Author: Fr. John

The podcast can be found here.

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Image: The arrest of Thomas Cranmer

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On January 28, 1547 Henry the Eighth, by the Grace of God, King of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and also of Ireland in Earth Supreme Head died. And when he died, all hell broke loose. Continue reading “Sermon: Oxford Martyrs”

The podcast can be found here.  (I got the date wrong in the recording.  It is the sermon preached on Oct. 15.)

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We have all experienced times of forgetfulness. Take your glasses off, set them down, and a few minutes later you can’t remember where you left them.  Walk into a room and forget what you were doing.  Suddenly you can’t remember your oldest friends name. Things like that.  At other times, certain memories just seem to drop out.  For example, do you have a collection of keys, maybe in a jar or in a drawer, that you have no idea what they go to? And the frustrating bit is that you can’t throw them away, because as soon as you do, you’ll discover that it’s going to cost $150 to drill the lock on the safety deposit box.  Then there are phone numbers. I have this horrible habit of writing phone numbers down on post-it notes. Trouble is, I don’t put a name with them, so I sit staring at it trying to remember who it belongs to.  Forgetfulness is universal. It’s a bit like Neville Longbottom – in Harry Potter – getting a Remembrall from his Grams.  It’s a little glass ball that changes colors when you forget something. Neville’s changed color, but as he said, “I can’t remember what I’ve forgotten.”

Then there are times when something that happened years ago that you had completely forgotten, suddenly surfaces.  Sometimes the reason for your remembering makes sense, you smell a certain perfume and recognize it as the perfume your first girlfriend wore.  Other times the connection is not so linear: you see a commercial on TV for toilet paper and you suddenly think of the first time you were sent to the principal’s office. Continue reading “Sermon: Proper 23 RCL A – “Invitations””

The podcast can be found here.

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Mr. Williams, a hardened businessman, was interviewing applicants for an important position in management. To find the right person for the job, he created a test; each applicant was asked the same question, “What is two and two?”

The first interview was with a journalist. The writer looked at Williams and answered, “Twenty-two.”

The second applicant to be interviewed was an engineer. He tackled the question with a compass and slide rule. Within moments, he confidently declared the answer to be “somewhere between 3.999 and 4.001.”

Mr. Williams was optimistic about the next applicant, a former lawyer. The lawyer studied the question and then confidently stated that in the case of Stallings vs. Commissioner of the Dept. of the Interior, two and two had been proven to be four. Continue reading “Sermon: Proper 22 RCL A – “Searching for the Kingdom””

The podcast can be found here.

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Boudreaux had been transporting his his favorite mule, Matilda, to some greener pastures when a semi ran a stop sign and plowed into him. A couple months later, he sued the trucking company for all his pain an misery, but when the fancy lawyer from the trucking company got him on the stand during the trial, the lawyer asked him, “Didn’t you say at the scene of the accident ‘I’m fine’”?

Broudreaux said, “Let me told you what happened to me, I had jus loaded my favorite mule…”

The lawyer interrupted , “No. Just answer the question. When asked, didn’t you respond by saying, ‘I’m fine’”?

Boudreaux said, “I had just got Matilda into da trailer and was driving…”

The lawyer interrupted again and said, “Judge, I am trying to establish the fact that this man told the State Policeman on the scene that he was just fine. Now he decides to sue. I believe he is a fraud. Please instruct him to answer the question.”

The judge thought for a minute, then said, “I’d like hear what he’s got to say.” Continue reading “Sermon: Proper 21 RCL A – “By What Authority?””

The podcast can be found here.

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I don’t like to be late and actually prefer to get places well ahead of time. I also don’t like to wait around, which means that I create my own frustrations by arriving early, but today is not the time for sorting out my psychological issues; however, awhile back as I was walking through the airport – I was early for my flight – then I saw the line through security… very long. fifty to sixty people deep long and moving slow. Now, not only was I probably going to be late, I was also going to have to wait. I entered the cattle shoot – the long winding back and forth partitions for the line. As I made the left side cutback, I started passing folks on the other side of the ropes. I figured that it was going to turn me back eventually, but no. It was only when I was a few steps from the security desk that I realized I was in the TSA pre-approved line. That’s the line that allows you to scoot on through, because you have enough money and have jumped through a few hurdles.

Looking up at the agent, I said, “Oh, sorry. I’m in the wrong line.” And was turning to go, when the agent said, “It’s OK, honey. Come on through.” I didn’t even have my collar on. I smiled and looked over at the other line. It wasn’t one of those gloating smiles either. I was just happy. There were people scowling at me. For a brief moment, I feared for my safety. I ducked my head and hurriedly went the rest of the way through security before any of the others could get through and find me. They were ticked because not only did I scoot through, but also because I shouldn’t have been allowed. I should have been spun on my heels and sent to the back of the line. Just ask anybody who was standing in that line of fifty to sixty people. We don’t always like seeing people receive something we do not feel they deserve. Why? Because we believe that we are the one entitled, deserving of preferential treatment. Continue reading “Sermon: Proper 20 RCL A – “Worthy””