Sermons from St. Francis
Listen to sermons and homilies from Sunday Mass at St. Francis.
Sermon for July 19, 2026
A reflection on Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Lessons from learning to fly in later life show how our sense of risk and our priorities change as we grow older. St. Paul asks what fruit we ever had from the things we are now ashamed of, and invites us to think about where our choices lead. Whatever we must juggle, whether jobs, school, family, or retirement, putting God first must always be our number one priority, for the young and the old alike.
Sermon for July 12, 2026
A reflection on Matthew 5:20: “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” The scribes and Pharisees kept the law carefully, but they were missing the right heart behind it. Christianity is concerned not only with what we do but with why we do it, like the widow’s mite and the good Samaritan who gave without counting the cost. God loves us not because we deserve it but because He chooses to, and when the great theologian Karl Barth was asked to sum up his life’s work, he answered, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Sermon for June 28, 2026
A reflection on St. Paul’s charge to Timothy: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Like the hardworking farmer who shares first in the harvest, those who put real effort into their faith receive its blessings. This parish is blessed to be part of a family of communities sharing the historic creeds, the seven sacraments, and worship rooted in Scripture and tradition, offering a safe, thoughtful, and faithful place to come to the Lord’s altar. It is a church filled with grace, mercy, and people who take their faith seriously, and for that we give God the glory.
Sermon for June 21, 2026
A reflection on 1 Peter 5: “After that ye have suffered a while, the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, will make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” Faith in God is a choice, and it is the only firm foundation; faith in ourselves or in this world is building on sand. In a culture where many shape Christianity to fit their own opinions, the Church holds fast to the truth handed down from the apostles: that Jesus is truly God, that sin is real, and that Christ died to save us. We are called to keep ourselves pure, love as He loved, and witness to that truth.
Sermon for June 14, 2026
A reflection for the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, remembering the burning love of Christ, the only spotless sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. St. Paul writes in Romans 5 that God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, for while we were still weak, Christ died for the ungodly. We are raised to think of ourselves as strong and self sufficient, but every blessing is a gift from God, and we are weak and in need of saving. God knows exactly who we are, and nevertheless He loves us, a love that turns our anxiety into defiant joy.
Sermon for June 7, 2026
A reflection on the parable in Luke 16 of the rich man who feasted every day while a poor man named Lazarus lay at his gate. Strikingly, the poor man has a name and the rich man does not; God values what is in a person’s heart, not what the world admires. The rich man had every means to help, yet he never saw the need in front of him or the chance to serve God. God knows each of us by name, as Isaiah promises, “I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine,” and He calls us to care for those in need, even with a smile, a kind word, or a listening ear.