Sermon: Forth Sunday after Pentecost. by Father Fabrice Loschi.

This is the remains of the Temple to Pan the god of shepherds

Sunday 20th June: 2010 Forth Sunday after Pentecost. (Vestments White.)  

Sermon by Father Fabrice Loschi, who kindly drove from Athlone to say Holy Mass for us.

Holy Gospel according to St Luke, V 1-11  “The Church is here represented by Peter’s boat.  In the ship of the Church of Jesus beaten by the waves and tempest of the world, let us put our trust in God.”

Father Loschi encouraged us not to loose hope because of the present crises of the Church.  He supported his entreaty by explaining how God had chosen Saint Peter even before he was born to lead His Church.  Father constantly throughout his sermon relayed this insight back to our own lives asking us to realise that God had also chosen us and placed us in the perfect place for us, to carry out the purpose of our lives in Him.  Father reminded us that papal infallibility would maintain the true teachings of the Church.

Father explained how well chosen was the place that Jesus called Peter to become the leader of His Church on earth. This great event took place at Caesarea Philippi where the great temple to Pan the pagan god of Shepherds was hewn into a massive rock.  The apostles would have been very aware of the significance of this.  “Feed my sheep.” Jesus had told them, for He was the true Shepherd. (Matthew 16 v 13-20 and Mark 8 v27 - 30)   

Father Loschi described Peter the person.  A man born in Bethesda, a town on an important trade route that people of every language, nationality and creed passed through.  Peter would, said Father, have been educated in the school recently discovered during an Archeological dig in the area.  Peter was a man who owned his own boat and had a crew over which he was the boss.  Peter already had leadership skills in his everyday life, and Jesus knowing this organised the miracle of the great draught of fishes on Peter's boat.  After which, Jesus said, “Fear not, from hencefoth thou shalt catch men.” 

It had been near Peter’s birthplace, Bethesda, that Jesus had fed the 5,000.  

Father made an interesting observation.  He explained to the faithful that as they fished in the deep sea that day the fishermen had used nets, as opposed to hooks.  Hooks hurt and maim the fish, while nets gather great numbers of fish without pain.  The Gospel of Christ is one of love and does not use aggression to gather men into the Church.   

Father pointed out how Divine Providence chose and prepared Peter exactly where he was and how he was.  Divine Providence does the same with us.  

Divine Providence placed us where we are to bloom united with Jesus Christ:

Day after day, hour after hour, minute by minute.  

Father encouraged us to accept where God has placed us.  He reminded us of humility in accepting the will of God in our lives.  

Father advised us to ask Saint Peter during this Mass to help us to better understand our own personal mission.

Father Loschi did not forget to remind us of the grave consequences of ignoring this special message in today’s Gospel.  He recalled for us how Jesus had warned:

“Woe to you Bethsaida...."  Jesus spoke of the great graces the townsfolk had received.  He reminded them of the miracles done there - Jesus spoke of doing penance for sin.  He warned Bethesda that woe to thee, Bethsaida: for if in Tyre and Sidon had been wrought the miracles that have been wrought in you, they had long ago done penance in sackcloth and ashes.

Occasions of Sin

An Occasion of Sin

Summer is here and we, in this northern hemisphere, long for blue skies and sunshine after long dreary winters that leave us depleted of gayety and joy.  Who can blame us for wanting to feel the fresh sunlight on as much of our skin as possible?  

And yet I hear so many of my women friends lament the coming of the hot weather. They look at each other in consternation as they agree that the young people will offend God as they walk the streets immodestly dressed.  Just before she died, Little Jacinta in 1917 prophesied that there would come to the world many fashions that would deeply offend God. 

But didn’t God make our skin, we might argue, how could He be offended by seeing more of it?  The problem is that being immodestly dressed we become what Holy Mother Church describes as, “An occasion to sin to others.”  

As women, we become an occasion of sin to others when we wear provocative clothing.  The latest fashion of tops that expose the cleavage is “an occasion of sin” to men.  As are tight jeans, that expose the contours of the genital area and bottom.  Looking at women dressed in this way men easily lust after them.  

Not your problem?  Think again!  Remember what Jesus said.  Jesus acknowledged that temptation must come but he warned: “woe to the one who causes it to come to others.” 

My dear sisters, pity the souls of men.  So many are going to hell.  I recall walking along a street with a male friend.  We approached a lovely young women wearing shorts and sitting sunning herself.  Unknown to her, she was sitting in such a way that her skimpy shorts revealed all.  My male friend confided to me, “You know it is very hard for a man not to have sexual thoughts when they see something like that.”

What did Jesus also warn:  “He who lusts after a women has already sinned with her in his heart!”  Do you think these men who lust after us will stand alone, in their sin, before the judgement seat of God?  I think not.  No. Just as Adam shifted the blame to Eve, so too, will every man on Judgement Day point to us and say - “But she tempted me Lord.”   

Death of Decorum!

This little lady is dressed with decorum and she is carrying her Rosary Beads.  She is hope, for the future of mankind.  

When Jesus foretold the coming chastisement He said that nearly all the people on earth would be killed.  But, said Jesus, God would stop short of ending mankind - "For the sake of the elect." 


Our enemies - Satan the enemy of mankind and his armies are hard at work day and night while we Catholics slumber.   


LOOK AT THIS:
When I type "Our Lady" or even the word "lady" as a word on its own, this is the warning message I get on my imac computer:


Gender - specific expression.  Consider ommitting this word or replacing it with ‘woman’,  ‘person‘  or  ‘individual’. 

Why?  Well here is the reason.  If I describe a collogue to you as a "real lady,"  you will conjure up in your mind a genteel woman of refinement.  However if enough people follow the computers advise and omit this word, very quickly the word will cease to have a meaning in the human mind.  When we call the Mother of Jesus, "Our Lady" it conjures up a picture of a 'ladylike' woman.  When we wish to imitate Her goodness and purity we have a prototype of what a lady really is.
My dictionary says of the word 'ladylike':
"genteel, polite, refined, well-bred,cultivated, polished, decorous, proper, respectable, seemly, well mannered, cultured, sophisticated, elegant, modest; feminine,womanly."
Can you imagine calling Our Lady, Our Woman!  How coarse that would be.  My dictionary tells me that the opposite of ladylike is - 'coarse'.  
Never forget Liberals are coarse people who who are offended by anything moving towards the 'holy' or the good.  In fact in the circles in which I work should I describe the above child as 'good'  those around me would be horror struck and they would demand to know what I meant by it.  They would want the word substantiated.  You see they don't know what it means any more.