If the Holy Sacrifice is of infinite value, why doesn't one Mass empty purgatory?

November 2^nd, All Souls’ Day

There need be no defense of the obvious truth that the Holy Mass is of infinite value. Considering who is offered and who makes the offering, there can be no doubt that the Holy Sacrifice is enough not merely to redeem this world, but a thousand and ten thousand more worlds. Indeed, even then, the value of the Mass would not in the least be exhausted.

Thus, given that the Mass is enough to redeem ten thousand worlds and more, one may rightly ask why it is that a single Mass offered on All Souls’ Day for all the Faithful Departed does not suffice to empty out purgatory. Why is it that we must continually have Masses offered for the poor souls in purgatory?

Adult Education Series on Prayer: Session 6, Spiritual Reading

The adult ed series on prayer is being given on Tuesday evenings at 7pm at Corpus Christi in Great Falls, MT by Father Ryan Erlenbush.
On the importance of spiritual reading and the lives of the saints.

Sunday Sermon, October 26 -- Contraception as the Seed of the Culture of Death

We ask ourselves, "How did our nation ever become so lost? How is it that our doctors and nurses are killing the sick? How is it that the vaccines which are meant to protect our children are themselves made from aborted babies? How did it ever come to the point where products of abortion are even in our food?"

The answer: The seed of the culture of death is contraception, which treats the human person not as a child but as a choice. But pregnancy is not a disease, therefore contraception is not medicine.

Keeping the Apostles straight: Which Simon? And, Which Judas?

October 28^th, Feast of Sts Simon and Jude

The Church honors two of her Apostles in a single feast, as Sts Simon and Jude were united in their last ministry and martyrdom. According to the Traditional Roman Martyrology, St. Simon first preached in Egypt and Jude in Mesopotamia, but they both ultimately came to Persia where they suffered martyrdom.

It is interesting to note that these two Apostles share names with two others of the Apostles – Simon called Peter, and Judas who betrayed the Lord. We will consider how the Church has added “nick-names” to our two Apostles so as to distinguish them from the others: Simon is called the “Zealot” and the “Canaanite”, while Judas is commonly referred to as “Thaddeus”.

Sermon for the Feast of Pope St John Paul II -- The canonized interpretation of Vatican II

A restating of what was said in a Sunday sermon at the time of the canonization. Pope St John Paul II is the canonized interpretation of the Second Vatican Council.

Adult Formation, Sessions on Prayer: Session 5 - Meditating with Sacred Scripture

This is a talk on Meditating with Sacred Scripture: The Breviary, The Psalms, Lectio Divina. Given at Corpus Christi Parish in Great Falls, MT by Father Ryan Erlenbush.

Adult Formation, Sessions on Prayer: Session 4 - The Three Ages of the Interior Life

This was a talk on the Three Ages of the Interior Life, given at Corpus Christi Parish in Great Falls by Father Ryan Erlenbush.

Daily Sermons, October 14 - 18

Daily Sermons: St Callistus, St Teresa of Avila, The Sacred Heart, St Ignatius, St Luke

Sunday Sermon - October 12 - End of life issues, euthanasia, living wills, organ donation

A sermon on the dangers of living wills and organ donation, as well as why we should have Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care.  Why euthanasia and assisted suicide are wrong.

Father Ryan's homily is below. A homily on the same topic by another priest can be found [here], simply skip the first three minutes to get to the homily itself.

Is it really a mortal sin to skip Sunday Mass?

Pope Innocent XI has condemned the following proposition: "The precept of keeping Holy Days is not obligatory under pain of mortal sin, aside from scandal, if contempt is absent." (4 March 1679)

Thus, it is the teaching of the Catholic Church, that it is always a mortal sin intentionally to skip Mass on Sunday or on a Holy Day without a serious reason. Catholics are obligated to attend Mass either on Sunday itself, or on the Saturday evening before.

Let us consider the proof of this precept, and show the falsity of the contrary opinion that it is enough usually to go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days, and that skipping only one Sunday here or there is merely a venial sin.

The political sects of Jesus' day

29^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 22:15-21

The Pharisees sent their disciples to Jesus, with the Herodians, saying…

In the Sunday Gospel of the Novus Ordo, we hear the question of the lawfulness of the tax put to Jesus by the Pharisees together with the Herodians. Not unlike today, there is much politicking at work behind the scenes.

Understanding the politic sects among the Jews of Jesus’ day will be of the greatest advantage in grasping what is at stake in this simple question:  Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?  We follow the statement of St. Jerome: “The prime virtue in one who gives an answer is to know that mind of him who asks the question.”

What really happened during the Fatima Miracle of the Sun?

October 13^th, 1917 - Miracle of the Sun, Fatima

Although an hundred thousand individuals, from many diverse faiths and from no faith, spread out even over several miles, saw the “miracle of the sun,” at Fatima in Portugal on 13 October 1917, yet not a single shred of astronomical data indicates that the sun really did “dance” on that day.

What is the believer to make of this fact? How ought we to respond to the doubts of many who claim that, since the sun does not seem to have moved at all from his normal place in the heavens (at least, no scientific observatory noted any such motion), the event must have been nothing more than mass-hysteria?

In 2011, we wrote an article [here] discussing the nature of the Miracle of Fatima. At that time, we indicated that the “miracle of the sun” was indeed a real miracle, but had nothing to do with the sun at all.

Weekday Homilies, October 7-11

Weekday homilies: The Rosary, Rosary Meditations, Hierarchies, The Interior Life, and The Mother of God

Sunday Sermon, October 5 -- How to pray the Rosary well

Homily from last Sunday, October 5 -- How to pray the Rosary well. October is the month of the Rosary.

What the man without a wedding garment was lacking, A reflection on the day of judgment

28^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 22:1-14

My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?

The Savior invites all people to the wedding feast of the Lamb, the eternal banquet of heaven. Yet, though salvation is offered to each, yet only few accept the gift and come to the wedding. However, what is most striking about this Sunday’s parable isn’t only that many who are called refuse to be saved, but that even this one who had come was cast out into the darkness.

What is the symbolic meaning of the wedding garment which the man lacked? What is our Savior teaching us about the judgment?

Weekday Homilies - September 30, October 1, October 2

Weekday Homilies, Tuesday (September 30) through Thursday (October 2) -- St Jerome, St Therese, Guardian Angels.

Adult Ed Series on Prayer - How to make an Holy Hour (9-30-14)

Below is the audio and handout of the second lecture for a series on prayer I am giving at Corpus Christi Parish in Great Falls, MT -- Tuesday evenings from 7 to 8pm.

"How to make an Holy Hour"

Sunday Sermon, September 28 - The Eucharist, Benediction and Processions

At Corpus Christi Parish, we have the custom, on the last Sunday of each month, of making some special act of Eucharistic devotion. Weather permitting, we make an Eucharistic Procession; in foul-weather, we spend 30 minutes in adoration. All this takes place after the 9am Sunday Mass. After the Saturday evening 5:30pm Mass, we have adoration and benediction.

This sermon is an explanation of the history, devotion, and theology of Eucharistic adoration.