May 27th, 2018 - The Most Holy Trinity - One God, but Three Persons

Click here to hear the homily:  May 27th, 2018 - The Most Holy Trinity - One God, but Three Persons



I was confused about the Trinity before entering seminary.  But, I have grown in my understanding of and relationships with the Three Divine Persons of the One God.  Listen to my homily to learn more about the Trinity.

Readings:  DT 4:32-34, 39-40; PS 33:4-5, 6, 9, 18-19, 20, 22; ROM 8:14-17; MT 28:16-20

Below is my Bulletin Article (This is not the homily, and is only related in as much as it is about the Most Holy Trinity)

Athanasian Creed Excerpt

We worship One God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the substance. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Spirit. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is One, the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit; the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated; the father infinite, the Son infinite, and the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet not three eternals but one eternal, as also not three infinites, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated, and one infinite…

So, the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; and yet not three Gods but one God… For like as we are compelled by Christian truth to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be both God; so are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, there be three Gods.

The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created but begotten. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and the Son, not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding. So, there is one Father not three Fathers, one Son not three Sons, and Holy Spirit not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity, there is nothing before or after, nothing greater or less, but the whole three Persons are coeternal together and coequal.

So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity is to be worshipped. 

For the full Athanasian Creed go to https://www.ewtn.com/library/sources/athanasi.txt

May 20th, 2018 - Pentecost - Prompting by the Holy Spirit, True Story

Click here to hear the homily:  May 20th, 2018 - Pentecost - Prompting by the Holy Spirit, True Story



Happy Pentecost!  Come Holy Spirit.  Have you ever been prompted by the Holy Spirit to do something?  I was.  Listen to the homily to learn more.

Readings:  ACTS 2:1-11; PS 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34; GAL 5:16-25; JN 15:26-27; 16:12-15

Below is my Bulletin Article (This is not the homily, and is only related in as much as it is about Pentecost)

Graces for the Whole Church

Graces for our own individual salvation are offered to all in the sacraments of baptism and confirmation, but the graces that are meant for the whole Church are not given equally to all.  In one of our options for the Gospel Jesus gave the apostles the Holy Spirit and the ability to be His instruments to forgive sins.  Not everyone in the Church is given that grace, only the priests and bishops. 

Recall what we heard in one of the options for the second reading; that the Spirit gives different kinds of spiritual gifts to different people.  And that one body has many parts.  So too does the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, have many parts each with its own purpose, function, and ability.  In a human body the blood provides nourishment for all of the cells in the body and the blood takes away the waste and toxins of those cells.  The priests and bishops provide spiritual nourishment in the Eucharist and remove the waste and toxins of the soul in the Confessional.  In a way, priests and bishops are like the blood of the Mystical Body of Christ.

I ask you to consider, what part of the Body of Christ are you?  What kinds of spiritual gifts do you have that are for the benefit of the whole Church?  What different forms of service are you well suited for in order to build up the Mystical Body of Christ?  What different workings does the Holy Spirit prompt and inspire you to do for the Church?