Sunday Sermon, June 25 -- The Dogma of Original Sin (Father Ryan Erlenbush, Corpus Christi Parish)

"Through one man sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned."  (Romans 5:12)

Original sin can be understood as the sin of Adam originally committed in the garden, or as the privation of grace which is inherited by all men. As the sin in the garden, it was specifically Adam's sin (not Eve's) that caused the Fall of the human race - since all men (including Eve) come from Adam. As the privation of grace, original sin is transmitted to all by generation not merely imitation.

Adam spoke for us all when he sinned and, although each of us did not personally choose to sin, original sin is considered "voluntary" insofar as is the effect of the voluntary choice of Adam. However, even as in Adam all sinned, so also in Christ we have been victorious over sin and death! Just as Adam spoke for all when he disobeyed, Christ Jesus has spoken for all who are baptized into him and in Christ we have been obedient!

Pentecost Sermon, June 4 -- There is No Salvation outside the Catholic Church, Because the Holy Spirit is the Soul of the Church

The Holy Spirit is the true soul of the Catholic Church. Even as the soul gives life to the human body and makes it to be one body made up of many parts, so also Holy Spirit vivifies and unites the Mystical Body of Christ which is the Holy Catholic Church.

Even as it would be greatly disordered for the human soul to work outside of the body or be separated from the body, so also the Holy Spirit chooses to work in the world inside the Mystical Body and only in union with the Church.  This is called "co-extensivity" -- where the Church, there the Holy Spirit; where the Spirit, there the Catholic Church.

St Joan of Arc said it well: "About Jesus Christ and the Church, I simply know they are just one thing: and we shouldn't complicate the matter." Whoever receives the Pope and the Bishops as messengers of Christ, receives Jesus. Whoever rejects the Pope and the Bishops, that is, whoever rejects the Catholic Church, rejects Jesus and not only Jesus but also the Heavenly Father.

However, this does not mean that only Catholics are saved - but that if any non-Catholic is saved, they are saved by virtue of the presence of the Catholic Church in the world.

More than anything, this should inspire us to be missionaries! To preach the Gospel and to preach the message of salvation given through the Church and her sacraments! We have a duty to bring all people into full communion with the Catholic Church, so that they might be happy in this life and find salvation in life everlasting.

Sunday Sermon, May 28 -- The Miracle of the Sun and the Message of Fatima

We conclude our three part series on the message of Our Lady Queen of the Rosary of Fatima.

Appearing first on 13 May 1917, our Lady promised she would return each month until 13 October. on 13 July, Our Lady promised a great miracle in October which would confirm the truth of the apparitions and of the message.

13 October 1917, in the presence of over 70,000 people, some of whom were more than 20 miles away, the sun "danced" in the sky and then crashed toward the earth in a manner that made all believe the world was about to end. The children of Fatima continued to pray, and the sun returned to his place in the heavens.

During this great miracle, the children saw St Joseph, holding the Child Jesus, bless the world three times for peace (together with the Child). They also saw our Lady and our Lord appearing in various manners.

This miracle is to convince us of the message. What is the message of Fatima?
The first message is the children: Lucia, Jacinta, Francisco -- which is to say, a life of prayer and penance for the conversion of sinners and for peace in the world.
Then also, the daily Rosary, the scapular, the First Saturday devotion. And also, devotion to St Joseph.

We say with St Francisco -- Mary, we will give you all the Rosaries you want! Just give us salvation and peace!