Sermons

This sermon critiques the popular advice "be true to yourself," arguing it can lead to self-centered decision-making. Using Jesus's parable of the Pharisee and tax collector, the preacher advocates for honest self-knowledge that acknowledges both good and bad aspects of ourselves, seeking God's guidance rather than relying solely on personal instincts. [30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C]

This sermon uses Jesus's healing command "ephphatha" (be open) to explore truthful speech. Drawing on Greek concept "parrhesia" - frank, dangerous truth-telling to power - the preacher connects this to Jesus and Paul as truth-tellers. Addressing Catholic Church abuse scandals, the sermon calls for becoming a "confessing church" rather than secret-keeping, emphasizing collective responsibility for institutional sins and the need for public penance, transparency, and authentic truth-telling as Christian duty.

Using Luke's account of Jesus reading Isaiah, the preacher examines how Jesus omitted vengeance from his message, disappointing crowds who expected violent revolution. This connects to modern political rhetoric, emphasizing integrity between words and actions while serving the common good rather than echoing anger. The sermon concludes with Ukrainian translator Natalia Dmitruk's act of defiance during fraudulent elections, illustrating how truthful voices can inspire justice movements and embody gospel values.

This sermon explores the prevalence of lying in daily life and contrasts it with Jesus's embodiment of truth before Pilate. Fr. Foley argues that like Pilate, we often "wash our hands" of inconvenient truths. He calls Christians to live authentic truth through love of neighbor, even when costly.

This reflection explores the apparent contradiction between God's unconditional love (Psalm 139) and Jesus's harsh judgment of hypocrites--those whose actions do not align with what they say. Rice notes that God's judgment targets those who hide behind masks, trying to earn love through performance rather than accepting they are already beloved. Using Byron Katie's insights, the piece suggests we often act from fear to manipulate others' affection, but God's love is unconditional and unearnable—we simply need to remove our masks and accept this truth.

This philosophical reflection argues that truth remains a fundamental value across cultures and throughout history. Drawing from Greek philosophy, Roman thought, and Christian theology, the author contends that truth is essential for meaningful relationships, just society, and spiritual life. The piece warns against "post-truth" attitudes that undermine moral and civil order.

One can reframe the Good Samaritan parable by focusing on the scholar who questions Jesus. The preacher explores how we all struggle with self-justification and confirmation bias, especially in our information-saturated world. Like the scholar, we need courage and humility to question our assumptions, practice "cognitive hygiene," and remain open to transformation through genuine listening.

Fr. Goergen explores truth as something we must live and embody, not just know intellectually. Drawing on Gandhi's example and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' insights, it emphasizes that seeking truth requires honest conversation, humility, and listening to others. Truth-seeking is collaborative, requiring us to step outside our own perspectives through respectful dialogue.

This text uses the traditional perfume-making process of enfleurage as a metaphor for Christian baptism. Just as flowers' essence gradually infuses fat and alcohol to create perfume, baptism begins a lifelong process where believers absorb Christ's character and "aroma," becoming witnesses whose spirit reflects compassion, mercy, generosity, and courage.  As such Christians can develop a "smell test" to be able to assess the truth of what others tell them.

This reflective piece explores the author's kinship with "Doubting Thomas" (called Didymus) as they both grapple with skepticism in an era of misinformation. While questioning is valuable, the author realizes that excessive doubt can become paralyzing. Like Thomas, they must eventually move beyond endless foundation-testing to build a life of faith and action.  [Prepared for the Feast of St. Thomas celebrated each year on July 3rd in Catholic calendar.]