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Timeless Wisdom: Memorable Sermons and Homilies from the Catholic Church During Mass
By Phil/Kords | Published | No Comments
Word Count: 2765 Time to Read: 11 min 3 sec
The timeless wisdom of the Gospel reading the priest follows with memorable sermons. Spiritual wisdom may entail reflection on the gospel, a related story that can serve as an example of faith and guidance. Homilies or Sermons may mean different to different people in the Roman Catholic church.
Some of the sermons may get etched in one’s memories. A few sermons may not be that relatable or memorable. These sermons may serve as a guide, a message, a lesson or God talking to us through the priest. What sermon may deliver what kind of message is known only when we pay attention.
It is especially true when you are looking for an answer. That answer may come in the least possible expected medium. A sermon is just one of the methods that I am going to talk about extensively in this post.
Do you remember who said this “Everyone wants to be a good working professional (doctors, engineers, lawyers, etc.) but no one is building themselves to be a good human being first. A good human being makes a good professional”? More about this later in the post.
The words are not as quoted but I recreated it from the base meaning since I don’t remember the exact words. The quote was from a priest during one of the memorable sermons. I don’t know his name but it was probably during my school days. I heard it – the words forever embedded in my mind that I carry till today. This quote is one of many that also involves church service messages that were told. Some of them have had a profound impact on my life.
However, I was not an obedient parishioner prone to paying attention at every mass in my younger days. At times, I have hardly paid ardent attention. Those were the times when I had unashamedly zero regrets for doing so. Yup, I was not as spiritual as I am now. That is a topic for another blog post.
As I grew, I discovered these Sunday sermons weren’t boring. Sermons don’t get boring when you are seeking an answer. Though, a lot also depends on the priests delivering such inspiring homilies. The trouble may sometimes lie with the priests on how they deliver the sermons.
I have had my fair share of priests who put the parishioners to sleep. You will also find those delivering a powerful message. In the seminary should the curriculum also include effective public speaking? I am unsure if it already exists or if some priests are not taking adequate advantage of the syllabus. I am speculating.
What is the general idea of a sermon? Mere interpretation from the Biblical verses? Reflection? According to me, it was initially a mere interpretation of the Gospel reading. Associating or somehow relating it to daily life drew some meaning.
Church Service Messages
During the Church Service, the message the priests deliver must be concise, precise and to the point rather than digress.
The past consists of priests who diverted from the core message. Then some priests stick or elaborate the core message. For example, the Gospel reading took the starting point for the sermons. Most priests follow this norm till today.
The Role of Sermons in Church Services
The idea of the sermon is to reflect on the Gospel drawing parallels with real life. A reflection like this propels our thinking of God’s message.
Travis Nicholson states “Throughout church history, the Sunday sermon has evolved significantly, reflecting changes in culture, theology, and church practices. From its Jewish roots to modern-day evangelicalism, preaching has been a central act of worship, shaping and reshaping the Christian faith across centuries.”
Sermons are mostly associated with the Sunday mass. The idea is to deliver messages to the theologically illiterate people. It is an opportunity for the congregation to take the message with them when returning home. The Biblical verses are also a reflection and how they relate to them at the very moment.
Sermons can mean something more than those listed above. Just as we need to give our children personal attention, so does God give us personal attention. However, how many of us are open to realising the attention God gives is debatable.
Understanding the Importance and Relevance of Timeless Wisdom:
I remember one quote from the Bible – Mathew 12:14-3, “They have ears, but they don’t listen. They have eyes, but they refuse to see. If their minds were not closed, they might see with their eyes; they might hear with their ears; they might understand with their minds.”
Everyone can understand God’s word as long as we see, hear, and feel God’s good graces. Sermons are a central part of the service and the varying impact has its positives on everyone’s lives.
What do sermons do? Besides stating the obvious, it is something that we carry home. It may remain with us throughout our lives and may affect us in positive ways we never thought of.
God speaks to us in many ways. Besides talking to us through the Bible, He also talks to us via other people. Our near and dear ones sometimes give us the sanest of advice in the most unexpected ways. God does that sometimes – talking through different people and even giving subtle signs.
The idea conveyed is the message delivered via priests through sermons. However, we should not always scout for messages whenever we forcefully hear the sermon – that would drive us crazy! The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
God’s talk to us is like raindrops. His words are the water and our mind is the soil. The water touches the soil, it may either percolate or stagnate on the surface. It may either percolate quickly or may take time depending on the soil.
Section 2: Memorable Sermons and Their Lessons
Sermon 1: The King and the Thieves
One of the priests narrated this story: There was once a king who had gone hunting alone in the forests. Some bandits also inhabited that forest and noticed the king hunting alone who was also unaware of their presence.
They thought if we apprehended the king and took all of his belongings or held him hostage we would be rich. They ambushed the king and demanded his surrender of his belongings. The king, without any hesitations obeyed. But, he did not stop there. He made a counter-offer to the bandits’ leader, “If you come with me, I will give you my daughter’s hand in marriage. All of my wealth will be yours, my kingdom will be yours and everything that is mine will be yours.”
The offer was very enticing. He could barely imagine the riches that he would get. No doubt, it would be a good life away from the scraps that he had to live with. But, a thought occurred to him, if he accepted the kind king’s offer, he would have to do away with all of his bad habits that involved drinking and fornication among so many things he typically enjoyed as a bandit. Becoming the prince would mean he has to give it up and lead a life away from what he presently enjoys.
After giving it some thought, he returned the king’s belongings saying, “I don’t want to be a prince,” and left the place.
Reflection: What did the bandit leader miss? He forgot the kind of life he would get as a prince. He would receive untold wealth, a good life, he would not have to work – just run his kingdom, he wouldn’t have to deal with scarp and enjoy good food, good clothes and whatnot. In other words, he missed the big picture: Once we follow Jesus in His ways, He will give us all that we otherwise seek.
Sermon 2: Be a Better Human Being First
I remember when priests would stress the importance of being a better human being first than being good at something professionally. It makes sense.
Jesus, when he came down as a man – was a good human being. Now he is seated at the right hand of God the Father with authority given over heaven and earth.
What was Jesus when he was on earth? A teacher? Yes, he was a good teacher in His human form who led people away from sin. We would be fools to think that He stopped there. He still teaches us things as long as we are ready to be his disciples.
Here’s another sermon that I remember. The story goes something like this – there was a man who approached the priest after mass and complained that people weren’t contributing enough during the offertory. So, he decided to contribute to every mass.
As time went by, his income grew and he did well earning more than he required. His contributions to the Church grew as did his income. He, however, continued to contribute for several years until one fine day he approached the same priest saying that he thought he had contributed enough and did not wish to give to the Church anymore. He wanted to relieve himself of the oath he had given.
The priest, upon hearing this, knelt and prayed. When he was done, the man asked him, “What did you pray, Father?”
“I prayed that may God reduce the income that you earned all because of Him so that you can contribute to the Church again.”
Reflection:
We should never forget what God has done for us. Even from the smallest to the greatest, the things he works for us in the background unbeknownst to us. Things that we take for granted. He is the first person we must thank.
It is said that success is 99% hard work and 1% God’s work. This 1% completes the 100% that we lack. God completes us.
Section 3: Common Themes in Sermons:
Love and Compassion: I will describe the Bible in one word – love. God loved the world so much that he sent His only Jesus to die for us so that we may have eternal life. He did not send His Son on earth to condemn it but to save it. Jesus calls us Friends as mentioned in John 15:15.
Faith and Trust: In the movie End of Days, there is a scene where the person who acted as the Pope says, “It is in our darkest time that our Faith is tested.
Our Lord’s prayer contains the line – “…Lead us not into Temptation…” Jesus being the Son of God was tempted for 40 days in the wildness. He, in His human form, wasn’t spared from temptation. We’re the same. My faith falters too. I am not perfect. I too fall into sin. However, that isn’t the point.
On the road to Calvary when Jesus carried His cross, He fell three times. But, the point here is with every fall, He got up to carry His cross. How many times do we fall into sin? We must get up, repent, regret and move on. The keyword here is not to take God’s love for granted. Just because He is slow to anger and always forgiving, somewhere at some point our constant sinning must come to a stop. God loves a sincere heart.
Forgiveness and Redemption:
Jesus came to call sinners. We must accept that we are sinners. We must Sin less to be sinless. The journey is filled with challenges and repeated falls into sin. With every fall, comes the rise. Night-fall follows with sunrise.
Let us accept that following Christ isn’t going to be easy. It is not going to be impossible as well. Ultimately, the path that we choose shapes our lives in some form or the other. The devil will do all that he can to push us off the cliff away from Christ. When that happens we should remember the Book of Job.
Section 4: How to Apply Sermon Lessons in Daily Life?
Always start with prayers. Stop looking for a specific prayer online or offline. Find a prayer that suits you. Sermons teach us exactly that. Jesus taught us how to pray, let’s start with that. If we need help and don’t know how to word our prayers we can ask God for assistance. Yes, you read that right, Jesus will teach us how to pray.
God loves a sincere heart, nothing hides from Him. Speak the truth and confess your feelings to Him. Remember, He knows when you are lying and lying will declare your insincerity. He may or may not speak directly at that instant but He will give you signs and speak through others. But, the answer comes.
Once we surrender ourselves to Jesus, there is no going back. Life as we know changes for the better. If despite following Jesus, things don’t change then there is something wrong. It means that something is wrong with our methods. When the change comes into effect depends on the sincerity of the heart.
“I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back.”
Practical Tips:
Start small, we may not pay attention during all sermons. So, let’s make it a point to pay attention to those sermons that are “interesting”. All sermons aren’t boring. A mix will always exist.
Let the message sink in gradually and slowly. Begin to accept Jesus slowly. Read the Bible to understand God’s word. If possible participate in Church Cells and other activities, contribute in some form.
If you cannot contribute, options still exist. Start by praying, just pray. You don’t need a format or any time of the day to pray. When you feel like, pray. My morning routine starts with a prayer and Bible reading of up to 3 passages. Why I usually don’t pray at night before bedtime because there are times when I am too tired after returning from work. I don’t want to say my prayer half-heartedly. But, I do make it very brief.
Reflection:
- God isn’t far away from us, it is we who are far away from God.
- It takes little effort to come closer to Jesus and He will take two steps to come closer to you.
- Once you start, don’t go back to your old life.
- It works, you have only your soul to lose if you do not follow Jesus.
- Don’t do it to save your soul. Do it to save others. Getting into heaven is not a guarantee despite following Jesus. God is the judge here, He will take the call. We have to do our best.
Conclusion:
Following Jesus isn’t easy. Christian life is not easy. Resisting temptation and living by the rules God set for us isn’t easy. It is not impossible either.
You are bound to suffer, bound to fail and fall into sin. But, that’s not the point. With every fall, must get up and set the record straight with temptation. What do we need? The strength to carry the cross we bear. Just like Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus on the road to Calvary, so will He come to our aid and help lift the burden we all bear.
What do we gain? I cannot describe it in words. It is a feeling unlike any other. I am like that bandit leader who chose to marry the king’s daughter leaving my past behind.
What do we lose? Our souls, eternal life and current life of flesh and blood lose meaning without Jesus. Of course, these things are lost only at the last moment when things are too late to change. But, there is hope.
Let us not forget the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Few people believe in Jesus and even less among them will be saved. I hope I am wrong. Abraham pleaded with God to spare the destruction of Soddom and Gomorrah even if one righteous person was living among them. Would God destroy the whole city?
Who will plead for us sinners? Is there any righteous among us to plead to Jesus? I do not know. That’s why I continue to pray.
Please do share your testimony in the comments. It strengthens our faith further.
I will end my blog post with a prayer I say from Bruce Almighty, “God, please help the poor, feed the hungry and bring peace to all of mankind,” and no I don’t want to be Miss America!
May God bless the readers reading right till the end and I pray my message of leading sinners to God gets across. Amen. Praise you, Jesus, and Thank You, Jesus.
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