frsuelzle Sermons

You Can’t Be A Lamb Without a Flock

A sermon for Misericordias Domini, by Fr. Dan Suelzle

The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is not a sentimental metaphor. Sunday’s Gospel reading (John 10:11-16) reminds us that Christ’s work as our Good Shepherd is gritty, life-saving work in the face of actual spiritual peril. We are not merely wayward lambs but often obstinate ones, pursued by the wolves of sin, death, and false doctrine that seek to scatter the flock. To be the Good Shepherd, Christ did not simply offer worldly comfort; he stood in the breach, laying down his life to atone for our iniquities and rising again, slaying the wolves of sin and death. His Shepherding doesn’t stop there, however. He continues to shepherd his flock even now, through his Church. Today, the protection of our Good Shepherd isn’t found in vague spirituality but in the actual pastures of the Word and Sacraments, where the Shepherd’s voice sounds forth through his undershepherds, forgiving sins, granting wisdom, and nourishing us with his body and blood.

Listen to the homily below.

frsuelzle Sermons

A Letter to the Grave

A sermon for the Resurrection of Our Lord, by Father Dan Suelzle.

Death is defeated. The grave has lost its sting. What authority and power can it really claim to have over us, who have been baptized into the Resurrection and the Life? Listen to Fr. Suelzle’s Easter homily below.

frsuelzle Sermons

For Us Men, and For Our Salvation

A homily on the Feast of the Annunciation of Our Lord, by Father Dan Suelzle.

A religious painting depicting the Annunciation, featuring the Angel Gabriel kneeling and speaking to the Virgin Mary, who is seated and holding a small object. A dove representing the Holy Spirit is shown above, and a scroll with text is visible on a nearby lectern.

At Gabriel’s annunciation to Mary we see a profound collision of divine majesty and radical humility that shapes our understanding of humanity. By choosing to enter the world through the Blessed Virgin’s womb, Jesus Christ sanctified every stage of human existence, from conception to adulthood, and thus is like us in every way. This condescension was the fulfillment of God’s divine plan to save mankind. By becoming fully human and remaining fully divine, Christ is the one and only God-man, able to fulfill the Law and suffer in our place, and defeating sin, death, and the devil. Ultimately, the Annunciation reminds us that in his incarnation, Christ makes himself our brother in the flesh so that we might truly become children of the Father. You can listen to the full homily below.