The day and the hour of the final judgment remain hidden from us, even as the time of our death is unknown to us. However, these are not hidden from God - the Good God knows the time of the second coming, even as he knows the day and the hour in which we will die. We are invited to trust in him -- he is a Good God, and that will be a good day and a good hour if only we are faithful to him.
Listen online [here]!
The greatest and essential pain of hell is for the damned to know that they have forever lost God who is the greatest Good. This is call the pain of loss.
We base this sermon largely on a homily by St Alphonsus Liguori (for the 19th Sunday after Pentecost)
Listen online [here]!
From St Alphonsus:
Thus the damned see that God deserves infinite love, and that they
cannot love him. St. Catherine of Genoa being one day assailed by the devil,
asked him. who he was. He answered with tears: I am that wicked one who
is deprived of the love of God. I am that miserable being that can never
more love God. They not only cannot love God, but, abandoned in their
sins, they are forced to hate him: their hell consists in hating God, whom
they at the same time know to be infinitely amiable. They love him
intensely as their sovereign good, and hate him as the avenger of their sins.
A learned author says, “A miserable thing, to love vehemently, and at the
same time to hate what is loved.” Their natural love draws them continually
to God; but their hatred drags them away from him. These two contrary
passions, like two ferocious wild beasts, incessantly tear in pieces the hearts
of the damned, and cause, and shall for all eternity cause, them to live in a
continual death.
"And call none your father upon earth; for one is your father, who is in heaven." Matthew 23:9
While some attack Catholics for calling priests "father," these same show themselves to be malicious hypocrites by calling their male parent "father" or "dad" or "pop" and even call their parent's male parent "grandfather" or "grandpa" etc. Further, they speak of "teachers" at school.
Clearly, our Lord does not mean that we cannot use the words "father" or "teacher" - but only that we recognize that all true authority comes from God.
We then consider the great gift of papal authority, and how the Catholic should approach all papal teaching.
Listen online [here]!
"You became followers of us, and of the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
A sermon in preparation for All Saints Day.
Numerous times, St Paul tells his disciples to imitate the example they have seen in him. Further, he even states that those believers who were most zealous are themselves an example for others. This is a biblical foundation for our devotion to the saints! If we can imitate St Paul and study his example while he is alive, how much more must we do this after he has gained his heavenly reward? And this applies to the other saints as well!
We imitate the saints so that we might more perfectly imitate the Lord!
Listen online [here]!
Schedule changes at Corpus Christi for the next two weeks!
November 14-17; no daily Masses or confessions (adoration continues as usual)
Saturday, Nov 18; the usual schedule - 9am Mass, 4:30pm confessions, 5:30pm Mass
Sunday, Nov 19; usual schedule - Masses 9am and 11:30am
Tuesday, Nov 21; 5:30pm Mass
Wednesday, Nov 22; 7am Mass, but no confessions
Nov 23 & 24; no Mass or confessions and no adoration Thanksgiving week.
Saturday, Nov 25; no 9am Mass, but there will be the usual 4:30pm confessions and 5:30pm Mass
Sunday, Nov 26; Masses 9am and 11:30am