The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friend,

"All power is given to Me in heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." (St. Matthew 28, 18-20)

Jesus is true God and true Man. God is all-powerful and can do all things, so we see that Jesus, because of His Divinity, is omnipotent. Jesus left the Apostles but always remains with them. In His Humanity, we no longer see Him, but His Divinity is always with us. In addition, we see that Jesus remains with us in the Holy Eucharist — Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity — True God and True Man.

When the Apostles received the Holy Ghost on Pentecost, the power that Jesus gave them was brought forth and manifested. The words and teachings of Jesus hidden from them before now were made clear.

When we think of power in men's hands, we tend to focus on worldly or material power rather than spiritual power. We see in the Gospels that disbelief is a kind of limit to the power of Jesus. If we have faith, we can receive His gifts. "Go your way; your faith has made you whole." There is a power in Jesus and in His Apostles that is much greater than multiplying fish and bread to feed multitudes of people in the desert.

The Apostles and their successors have been given the power and the commission to teach everyone about God and, by baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost to make them all true children of God. Through Baptism, we put off the fallen nature that we inherited from Adam, and we put on the nature of grace that Jesus has given us.

It is not, however, enough to be baptized. We must hear the instructions of Jesus through His Apostles and their successors. We must learn of God and seek to love Him in all that we do. Our thoughts, desires, words, and actions need to be molded in the grace and love of God. In this way, God lives in and through us in this physical world. We can then say with St. Paul that Christ lives within us (Galatians 2:20).

There is much more than this spiritual union with God. Jesus has given Himself to us in the Holy Eucharist. He is physically present on the Altar through the power of transubstantiation that Jesus gave to His Apostles and their successors. He offers Himself to us in Holy Communion. This is the greatest act of Love. It is God's greatest gift to us. Above all gifts, God gives us Himself in Holy Communion.

It is a sad testament that so many men turn their backs upon Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. Many will not believe in Him, so they do not hear His words: "Thy faith has saved thee." Many who do believe refuse to receive Him. They reject His gift; they reject His love. The excuse most often given is that we are not worthy to receive Him in Holy Communion. We are terrible sinners. We tend to put on a false humility as a coverup for our not loving God.

No one is worthy to receive Jesus, but He deigns to come to us to make us worthy. In our sins, Jesus tells us: "Go show yourselves to the priests …" (St. Luke 17:14). We have no excuse now. We have been born in sin. Jesus washes this away in Baptism. We have fallen, transgressed, denied, and even betrayed Him. He says I will forgive you if you confess your sins to the priest and do the penance that he gives you. We are weak and unable to face the burdens and difficulties of life. He says eat My Flesh and be strengthened. There are no legitimate excuses left.

With these gifts from Heaven, we find that the command of Jesus to deny ourselves and take up our daily crosses and follow Him is not only possible but enjoyable.

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