Sunday Sermon, December 27 -- St John the Evangelist and the Blessing of Wine

There is a Catholic tradition of blessing wine on December 27 in honor of St John the Evangelist (who was the beloved disciple, one of the Twelve Apostles, and wrote three letters and Revelation in addition to the Gospel which bears his name). We consider the life and example of St John, as well as several reasons why it is so fitting to bless wine in his honor during the Christmas Season.

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Christmas Sermon: Imitating Jesus in Consecration to Mary and Joseph

Jesus chose to come into the world through the Blessed Virgin Mary, and he was totally consecrated to her in all things. Her will was his will, her desires his desires, her joys his joys, her sorrows his sorrows. Jesus began his saving plan in the womb of Mary and competed the work of redemption with her at his side. As Christians, we are called to be Christ-like. This is why we must consecrate ourselves Mary: Because Jesus was truly consecrated to his most holy Mother.
Furthermore, Mary wasn't only a woman, she was a wife. If we love the wife, we must love the husband. And, even as Jesus entrusted himself to the care and patronage of St Joseph, we too consecrated ourselves to St Joseph as the Patron of the Universal Church.


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Daily Sermons, December 22, 23, 26

Sermons from daily Masses, December 22, 23, 26.

Mary's Magnificat, Christmas Eve, St Stephen.

Sunday Sermon, December 13th -- The Perfect Knowledge of the Infant Christ

4th Sunday of Advent -- The Perfect Knowledge of the Infant Christ

"75. Now the only-begotten Son of God embraced us in His infinite knowledge and undying love even before the world began. And that He might give a visible and exceedingly beautiful expression to this love, He assumed our nature in hypostatic union: hence - as Maximus of Turin with a certain unaffected simplicity remarks - "in Christ our own flesh loves us."[156] But the knowledge and love of our Divine Redeemer, of which we were the object from the first moment of His Incarnation, exceed all that the human intellect can hope to grasp. For hardly was He conceived in the womb of the Mother of God, when He began to enjoy the Beatific Vision, and in that vision all the members of His Mystical Body were continually and unceasingly present to Him, and He embraced them with His redeeming love. O marvelous condescension of divine love for us! O inestimable dispensation of boundless charity! In the crib, on the Cross, in the unending glory of the Father, Christ has all the members of the Church present before Him and united to Him in a much clearer and more loving manner than that of a mother who clasps her child to her breast, or than that with which a man knows and loves himself." (St Pius XII, Mystici Corporis Christi)

St John the Baptist was given the use of reason as he leaped in the womb of his mother. If St John had reason in the womb, how much more did Christ Jesus! We consider the perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ who even in his humanity was a perfect man in the moment of his conception.

What Child is this? Who coming into the world said, "Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith: Sacrifice and oblation thou wouldest not: but a body thou hast fitted to me: Holocausts for sin did not please thee. Then said I: Behold I come: in the head of the book it is written of me: that I should do thy will, O God." (Hebrews 10:5-7)

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Weekday Sermons, December 16-19

Sermons from daily Masses, December 16 through 19.
Christmas Novena, O Antiphons, St Joseph, Silence.

Sunday Sermon, December 14 -- Profiting from God's Inspirations

Sunday Sermon, December 14 -- Profiting from God's Inspirations.

The hidden meaning of St John's words, "I am not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandal."
The joyful expectation of Christmas which leads us to prepare the way for the Lord.
How to overcome two obstacles to profiting from God's inspirations: Procrastination and Spiritual Avarice.

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Weekday Sermons, December 9-12

Sermons from daily Masses for December 9 through 12.

St Juan Diego, St Damasus, Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception: Mary, Mother of Mercy

Sermon of Tuesday, December 8 -- Immaculate Conception

The meaning of the Dogma.
1. Mary's conception without any sin.
2. Jesus' holiness does not rely on Mary being sinless.
3. Catholics don't worship Mary.

Why we call Mary the "Mother of Mercy"

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Sunday Sermon, December 6 -- How to benefit from regular Confession

Second Sunday of Advent, December 6th.

There are two primary temptations when it comes to confession -- we either feel that we are "too bad" to go to confession, or that we are "too good" to go to confession.
To make a good confession, we strive for perfect contrition, we confess our sins (serious sins according to kind and number), and we we make satisfaction (especially through completing our penance).

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Daily Homilies, December 1 through 5

Homilies from daily Masses, Dec 1 - 5.
Advent, St Bibiana, St Francis Xavier, St John Damascene, Mother of God.

Sunday Sermon, November 29 -- The Three Advents of Christ

First Sunday of Advent: November 29

This, then, is the mystery of Advent. Let us now listen to an explanation of this threefold visit of Christ, given to us by Peter of Blois, in his third sermon de Adventu: 'There are three comings of Our Lord; the first in the flesh; the second in the soul; the third at judgment. The first was at midnight according to the words of the Gospel: At Midnight there was a cry made, Lo, the Bridegroom cometh! But this first coming is long since past for Christ has been seen on the earth and has conversed among men. We are now in the second coming, provided only we are such as that He may thus come to us; for He has said that if we love Him, He will come to us and take up His abode with us. So that this second coming is full of uncertainty for us; for who, save the spirit of God, knows them that are of God? They that are raised out of themselves by the desire of heavenly things, know indeed when He comes, but whence He cometh or whither He goeth they know not. As for the third coming, it is most certain that it will be, most uncertain when it will be; for nothing is more sure than death, and nothing less sure than the hour of death. When they shall say, peace and security, says the apostle, then shall sudden destruction come upon them, as the pains upon her that is with child, and they shall not escape. So that the first coming was humble and hidden, the second is mysterious and full of love, the third will be majestic and terrible. In His first coming, Christ was judged by men unjustly; in His second, He renders us just by His grace; in His third, He will judge all things with justice. In His first, a lamb; in His last, a lion; in the one between the two, the tenderest of friends.'


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