Fifth Sunday of Lent

For a full Doctrinal Homily Outline for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, click here.

• Central idea: Christ is gracious and merciful.
• Doctrine: The surpassing wealth of knowing Christ.
• Practical application: Know Christ better.

Here is an excerpt:

• What does Paul mean in demeaning “all things”?
  • I don’t think Paul means that creation is actually worthless. Creation comes from the hand of the Creator and so it is good. But when we compare creation to its Creator, creation is as nothing.
  • Moreover, even the legitimate goods we legitimately gain in this life are as nothing in comparison with the goodness of knowing God. Christ called St. Paul–and Christ calls us–to complete dedication to Himself. This means that whenever there is any conflict between a created good and the Uncreated Good, we ought to choose the latter, and that means “the loss” of the former.
  • And, of course, any sin we commit in seeking the real or apparent happiness that can be gained from a created good is actually rubbish. Turning away from those things involves a “loss” too.