SSPX Sermons

The Temple in Jerusalem as an image of our own soul; it is now the place where God dwells. Yet like those in Jerusalem old old, we divorce ourselves from God through mortal sin and seeking after those things that have nothing to do with the supernatural life. To bring us back into the life of grace, God has sent saints into the world to serve as models of holiness and repentance, including Ss. John Vianney, Lawrence, and Philomena.

In modern parlance, we use the term "chaos" to refer to disorder. Indeed, this is how the ancient Greeks conceived of the universe before the formation of the cosmos, which brought forth order and objective beauty. From this order and beauty that we experience in the world, our minds are elevated quickly to Almighty God, from Whom the goodness of creation flows. We, too, can reflect this order and thereby draw closer to God through the virtue of modesty, which includes regulating our inner tendencies and subduing the chaos in our own souls.

The story of Holy Scripture is the story of how Our Lord wants to save our souls and direct our lives according to His plan. To facilitate the transmission of Scripture's message, and indeed the Catholic Faith as a whole, God selects certain persons through history to serve as priests and religious in the Church. These designated persons are the ones who keep the Church alive and growing through their dedication, prayer, and sacrifice.

Our Lord came to earth to save mankind from damnation. While Christ is primarily concerns with our souls, He is not indifferent to our physical and psychological maladies. He heals our souls through the seven sacraments. However, He also allows the Church to identify physical things and even words that can help sanctify our souls, which we call sacramentals.

Everything we are has been given to us by God. This extends far beyond our material goods. Our very life, that is, our talents, abilities, qualities, and graces all come from Our Lord. And so when we dispense what God has given to us, we do it not only for the benefit of others, but to ensure our eternal reward with Him in heaven.

We must trust that God will take care of us no matter what during our journey on this earth. Trusting in God's providence is not always easy, particularly when we know we have to raise a good family and save our souls while confronting an increasingly godless world. But we should never lose that God in Heaven is our Father: capable, loving, and good.

By their fruits you shall know them. This is the criterion given by Our Lord to discern false prophets and others who claim to carry out works or spread messages through divine guidance, yet the results are far from what Scripture and Tradition tell us are good and true. But we also must be on guard against those false prophets that lie within us who continually tempt us to pursue base and false ends under the guise that it would be pleasing to God to do so.

St. Anne is a model for all mothers. She demonstrates what it means to make children into living tabernacles of the Holy Spirit. The degree of dedication it takes a carpenter or other craftsman to build a tabernacle is radically less than the commitment, care, and charity that all mothers are called upon to shape genuinely Catholic children. She is also a model of prayer and a witness to how God works in our lives to form our children with genuine Catholic virtues.

Every day presents an opportunity for us to draw closer to God. In this sermon, we hear a hypothetical tale of a man who commits himself daily to strengthen himself in Christ. It is a reminder that we are called to order our lives well and draw our strength from God to live an authentically Catholic life.

Forgiveness is not a recommendation. Our Lord commands it. We are directed to offer it without regard for the response. As Christians, we are not called upon to forgive in hopes of attaining a reward or another earthly benefit. We forgive because it is what God commands us to do, without regard to any personal benefit.

As our devotion increases, so too does our hunger for spiritual gifts. Yet for many of us, there are disorders present in our spiritual life, be it a lack of devotion to Our Lady or an overly rationalistic approach to the Faith. We see that the spiritual life demands mortification and renunciation, so we shrink from it. The solution, however, is not to give up, but rather to focus on our hunger, that is, our need for God so that we may pursue holiness with greater zeal.

The state of the world often instills in us a sense that God has abandoned us; we begin to lose hope. Yet the message of the Gospel is that Our Lord cares deeply for us, as evidenced in both the small signs of His compassion such as the feeding of the multitudes and the great sacrifice He made for us on Calvary. Reflecting on our own lives, we can see daily how God provides for us not just materially, but above all spiritually.

St. Felicity was a Roman citizen of noble birth. She reared her seven sons in the Faith despite the persistence of persecution and falsehood. When pressured to make pagan sacrifices to idols, St. Felicity, along with her children, solemnly refused, thus bringing torture and death upon themselves. In St. Felicity we find a model of Christian heroism, for she placed the Faith above earthly suffering.

God's Fifth Command—Thou shalt not kill—does not merely forbid extreme acts of violence such as murder. Rather, it addresses a whole disposition of soul that can result in this degree of wickedness. Anger is a distorted disposition that opens the door to violence, hatred, and a desire to take revenge on others. This vice, which often arises out of self-love, is an affront to charity and must be resisted at all costs.

This is a follow-up to Sermon #273 - "The Problem with Superficiality" Jesus asks us to do more than the bare minimum. Yes, we all have duties relative to our state in life. However, love--the spirit of charity--calls us to do so much more. We must imitate Christ, Who owed us no duty. Yet out of His infinite love, sacrificed Himself so that we may be saved. That is the model we are called to aspire to every day.

To be true friends of God, we must be prepared to take up our crosses. Our Lord does not want fair weather friends, that is, only those who show their faithfulness to Him when life is going well. In the lives of the saints we are given countless examples of those who were prepared to suffer all for Christ. In the lives of Ss. John Fisher and Thomas More, we find two heroes of the Faith who suffered martyrdom rather than deny God and the Catholic Faith.

Applying the supernatural truths of the Catholic Faith to our everyday lives is a continual struggle. It is altogether too easy to compartmentalize our Catholicism, living as if it is only real or meaningful on Sundays during Mass or when we set aside time for prayer. Yet every day we see all around us the tragic reality of sin, which should call us to remember that what we individually and as a society need more than anything is Christ Jesus Our Lord.

Superficiality is a perennial problem that we must struggle with. Even the Apostles had to confront it. We want to have a casual life that makes no demands upon us. Yet we know we are called to something deeper, a more demanding life. We are called to live for God and above all it is our highest calling, yet we are challenged by a world that tempts us to disregard Our Lord.

Recently Catholics celebrated the feast day of the pillars of the Church, Ss. Peter and Paul. It is through the Catholic Church and the Catholic Church alone that mankind finds salvation. Through St. Peter the Church continues onward to this day under his successor who is tasked with governing her. And in unity with St. Paul, the Church fulfills the great commission to preach God across the world.

We know that St. Peter is the rock upon which Christ established His Church. He is one of the greatest saints, and we owe him our veneration. Yet we should also reflect on St. Peter's conversion, where he recognizes Our Lord along with his own sinfulness. Despite St. Peter's imperfections, Christ beckons him to follow. And so we see, throughout the Gospels, St. Peter not only following, but chasing after, Our Lord. We are called upon to do the same: recognize our sinfulness and never give up our pursuit of sanctification in Christ.

Following the series of post-Paschal feasts that are intended to be consoling, Holy Mother Church steps forth to remind us that salvation is not automatic. This warning is intended to keep us vigilant even outside of the penitential season of Lent. Moreover, the Church desires us to know that the Catholic Faith is not just about consolations and that we must not make excuses for putting off the work of our salvation when we do not receive them.

Prayer is the oxygen of the soul. It is the high point of our lives. Whether vocal or silent, it is our means to connect with God. Through prayer, we ask everything we need to save our souls. Through prayer, particularly the devotion of the Holy Rosary, we are invited to draw closer to God and to reflect on the fact that we know we are in the presence of Our Lord.

To follow Christ, St. Paul was called to imitate Our Lord in every facet of his apostolate. And while he may not have known the abundant fruits of his labor in this life, we know and revere the results of his efforts. Moreover, St. Paul reminds us that the task of winning souls for Christ is an arduous one, but also one that will be rewarded in due course through God's grace.

As Catholics, we are called to not only accept the tenets of the Catholic Faith, but to approach all facets of our lives with the mind of the Church. This is imperative when it comes to Holy Communion. As the greatest sacrament that God has offered to us, we must not presume that we are simply entitled to it nor that we can ever “earn” it. Rather, in keeping with mind of the Church, we should always appreciate that it is a great gift bestowed upon us by God out of His infinite love for us.

St. Peter had a great love for Our Lord, though we know from Scripture that he had an intemperate soul until Christ calmed it. His call for mutual charity or, to put it another way, supernatural friendship, is a reminder that we are called to look beyond our neighbors' faults to find the good in them. And at the same time, we hope they will see the same in us.

Our Lord draws closest to us, spiritually and materially, in the Eucharist. How do we respond to this great gift, particularly after receiving Holy Communion? Do we continue to remember that Our Lord is within us, even after Mass, or do we get distracted immediately by worldly concerns? While Our Lord will always desire to be close to us, we must desire to be close to Him as well; we must return His love

On Pentecost, the faithful commemorate the birthday of the Church. Yet it is also a time to reflect on the coming of the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, and the gifts He bestows upon the faithful. What these gifts are and what they can do for us in our everyday lives is the topic of this sermon.

On the great feast of the Holy Trinity, we recall that while our limited human intellect can conclude a great deal about a single, all-good God, it can tell us nothing about the mystery of the Trinity without the light of revelation. Although the dogma of the Trinity appears, on the surface, to be simple, we must remember to approach it with caution and humility lest we slip into heresy. Even so, it is still possible to speak of the internal life of the Holy Trinity with respect to the knowledge of and love the three Persons of the Trinity have for one another.

When Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church, He intended it to be the sole means of receiving the grace of the sacraments and the sanctifying grace that they instill. However, as a result of our free will to choose sin over virtue, we know this grace can be lost at any given moment. Although Protestants may intend to follow Our Lord and be faithful to His precepts, by remaining outside of the Church and depriving themselves of the sacraments, they not only imperil their own souls, but deny themselves of the means of salvation that God provides.

The reality that charity covers a multitude of sins is found throughout Scripture. But in St. Peter's first epistle he brings this truth front and center. It's an expression of mercy and will always compel us to cover our neighbor's sin. And as our Lord covered our sins we are called upon to do the same for those around us.

What makes a healthy life of nature and of grace? As Catholics, we know that grace is all-important. But this grace also works and builds upon a foundation which we call nature. Our Faith teaches us how to have a healthy natural life, and this ordered life can bring us profound peace, joy, and purpose when it is infused with the supernatural life of grace.

When speaking of the Holy Trinity, we often overlook the Paraclete, that is, the Holy Ghost. Yet it is the Holy Ghost that guides the Church, even through tumultuous times. And though Christ has ascended into heaven, He continues to be present with us through the third person of the Trinity.

As the crisis in the Church continues on, there are those traditional Catholics who have succumbed to the temptation of sedevacantism, that is, the belief there has been no valid pope since the death of Pius XII. Sedevcantism presents a twofold danger, both intellectual and spiritual. On the intellectual level, sedevacantism reveals itself to be an imprudent position, even in the face of grave concerns over the direction of the Church. On the spiritual level, it opens the door to despair.

In a certain sense, the Ascension is the greatest feast of the Church because it is the supreme glorification of Christ Jesus. This glorification is seen in Our Lord's ascension into heaven after bestowing the Great Commission on His Apostles. Moreover, in sitting at the right hand of the Father, Our Lord--God the Son--demonstrates his triumph over death while preparing a place for those who follow Him faithfully here on earth.

The month of May is the month of Mary, culminating in the celebration of the Queenship of Our Lady. Her queenship impresses upon us the importance of our time on earth and our need to centralize God in our lives. And though the Blessed Virgin is singular in her perfection, she remains a model of fidelity to God for us all and a great intercessor for our souls before the throne of heaven.

God is Our Father is in a number of different senses. The most important way in which He is Our Father is that He created us in His image and we are His children by grace. We may come to a deeper understanding of what this means through an examination of the life of St. Germaine and the special devotion she showed toward God the Father.

As St. James instructs, if any man thinks himself religious but does not control his tongue, his religion is vain. The sins of the tongue are, unfortunately, many and come all too easy. Detraction, gossip, and calumny are among these grave sins of the tongue that imperil our souls; therefore, we must be vigilant in learning to bridle our tongues and make reparations when we fail to do so.

One of the great curses of our times is the willingness of so many to believe anything because they have abandoned the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15), which is the Catholic Church. By abandoning this reality, the Church has compromised its mission and presented to the world that it can contradict its own teachings.

While self-reliance has its place, the Catholic Faith flourishes when it is the heartbeat of your daily life, anchored in the support and strength of a vibrant, faith-filled community. Discover how a robust Catholic community empowers you to live your faith fully and authentically.

Prayer is the key to heaven. As Our Lord demonstrated during His earthly ministry, it is through prayer that we are granted the means to persevere through the trials of this life. And we can be assured that every prayer is answered, even if not the way we expect.

One of the dominant themes in St. Peter's epistle is to bear wrongs patiently, for it is a grace. Bearing wrongs patiently is one of the spiritual works of mercy. We must do this because it is the will of God; it is a means of our sanctification.

The election of a new pope is a time of rejoicing for the Church. However, we cannot ignore the great challenges facing the new Pontiff, Leo XIV. In addition to the many worldly concerns he must address, his greatest task will be to restore the Catholic Faith while restoring the Church's spiritual life.

Two of Our Lady's titles, Stella Maris (Star of the Sea) and Stella Matutina (Morning Star) indicate that she is the guiding star in our lives. By taking the Blessed Virgin as our sure guide, she can lead us to know our state of life, that is, the path we will follow.

Our work has a value in the eyes of God. Our Lord has set an example for us, starting the Book of Genesis. And through it, He shows us that our work transcends pecuniary gain and is rather an act of charity for the greater good.

Holy Mother Church presents us the feast of All Saints to instruct us. For each saint has a particular virtue to teach. But the lesson we should draw from this day is that there is a quality common among all of them: a desire to love Our Lord and serve him above all else.

The priesthood is an indispensable aspect of the Catholic Faith. Instituted by Our Lord, it is the means of our sanctification and the gateway to our salvation.

When Our Lord rose from the dead, there were no trumpet blasts; there was no grand revealing of this miracle. Why then did God choose to keep the Resurrection hidden? And what does this decision mean with respect to our faith in the Risen Lord?

Easter is the richest of all the mysteries of the liturgy. If we enter with good dispositions, knowledge, and love into this mystery, then we enter into the heart of the Catholic Faith and the mystery of our redemption.

We often live our lives in fear of material deprivations and similar hardships. However, as the Bible instructs, fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom—for we know that we should fear sin, which deprives us of God's love. Yet the Resurrection gives us reason for great joy, for it gives us the pathway to eternal life with God.

The last beatitude Our Lord gives is centered on the great gift of faith. It is through faith that we find eternal life. And it is also through faith that we can ask God all that we need for our happiness and salvation.

Our Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself to His creation out of love. This self-giving is expressed through the offering of His Body and Blood during the sacrifice on the Cross and in the Mass. He also offers the forgiveness of sins. These gifts—these sacraments—are perpetuated through the holy priesthood, which Our Lord has established until the end of time.