Joseph.

Listen online [here]!

Another handout on Friday Penance all year

Below, please find another article on Friday penance that may be helpful to distribute to family and friends. This article was written by a priest friend of Father Ryan's, and says essentially the same, only in a bit more accessible language!

At the end, please find an homily which explains the logic of fasting and abstinence.

Catholics Must Do Penance on Every Friday Throughout the Year

Below, please find the text of the "Father's Corner" from Corpus Christi Parish, given on Easter Sunday.

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FATHER’S CORNER – Penance on Fridays through the year

As we conclude the season of Lent and enter into the joyful Easter season, it is good to review the penance and fasting which the Church requires of all Catholics throughout the entire year. Indeed, we know that penance is the badge of our spiritual combat; and, as the Christian warfare against vice and temptation knows no rest, neither do we rest from the regular practice of penance.

Let’s review the Canon Law of the Church:

Can. 1249 All Christ's faithful are obliged by divine law, each in his or her own way, to do penance. However, so that all may be joined together in a certain common practice of penance, days of penance are prescribed. […]

Can. 1250 The days and times of penance for the universal Church are each Friday of the whole year and the season of Lent.

Can. 1251 Abstinence from meat, or from some other food as determined by the Episcopal Conference, is to be observed on all Fridays, unless a solemnity should fall on a Friday. […]

Can. 1253 The Episcopal Conference can determine more particular ways in which fasting and abstinence are to be observed. In place of abstinence or fasting it can substitute, in whole or in part, other forms of penance, especially works of charity and exercises of piety.

It is clear that each and every Friday through the entire year is a day of penance. This is prescribed by the Law of the Church. In the Universal Church, Catholics are obligated to abstain from meat on all Fridays of the year. Because Americans are weak in their faith, the US Bishops have obtained permission for some other form of penance for Fridays outside of Lent. However, we must recall that all US Catholics are obligated to do penance of some sort on every Friday of the year (excepting if it be a solemnity; for examples this year, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart on June 12, or Christmas on December 25). Penance on Fridays is binding on all Catholics from 14 years until death. There is no upper age limit to abstaining from meat or some other form of penance outside of Lent. However, the two days of fasting (Ash Wednesday and Good Friday) bind only from 18 to 60 years – Catholics are strongly encouraged, but not bound, to fast also on Holy Saturday.

But how serious is this obligation? After Vatican II, Pope Paul VI issued a declaration regarding the necessity of penance in the Christian life. Regarding abstinence from meat (or some other penance as determined by the Bishops’ Conference) on every Friday throughout the year, the Pope states, in 1966, “Their substantial observance binds gravely.” (Paenitemini, Norm II.2) This was further clarified by the Vatican, stating that omitting a part of the prescript of penance “which is notable either quantitatively or qualitatively, without an excusing motive” is a grave sin. (Dubium of 31 March 1967).

What does this mean? It means that Catholics are bound under pain of mortal sin to practice penance on every Friday throughout the year, and not just during Lent. The universal way in which Catholics practice this penance is by abstaining from meat. However, in the USA other forms of penance may be substituted, but some sort of penance is mandatory. To omit penance on numerous Fridays (even outside of Lent) without a grave reason would be a mortal sin.

Let us take up our Cross and follow Christ! He is truly Risen from the dead! Those who share in his Cross will one day share also in the glory of his Resurrection!

Sermon for Divine Mercy Sunday, April 12

Pope Francis has announced a year of mercy!
It is important to consider what is true hope in Divine Mercy and how the devil tempts us to presumption and then to despair.

If I sin against justice, I can run to mercy. But if I sin against mercy, where shall I turn? I will be lost.
To sin against mercy is to say, "A merciful God wouldn't really send anyone to hell." Or, "I can commit this sin, God is merciful and he will forgive me if I repent."

However, now is the time of mercy! Now is the time to repent and receive the infinite riches of Divine Mercy!
There is no sin that cannot be overcome, if we turn to God's mercy. I am convinced that we will all be saints, if only we accept Divine Mercy in our lives TODAY, not tomorrow or the next day, but right now.

Listen online [here]!

Daily Sermons in the Easter Octave

Daily Sermons, April 8-11.
The Ten Gospel Apparitions of Jesus, Who was Cleophas?, Conversion of Peter and the Jews, Ad Orientem.

Sunday Sermon, March 29 -- Palm Sunday -- A description of the Passion, part 2

A description of certain details of the last stations of the Cross, taken from St Alphonsus, St Mary of Agreda and other mystics.

The 7 Last Words of Jesus.

Easter Sermons

Easter Sermons.
Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday Morning.

Easter Vigil -- Christ our Passover
Listen online [here]!



Easter Sunday Morning -- Proofs of the Resurrection
Listen online [here]!

Sermons for the Sacred Triduum

Sermons for the Sacred Triduum.

Holy Thursday - Sermon on why the priest washes the feet of 12 men at  the Mass of the Lord's Supper.

Good Friday - Our Lady of Sorrows

Easter Vigil - Christ our Passover

Daily Sermons, Holy Tuesday.

Daily Sermons of Holy Week -- Tuesday.

Timeline for Holy Week, Total Consecration.