Showing posts with label Sunday wisdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunday wisdom. Show all posts

Sunday, August 31, 2025

Sunday Wisdom

 


"He who exalts himself will be humbled," says Christ, and "he who humbles himself will be exalted." To that end I sermonized on pride this morning. Avoid it, dear friends, like the plague it is, the deadliest of deadly sins. Yes indeed, and in that resolve hear this by Austin Farrer:


We never come to God without committing ourselves to him entirely, so far as in us lies, and in the present moment. It seems sometimes to be preached, however, that by a decision once for all made, we can commit ourselves irrevocably. But if this is preached, then it is not true. Today’s decisions cannot tie tomorrow’s hands. What I give to God today, such is my frailty, I may take back or withhold tomorrow. It is through this that God disciplines me, through this that he breaks my pride. The heart is sick and desperately perverse, even the redeemed heart: what it gave God yesterday it takes back today. Our wickedness is so great that we fail to do promised actions, which we had perfectly envisaged at the time of promising. But even if we had the virtue to keep our promise with God when the circumstances are foreseen and unaltered, we should still lack the power to commit ourselves on issues which cannot be perfectly felt or foreseen in advance. He who promises to be chaste, does well and may be perfectly sincere; but he has not by that promise dealt with the temptation he will face when he falls in mutual love with an actual woman, and cannot marry her. Our fences cannot be jumped beforehand, nor our battles won before the enemy appears. You promise fidelity to Christ today, and you are sincere; but it will spare you none of the agony of decision, if a day comes when political brigands hold to our heads the pistol of absolute power, and say, ‘Your religion or your life.’

No, we cannot commit ourselves in a day, because we cannot, merely by saying we will, put our whole trust in God. To trust in God is a thing which has to be learnt. We may stand up and make our profession of faith, clasp a missioner’s hand and say, ‘I have taken Christ for my Savior, I trust him for all.’ But we shall still trust ourselves to do our part in the new covenant we have entered. For we do not learn what dependence on God is, except through having our self-dependence broken in the mill of life, slowly and painfully. Many tears, much shame, continual repentance, this is the lot of those who pledge themselves to God. A paradoxical pledge; we learn to keep it by breaking it. True confessions, bravely and sincerely made to our confessor and absolved with the word of Christ, these are the means by which we learn distrust of ourselves, and trust in God alone. On every such occasion we affirm our self-commital. We bring to life every promise we previously made, back to our confirmation, back to our baptism when others’ lips promised for us, back behind that to the cross, on which Christ committed us to God by dying for us.

 

Such wisdom, and this stood out, "For we do not learn what dependence on God is, except through having our self-dependence broken in the mill of life, slowly and painfully. Many tears, much shame, continual repentance, this is the lot of those who pledge themselves to God."

We can add: The lot of those who take the lowest place at the marriage feast only to be called, "Friend, come up higher." Higher, to paradise itself.

God bless you all,

LSP

Sunday, August 3, 2025

Sunday Wisdom

 



Jesus admonishes the multitude, "Take heed, and beware of all covetousness; for a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." Covetousness, the inordinate desire and passion for worldly goods, which St. Paul describes as idolatry. So it is, an idolatry of material things at the expense of the true God.

Here's Benedict XVI, preaching on Palm Sunday some years ago:


A person can be materially poor yet his heart can be full of greed for wealth and for the power that derives from it. The very fact that he lives with envy and covetousness shows that, in his heart, he is one of the rich. He wants to reverse the division of goods so that he himself can take over the situation that was previously theirs.

The poverty that Jesus means - that the prophets mean - presupposes above all inner freedom from the greed for possession and the mania for power. This is a greater reality than merely a different distribution of possessions, which would still be in the material domain and thereby make hearts even harder. It is first and foremost a matter of purification of heart, through which one recognizes possession as responsibility, as a duty towards others, placing oneself under God’s gaze and letting oneself be guided by Christ, who from being rich became poor for our sake (see II Cor 8: 9).

Inner freedom is the prerequisite for overcoming the corruption and greed that devastate the world today. This freedom can only be found if God becomes our richness; it can only be found in the patience of daily sacrifices, in which, as it were, true freedom develops. It is the King who points out to us the way to this goal:  Jesus, whom we acclaim on Palm Sunday, whom we ask to take us with him on his way.

 

I can't add to that, but will point out: We must be rich towards God and this heavenly treasure is Christ Himself. Therein lies true, unending, eternal value. And remember, while you're at it, there's no luggage rack on the back of a hearse.

What shall it profit a man?

Your Friend,

LSP

Sunday, July 20, 2025

Sunday Wisdom

 



No, not from me, far from it, but Austin Farrer strikes again. From Crown of the Year:


THE minister at the altar still uses the ancient attitude of prayer; he holds out the palms of his hands, like a child waiting for you to throw him a ball, or like a man going out to feel the falling rain after a great drought.  The bread of God falls like the manna from heaven; bring out your baskets, hold out your arms.  God will fill your empty vessels if you will uncover them.  You who come to this sacrament, what are your wants?  Open the gulf of your desire, that God may fill it.  Who desires holiness, who desires to care more for others than for himself, who hungers and thirsts for the Spirit of Jesus Christ?  Ask, he says, and you shall receive, but ask.

 

Yes indeed.

God bless,

LSP

Sunday, September 6, 2020

Sunday Sermon




Here's a Sunday sermon, but not from me, I'm too busy sharpening  quills, dusting off ammo pouches and polishing .45s. Regardless, this preacher says you can't be a Catholic and vote Democrat. 

I'd agree, just substitute Christian for catholic, are the two synonymous? and there you go.

You CANNOT be a Catholic -- or a CHRISTIAN and vote DEMOCRAT.

Sayn.

LSP