SSJE Sermons

“Jesus knows what motivates us. He knows our hearts, our minds, and our stomachs. He knows what makes us tick. He knows this for each and every one of us, in our own peculiar way.” Br. Jack Crowley urges us to bring our hunger to God's table.

“If our daily experiences of loss and failure and frustration prepare us for the certainty of our deaths, our daily experiences of trust—and the hope and joy and love that accompany them—do so as well.” Br. Lain Wilson celebrates the trust that transforms even our ultimate death into a promise of life.

“ Has the Risen Christ ever come to you when you were in a place of need? If so, how did he come? I’m moved by the resurrection accounts in the Fourth Gospel, in which Jesus returns to his broken-hearted disciples as the Risen One, meeting them just where they are.” Br. David Vryhof marvels at the tender, patient forgiveness of Jesus in the Resurrection narratives – the very same love that he extends to us as well.

“Mary, engulfed in sorrow and confronted with the profound emptiness of Jesus' tomb, didn't realize Jesus was right beside her until He spoke her name. Similarly, we all will endure our own versions of Good Friday—times marked by loss, departure, and profound loneliness. It is precisely in these moments that we should shift our focus to recognize Jesus' presence near us.” On Easter Sunday, Br. Jim Woodrum celebrates the manifestations of Paschal mystery all around us.

“The quiet, calm purpose of Jesus is sealed by the confidence of his final words: “It is finished.” It is finished with great suffering, and with great love. It is completed, whole, and offered up in glory. With him, at long last, we exhale and are drawn to our knees – not in defeat, but in awe. There is nothing more for us to do, but ask for the spirit of Jesus to aid us as we make a fresh return of such great love.” Br. Keith Nelson marvels at the depths of meaning held in Jesus' final breath from the cross.

“Every year on Maundy Thursday, I ask myself why, why did Jesus do it? Why did he wash feet at his own Last Supper? Every year I come back to the same answer. Jesus knew what he was doing. He knew this was it. This was the Last Supper. This was going to be one of his last chances to teach us something.” Br. Jack Crowley finds in Maundy Thursday a deep reminder that what we do here matters.

“Step forward into the observance of Holy Week. It’s more than an invitation; this is the stuff of our very lives, as individuals and as the Church. It will not look the same in every person or place. It’s not a neat and tidy category. But the phenomenon will grow and persevere, the offering will erupt forth, the trees will grow, in whichever heart they find purchase. And from there, Christ beckons, reigning from that very tree, as he always has been, and ever shall be.” As we hinge from Lent into Holy Week, Br. Lucas Hall encourages us to come as we are, knowing that Christ will meet us in our offering.

“Giving our life in love is not without suffering. Passion – Jesus’ passion and our passion – is both about love and suffering. ” In Holy Week, Br. Curtis Almquist contemplates the great mystery of life: how love and suffering coexist and inform each other.

“We may not limit the work of Christ to a particular people or organization, such as the Church, but instead must ask ourselves, “Who are the scattered people for whom Christ died in order that they, too, might be reconciled with God?” John does not limit the scope of God’s saving grace, and neither must we.” Br. David Vryhof prays that we will open our eyes to discern the height and breadth and depth of God's saving grace in our world.