Last Sunday Sermon, September 21 -- Commentary on Same Sex "Marriage", Communion and Tolerance

This homily was given as a commentary on a very sad situation in Lewistown, MT in which two Catholic men (one of whom is an "ex"-priest) have entered into a gay civil union. The pastor of the parish has informed them that they are not permitted to receive communion on account of the fact that they persist in manifest grave sin. The bishop (His Excellency, The Most Reverend Michael Warfel) has supported the priest and stated that the men cannot receive communion.

The secular papers and many secular people (including some name-only Catholics) have blasted the Bishop, the priest, and the Church for holding to the doctrine of Christ.

Summary of the Sermon: "Who is intolerant of whom? If two men want to enter into a civil union, there are any number of churches where they can go to receive communion, why must the world insist that the Catholic Church give them Communion. Have we not the right to govern the administration of our own sacramental life?"

Adult Ed Series on Prayer, session 1 - Corpus Christi Parish, Great Falls, MT

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

"Introduction to Christian Prayer"

Will I really go to hell for just one mortal sin?

The Serpent said, "No, you shall not die the death" (cf. Gen 3:4)

26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ezekiel 18:25-28

When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.

 “Do you really think that God is going to send me to hell just because I skipped Mass one Sunday?! I mean, I was on vacation!”

To this, we must respond, “If you die without true repentance, you will surely go to hell.”

Speaking to the prophet Ezekiel, Our Lord makes clear that one mortal sin causes not only the loss of the state of grace, but also the loss of all previous merit. For, by a single mortal sin, by which a just man turneth himself away from his justice and comitteth iniquity, all the good he has done will be set aside and forgotten, and he will not live but he shall die eternally.

Without sanctifying grace habitually present in the soul, no man can possibly be saved. The question of a man’s eternal destiny comes down to this: If he should die in the state of grace, with the divine life present in his soul, he will live eternally in heaven. If he should die in mortal sin, without the divine life present in his soul through grace, he will die eternally in hell.

Let us consider why all the good deeds of a lifetime are not enough to save a man who dies in the state of mortal sin.

If the just man turn himself away from his justice and do iniquity … all his justices which he hath done shall not be remembered. (Ezekiel 18:24)

Weekday Sermons, September 23 through 27

Daily Mass sermons, September 23 through 27: Padre Pio, Our Lady of Ransom, the Eucharist, Sts Cosmas and Damian, Ember Saturday

Weekday Sermons - September 16 through 20

Daily Mass sermons, September 16 through 20: Sts Cornelius and Cyprian, St Joseph of Cupertino, St Januarius, Our Lady of Sorrows

September 14 - Sunday - Exaltation of the Holy Cross

This sermon is from two weeks ago. On the Cross as exalted in the lives of the saints.


Listen online [here]!

Last Sunday's Sermon, 9/7 -- Excommunication

The biblical and rational foundation for excommunication.
What excommunication really means and why the Church has the authority and the duty to excommunicate.


If the stream below doesn't work, listen online [here]!