Trinity Sunday Sermon, May 27 -- God's existence and the Trinity (Father Ryan Erlenbush, Corpus Christi Parish)

First, we consider a philosophical proof of God's existence as the Creator who holds the world in existence always. We make "the argument from contingency" - that the existence of the universe which did not have to be implies that there is some Creator who exists necessarily.

However, although God's existence can be known by human reason, the mystery of the Trinity is known only by Divine Revelation and the gift of faith.  By an analogy to the human soul, we understand the Son as the perfect image of the Father (God knows himself and the Father begets the Son), and the Holy Spirit as the love of the Father and the Son (God loves himself and the Father and the Son breath forth the Holy Spirit).

The Trinity dwells within us by grace, be heavenly glory we will dwell within the communion of the Three Persons forever.

Adult Faith Formation, May 22 -- Marriage in Scripture (Series on Marriage, part 3 of 6 -- Father Ryan Erlenbush, Corpus Christi Parish)

Objectives of Session 3 – Marriage in Scripture

1) To recognize the teaching of marriage present in the creation account

2) To be able to account for polygamy and divorce in the Old Testament

3) To appreciate the New Testament teachings on marriage and virginity

Sunday Sermon, May 20 -- Docility to the Holy Spirit (Father Ryan Erlenbush, Corpus Christi)

At Pentecost, the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit. We see how the great saints were perfectly docile to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. St Philip Neri is an example of a man who followed the Spirit's promptings and lived in an intimate communion with the Holy Spirit.

How can we be more docile to the movements of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
1) Have a great reverence, love, and devotion to the sacraments - especially Baptism and Confession.
2) Daily reading of Sacred Scripture, with the saints as our guides to interpretation.
3) Devotion to the saints, reading the lives of the saints.
4) Obedience and respect for the Pope and all that the popes have taught through the ages.

Sunday Sermon, May 13 -- Mary, Mother of the Church (Father Ryan Erlenbush, Corpus Christi)

This year, Pope Francis has promulgated a new feast for the Universal Church: Mary, Mother of the Church is to be celebrated on the Monday after Pentecost. This Marian title (which is rooted in the writings of St Ambrose and has previously been promoted by Pope Benedict XIV and Pope Leo XIII, as well as Pope Bl Paul VI, Pope St John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI) is a reflection most especially of Mary's role as a mother to the Apostles in the days between the Ascension and Pentecost.

We consider the biblical foundation for calling Mary the Mother of the Church, as well as the promotion of this title at the Second Vatican Council.

Adult Faith Formation, May 8 -- Marriage and Family Life (Father Ryan Erlenbush, Corpus Christi -- Series on Marriage, part 2 of 6)

Objectives of Session 2 – Marriage and Family Life

1) To appreciate the teachings of the Council of Trent on Marriage

2) To recognize the “natural inclination” of all men toward marriage

3) To articulate the blessings and ends of marriage

Sunday Sermon, May 6 -- Marital Chastity in light of Humanae Vitae (Father Ryan Erlenbush, Corpus Christi Parish)

Having preached about the difference between Natural Family Planning and Contraception last week, we now turn to a consideration of what chastity means for married couples.

From the encyclical letter, Humanae Vitae, of Pope Paul VI, paragraph 11:
"The sexual activity, in which husband and wife are intimately and chastely united with one another, through which human life is transmitted, is, as the recent Council recalled, "noble and worthy.'' It does not, moreover, cease to be legitimate even when, for reasons independent of their will, it is foreseen to be infertile. For its natural adaptation to the expression and strengthening of the union of husband and wife is not thereby suppressed. The fact is, as experience shows, that new life is not the result of each and every act of sexual intercourse. God has wisely ordered laws of nature and the incidence of fertility in such a way that successive births are already naturally spaced through the inherent operation of these laws. The Church, nevertheless, in urging men to the observance of the precepts of the natural law, which it interprets by its constant doctrine, teaches that each and every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life."

We consider what is permitted from married people in terms of intimacy at various stages and in various circumstances of life.

Adult Faith Formation, May 1 -- Introduction to Series on Marriage (Father Ryan Erlenbush, Series on Marriage, Part 1 of 6)

Objectives of Session 1, Introduction to Marriage

1) To recognize that marriage is a natural institution as well as a sacrament

2) To see that even outside of the Church, marriage falls under certain principles of natural law

3) To appreciate that all marriage (even non-sacramental marriage) must be freely chosen, permanent, exclusive, and open to life

4) To recognize that the Church accepts the natural marriages of non-baptized persons

5) To recognize that two baptized persons cannot enter into a merely natural marriage, but only a sacramental marriage

Sunday Sermon, April 29 --- Natural Family Planning is not Contraception (Father Ryan Erlenbush, Corpus Christi Parish)

“Neither the Church nor her doctrine is inconsistent when she considers it lawful for married people to take advantage of the infertile period but condemns as always unlawful the use of means which directly prevent conception […]. In reality, these two cases are completely different.” (Pope Paul VI, Humanae Vitae 16)

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Humanae Vitae, the encyclical in which Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Church's teaching regarding openness to life within marriage and condemned as always immoral the use of any form of contraception, following the request of the US Bishops, we will be preaching two sermons this week and next on marriage and family life, and chastity within marital intimacy.

This sermons explains the difference between Natural Family Planning and contraception, showing that the two are "completely different" and that NFP is not in any way "Catholic Contraception" but is in accord with the nature of marriage, the nature of marital intimacy, and the nature of the human person.