Superficiality is a perennial problem that we must struggle with. Even the Apostles had to confront it. We want to have a casual life that makes no demands upon us. Yet we know we are called to something deeper, a more demanding life. We are called to live for God and above all it is our highest calling, yet we are challenged by a world that tempts us to disregard Our Lord.

Recently Catholics celebrated the feast day of the pillars of the Church, Ss. Peter and Paul. It is through the Catholic Church and the Catholic Church alone that mankind finds salvation. Through St. Peter the Church continues onward to this day under his successor who is tasked with governing her. And in unity with St. Paul, the Church fulfills the great commission to preach God across the world.

We know that St. Peter is the rock upon which Christ established His Church. He is one of the greatest saints, and we owe him our veneration. Yet we should also reflect on St. Peter’s conversion, where he recognizes Our Lord along with his own sinfulness. Despite St. Peter’s imperfections, Christ beckons him to follow. And so we see, throughout the Gospels, St. Peter not only following, but chasing after, Our Lord. We are called upon to do the same: recognize our sinfulness and never give up our pursuit of sanctification in Christ.

Following the series of post-Paschal feasts that are intended to be consoling, Holy Mother Church steps forth to remind us that salvation is not automatic. This warning is intended to keep us vigilant even outside of the penitential season of Lent. Moreover, the Church desires us to know that the Catholic Faith is not just about consolations and that we must not make excuses for putting off the work of our salvation when we do not receive them.

Prayer is the oxygen of the soul. It is the high point of our lives. Whether vocal or silent, it is our means to connect with God. Through prayer, we ask everything we need to save our souls. Through prayer, particularly the devotion of the Holy Rosary, we are invited to draw closer to God and to reflect on the fact that we know we are in the presence of Our Lord.

To follow Christ, St. Paul was called to imitate Our Lord in every facet of his apostolate. And while he may not have known the abundant fruits of his labor in this life, we know and revere the results of his efforts. Moreover, St. Paul reminds us that the task of winning souls for Christ is an arduous one, but also one that will be rewarded in due course through God’s grace.

As Catholics, we are called to not only accept the tenets of the Catholic Faith, but to approach all facets of our lives with the mind of the Church. This is imperative when it comes to Holy Communion. As the greatest sacrament that God has offered to us, we must not presume that we are simply entitled to it nor that we can ever “earn” it. Rather, in keeping with mind of the Church, we should always appreciate that it is a great gift bestowed upon us by God out of His infinite love for us.

St. Peter had a great love for Our Lord, though we know from Scripture that he had an intemperate soul until Christ calmed it. His call for mutual charity or, to put it another way, supernatural friendship, is a reminder that we are called to look beyond our neighbors’ faults to find the good in them. And at the same time, we hope they will see the same in us.

Our Lord draws closest to us, spiritually and materially, in the Eucharist. How do we respond to this great gift, particularly after receiving Holy Communion? Do we continue to remember that Our Lord is within us, even after Mass, or do we get distracted immediately by worldly concerns? While Our Lord will always desire to be close to us, we must desire to be close to Him as well; we must return His love

On Pentecost, the faithful commemorate the birthday of the Church. Yet it is also a time to reflect on the coming of the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, and the gifts He bestows upon the faithful. What these gifts are and what they can do for us in our everyday lives is the topic of this sermon.