Sermons & Homilies
If there is anything America, or rather the whole world desperately needs right now, it is saints. It is the saints who call down God’s mercy and grace on the world. It is the saints who keep the sun shining, the world turning. The saints truly are the salt of the earth, preserving it from rotting away.
Forty men were being martyred in a freezing lake. One forsook Christ, seeking the warmth of an earthly fire. He died immediately in his fall. The other 39 died soon in their struggle. A pagan soldier saw the apostate’s crown and joined the 39. He died soon in his struggle.
Today, on the Sunday after the Nativity of Our Lord and God Jesus Christ, we commemorate the Holy Righteous Prophet-King David, the Holy Righteous Joseph the Betrothed, and the Holy Apostle James the brother of God and first bishop of Jerusalem. Each of these saints requires their own accolades. Each requires their own sermons. Each requires their own rightful place of honor. Each possesses their own rich history. Each possesses a rich tradition of hagiography. Each is perpetually honored by the Church, whether explicitly or implicitly.
