Catholic Saints, who have written on the Spiritual Life, suggest that a "remote preparation" is necessary in order to better understand the Word of God.  This includes being a lover of the Truth as well as the practice the Virtues of Humility, Meekness, and Docility to God the Holy Ghost.  "Proximate preparation" includes two prayers:

1) The Act of Contrition;
2) The Veni, Sancte Spiritus.

An Act of Contrition

O my God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, because I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul.  I detest all of my sins because it was for them and His Love for me that Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, my Lord and my God, suffered, was crucified, and died on the cross.  O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee by my sins, faults, imperfections, negligences and carelessness, Who art all good and deserving of all of my love.

I firmly resolve with the help of Thy Grace, to sin no more, to confess my sins, to do penance, to amend my life, to avoid all of the near occasions of sin, and always give to Thee freely, liberally and generously what is of supererogation and perfection, not only in greater things, but especially in lesser things, so that I may gain beforehand Thy efficacious, superabundant, particular and special Graces and Helps so that I will always be victorious in resisting and overcoming all temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil and his followers.  Grant me those Graces and Helps needed so that my every thought, word and action may be done solely out of love for Thee, Who art Love.  Amen.

Saint John Chrysostom

It was the custom of Patriarch Saint John Chrysostom [b. Antioch, c. 347 A.D. - d. at Commana in Pontus on Friday, September 14, 407 A.D.], Patriarch of Constantinople [Thursday, February 26, 398 A.D. - Thursday, June 24, 404 A.D.], exiled from his See the 2nd time on Thursday, June 24, 404 A.D., Father and Doctor of the Catholic Church, to properly prepare himself and his Congregation before preaching. He taught that unless God the Holy Ghost prepares the minds and hearts of the Preacher and of the Congregation, the Preacher preaches in vain and the Congregation listens in vain.

Therefore, so as not to waste your time, please pray the Veni, Sancte Spiritus, remembering how one Holy Saint was of the opinion that a Sermon is a Sacramental.

Veni, Sancte Spiritus

Come, O Holy Ghost, fill the hearts of Thy faithful
And kindle in them the fire of Thy love.

V. Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created;
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

Let Us Pray

O God, who didst instruct the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of Thy Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to relish what is right and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary; pray for us.
Saint Thomas Aquinas, Patron Saint of Catholic Schools, pray for us.

Epistle for the 15th Sunday After Pentecost

Galatians 5:25-26; 6:1-10.

The Epistle appointed to be read during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass today is taken from Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, Chapter 5, Verses 25-26, and Chapter 6, Verses 1-10.

Brethren: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be made desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying on another.

Brethren, 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.  Bear ye one another's burdens; and so you shall fulfil the law of Christ.  For if any man think himself to be some thing, whereas he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.  But let every one prove his own work, and so he shall have glory in himself only, and not in another.  For every one shall bear his own burden.  And let him that is instructed in the word, communicate to him that instructeth him, in all good things.  Be not deceived, God is not mocked.  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.  And in doing good, let us not fail.  For in due time we shall reap, not failing.  Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

Gospel for the 15th Sunday After Pentecost

Luke 7:11-16.

The Gospel for Today is taken from the Holy Gospel of Saint Luke, Chapter 7, Verses 11-16.

At that time Jesus went into a city that is called Naim; and there went with him his disciples, and a great multitude.  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.  Whom when the Lord had seen, being moved with mercy towards her, he said to her:  Weep not.  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.  And he that was dead, sat up, and began to speak.  And he gave him to his mother.  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.
 

Thus far are the words of today's Holy Gospel.

 

“And in doing good, let us not fail.  For in due time we shall reap, not failing.  Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (EPISTLE,  Galatians  6:9-10).

V  In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

In these words, the Apostle points to the reward which is in store for everyone who does good works.  The “good works” he mentions include, among other things, the “good works” of the balanced Virtues of Humility, Meekness, Mercy, and Charity.

But also notice how Saint Paul adds this condition:  IF we do not fail.  Like all other “good works”, the Virtues of Humility, Meekness, Mercy, and Charity must be practiced continually IF we expect Heaven to be our reward.

Remember that only those who shall persevere unto the end... shall be saved (Matthew 10: 22).  Therefore, none of us can ever afford to dare slack off, not even for a moment.  Each and everyone of us must make our life itself, as it were, a “good work” by always seeking opportunities to perform acts of Humility, Meekness, Mercy, and Charity.

WHY?  Because, as Christ again teaches all of us, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away (Matthew 11:12).  This does NOT mean that you attack Heaven with some kind of material weapons, whether it be by bow and arrow, or by a machine gun, or by a military tank, or by a nuclear bomb.

NO.  Christ does not mean this.  Rather, Christ means that each of us must SPIRITUALLY attack Heaven by being PERSISTENT in praying always, in keeping the Ten Commandments of God, in using the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and in living a Holy life - a life of a balanced Virtue which avoids extremes, or, as the theologians teach - Virtus stat in medio - Virtue stands in the middle, avoiding the extremes of each side.  Therefore, no one is exempt from this because each of us needs to learn, and then to actually practice, a lifestyle of balanced Virtue.

In other words, when Christ teaches that the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent bear it away, Christ is teaching all of us:

1) to exercise the Gift of God the Holy Ghost, called Fortitude, and,

2) to be persistent - to never give up!!

Perhaps some of you might be thinking how all of this seems to be so overwhelming?  Many of you probably have schedules which are already so jam-packed that your schedules probably do not even have room for the proverbial sardine oil, let alone trying to juggle all of this besides?

Realistically and practically, HOW can Catholics, who are already overwhelmed with all of the duties and responsibilities according to their state in life, also somehow manage to add yet one more thing to the dozens of things they are already juggling?

How could it ever be possible to find the few scraps of extra seconds or minutes also to try to be persistent in praying always, in always using the Gifts of the Holy Ghost, and in living a lifestyle of Virtue unless one was living in a Monastery, secluded from the responsibilities of being out in the world?  In a world in which one must battle against the almost continuous attacks from the world, the flesh, and the devil while trying to keep one’s passions under control by the Grace of God.

One practical method is to develop the habit of living the lifestyle of prayer by reciting the Morning Offering every morning shortly after you arise.  Why?  Because when you pray the Morning Offering, you offer up to God all of your thoughts, words, and actions of that entire day.

In other words, everything you think, every word you speak, and every action you perform becomes a prayer.

So be very careful that you do not give God the weeds, the dross, the alluvial, or the toxic waste:

of vain thoughts,
of immoral thoughts,
of impure thoughts,
of angry thoughts,
of vicious thoughts,
or of any other sinful thoughts.

In summary, by the Grace of God, never give God any thoughts, words, or actions which are sinful because these things are anti-prayers.

In human terms, it would be like giving to the Pope a beautifully wrapped box which contains only dung!  Therefore, just as you would never do that to the Pope - so also, never offer to God any anti-prayers of sinful thoughts, words, and/or actions which are nothing other than giving God a beautifully wrapped box which is filled only with the dung of sin!

So, by daily offering to God, in your Morning Offering Prayer, all of your holy thoughts, words, and actions of that day, this means that even the very act of breathing is transformed into a holy prayer to God!  Talking with other people, whether in person or on the telephone becomes a prayer to God - so watch what you say and how you say it so that it may be holy and pleasing to God.  Remember, God hates the filth of every sin, not only because every sin is an act of evil and of hatred of God, but every sin also has the stench of rotting flesh.

Eating, reading, driving, walking, listening to the radio and/or watching TV, are all things that most people do everyday.  Since you are already doing these and other things, why not put them to work to your Spiritual advantage as well by Spiritually transforming all of these good things (assuming you are not reading trash, breaking all of the rules of the road, listening to gossip or listenting to Satanic or evil "music" or "jokes", and/or watching or looking at x-rated TV shows or movies or internet visual garbage dumps) into prayers by taking just two minutes a day to offer up all of these things to God by reciting the Morning Offering prayer.

You can use the Morning Offering prayer that you learned from your Catechism. Or, if you prefer something a little more comprehensive and more detailed, you may use this Morning Offering prayer:

MORNING OFFERING

O my God, I unite and conform my will with Thine as I humbly and meekly offer Thee all of my thoughts, words, and actions, plus all of my joys and sufferings, of this entire day, through the intercession of the Most Precious Blood in the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, and of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, and, in union with Jesus Christ, both the Eternal High Priest and the Victim, in every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, in adoration of Thee, my Infinite Creator, for Thy Greater Honor and Glory, for the conversion of sinners, for Thy Divine Truth to enlighten those in the darkness of confusion and error because of all of the changes to the Catholic Church, for the needs of the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church, especially for well-trained - valid Priests and Prelates to work in Thy vineyard - the Catholic Church, for the relief and release of the Poor, Suffering Souls in Purgatory, in reparation for all of my sins, faults, and imperfections, in thanksgiving for receiving Thy Divine favors, in humble and meek supplication for all of my temporal and Spiritual needs as well as for my eternal welfare, most especially those things which the Most Holy Trinity has willed to give me today, for the Grace of Final Perseverance in the unchangeable Catholic Faith of the Catholic Church, and for all of my special intentions which are (here mention your additional intentions).

I desire to gain all indulgences which have been attached to my meditation or contemplation, to all of my prayers and good works, including my living the lifestyle of balanced Virtue, to my assistance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to my reception of Thy Holy Sacraments, to all of my acts of supererogation, and to everything else to which one or more indulgences have been granted, most especially all Plenary Indulgences, the excess of which I apply to my loved ones and also to the Souls in Purgatory, even if I am not aware of such indulgences.  Amen.

Irregardless the words that you use, the important thing is to offer up everything you do every day to God for your intentions.  In doing this, you are living a lifestyle of prayer which, in turn, quickly becomes a lifestyle of balanced Virtue!

Another way to practice a lifestyle of balanced Virtue is to obey the 5th Commandment of the Church which is to contribute to the support of the Church - in this case, the Shrine of Saint Jude of which this Sermon web site is part of our Apostolate - so that we may continue to keep this Sermon web site on the internet with the hope of saving Souls.  Think how happy you will be when, in the next life, God shows you all of the Souls you helped to save by helping our Apostolates, including this Sermon web site!

Some people, when they are young, tend to be very generous with God, especially in giving alms.  But, when they became older, they become less generous with God and become more prone to avarice.

However, it also happens that when people mature Spiritually, they tend to become even more generous with God, even in the areas of alms, tithing, first fruits, etc., than when they were younger.  The reason is that the more a person Spiritually matures, the more one detaches one’s heart from worldly things.

In today’s Epistle, God the Holy Ghost, through the pen of the Apostle, reminds all of us: “Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

In other words, it is all well and good to help the victims of disasters and those in desperate need of the basic things needed for survival.  But, it is much more important especially to help those who are of the household of the Catholic Faith, and most especially Priests and Professed Religious.

God is saying that He will give you a much greater reward for helping your fellow Catholics who are faithful to the authentic Apostolic Tradition of the Catholic Church, than in helping those strangers, even if they are Catholics, but who are not faithful to the authentic Apostolic Tradition of the Catholic Church because such are not of the "household" of the Catholic Faith.

Remember the classical proverb: “Proxumus sum eogmet mihi” which means “Let them learn first to show piety at home” (Terence, a.k.a. Publius Terentius Afer [b. c. 190 B.C. - d. 159 B.C.], Andria, a.k.a. The Lady of Andros, Book I, ¶ 635) which most of us know better as “Charity begins at home!”  Of course you can never outgive God because God is never outdone in generosity!

In his Epistle to Bishop Saint Timothy, who was the Bishop of Ephesus, in Asia Minor (tradition tells us that Ephesus was the place where Our Blessed Mother and the Apostle Saint John lived for many years), Saint Paul the Apostle writes these stern words of warning:

“But if any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the Faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8).

Resolutions

Therefore, let each of us resolve, by the Grace of God, to make a real effort to really live a lifestyle of prayer which produces the good fruit of a lifestyle of balanced Virtue, especially of Humility, Meekness, Mercy, and Charity by which you can have the Blessed Hope of eternal happiness with God in Heaven forever!

In your Charity, please contribute to the support of the Church - in this case - the Shrine of Saint Jude.  Please help us to save Souls!  Thank you for your thoughtfullness and Charity! Remember, God is never outdone in generosity!!!

“And in doing good, let us not fail.  For in due time we shall reap, not failing.  Therefore, whilst we have time, let us work good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (EPISTLE,  Galatians  6:9-10).

V   In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

 

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