Doctrinal Homily Outlines: a resource for homilists and the lay faithful
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The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: Fortitude
Since the order in which I am presenting the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the order which I find easier to understand (under the assumption that others have the same difficulties that I do), the next gift I will try to explain is the gift of fortitude. Note that there is the natural virtue…
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The Gift of the Holy Spirt: Fear of the Lord
One of the easier gifts of the Holy Spirit to understand, I think, is the last listed, the gift of fear. Fear of God is one of the gifts that pertain to a person’s will. With our human will, assisted by God’s grace, we have the freedom to choose good actions that lead to our…
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Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (1830-1831) says that the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit “sustain” a Christian’s “moral life.” Moral life has to do with the good or evil acts that form the character and eternal destiny of a person. These seven gifts of the Holy Spirit—that is, wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge,…
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Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. In the life of Christ, we see extreme hatred turned on him, even though he went about…
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Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, brought peace, reconciling man to God and to one another. Christ wished his Apostles peace at the Last Supper: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (Jn 14:27). The very first thing Christ said to…
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Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God
Christ’s purity of heart or singular focus can be seen in his first words recorded in Sacred Scripture. When the twelve-year-old Christ was lost to his parents for three days and they finally found him in the Temple, he said to them, “How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I…
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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy
Christ personifies mercy. He came, lived, and died to bring us salvation and sanctification. “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). One of Christ’s most touching examples of mercy was the woman caught in adultery. The Mosaic…
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The Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year A
Central Idea: God elevates humanity. Doctrine and practical application: We are a priestly, prophetic, and royal people. To access Lectionary 91, click here. Reading 1: Ex 19:2-6a In those days, the Israelites came to the desert of Sinai and pitched camp. While Israel was encamped here in front of the mountain, Moses went up the mountain to…
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Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied Did Christ live this beatitude? Christ said, “I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled!” (Lk 12:49). When he drove the merchants out of the Temple because they were making his Father’s house into…
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Blessed are those who mourn
Here is a little meditation on the second Beatitude: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Christ embraced suffering, agony, and finally death on the cross. He was the suffering servant Isaiah prophesized (Is 53 ff.). Christ’s suffering was infinitely valuable and has saved and sanctified us. At the end of his…
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Blessed are the poor in Spirit
To access the Doctrinal Homily Outline for Pentecost Sunday, click here then scroll down. Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting short reflections on Christ and one of his Beatitudes. The Beatitudes and Christ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus Christ was poor in spirit. Christ…
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Fifth Sunday of Easter
Only a few of us Catholics have received the Sacrament of Holy Orders and so are part of the hierarchical and sacramental priesthood whose offices are bishop, priest, and deacon. But every one of us, by nature of our Baptism, still has a share in Christ’s priesthood through the reality of the common priesthood of…
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