allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

Christmas Mass During the Night

A homily for the Nativity of Our Lord, by Fr. Dan Suelzle.

In the blessed incarnation of Jesus Christ we behold the “Great Mystery” of God shattering human expectations. He condescends to his creation in humility to conquer the great enemies of sin, death, and the devil. Though all things exist on account of this Word, Christ’s humble arrival in a manger—fulfilling ancient prophecies through a virgin birth—highlights a divine reversal, where the King of Kings dwells among and for the weak and the unworthy. This act of condescension is not merely a sentimental event but part of a God’s merciful and redemptive work that stretches all the way back to the Garden of Eden. The infant God first laid in a feeding trough was destined for the cross to accomplish the forgiveness of sins for all mankind. This great mystery continues to be revealed to the faithful today, inviting us to move from the manger to the cross and empty tomb and finally to the Altar, where the same Lord who was born for us, also feeds us with his life-giving body and blood for our forgiveness. Listen to the entire homily below.

allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

Whatsoever Is Hindered by Our Sins

A sermon for the Fourth Sunday in Advent, by Fr. Josh Leigeber.

On the Fourth Sunday in Advent—anciently known as the Preparation—the Church prays a striking petition: that the Lord would come with power so that “whatsoever is hindered by our sins may be speedily accomplished through the mercy of Thy satisfaction.” This sermon reflects on the breadth of that prayer and the deep comfort it offers.

Sin has hindered every aspect of life—our joy and peace, our bodily life, our life together as neighbors, and ultimately our life with God. We contribute nothing to the restoration of these things but more sin and resistance. Yet Christ, by His satisfaction on the cross, has fully paid for sin and continues to apply the fruits of His work to us by grace until the final defeat of death itself.

Against a merely sentimental celebration of Christmas—one that offers fleeting emotional comfort—the true and lasting significance of the Nativity resounds in our ears: God the Son has come to dwell among us. Christmas is not a temporary feeling but a reality-changing event with ongoing consequences. In Christ’s real, gracious presence—especially as He comes to us now in His Word and Sacraments—what sin has hindered is truly being restored.

Echoing John the Baptist’s witness to “the One who stands among you,” the sermon calls hearers to recognize Christ present in the midst of His Church: restoring joy and peace, renewing bodily life with the promise of resurrection, uniting us as one Body, and reconciling us to God through forgiveness and the gift of faith.

Because of this, Christmas changes everything. The faithful prepare not for a fleeting holiday, but for the enduring mercy of God made flesh—who continues, throughout the year, to grant forgiveness, life, and salvation to His people. Listen to the full sermon below.

allsaintsjonesboro Sermons

Should we look for another?

A sermon for the Third Sunday in Advent, by Fr. Dan Suelzle.

The Lord’s Christ is the man Jesus. Jesus is no mere man, but the promised Messiah. His identity is confirmed by his works, which include healing the afflicted and preaching the Gospel to the poor. The account of John the Baptist, who sends his disciples to Jesus from prison to ask if he is “the one,” highlights a crucial tension: the Kingdom of God, while ushered in by Jesus, often does not align with human expectations of worldly power and glory, as demonstrated by John’s own imprisonment. This leads to the temptation to look for other “saviors” because Jesus’s kingdom operates through hidden weakness rather than obvious might. Therefore, the Christian life does not consist of demanding more signs or relying on sight, but in using our ears to hear God’s Word, which proclaims that this Jesus—the crucified and resurrected Lamb of God—has already fully and sufficiently dealt with sin and established his eternal, life-giving kingdom through Word and Sacrament. Listen the entire sermon below.