13th Sunday after Pentecost: On Avoiding Bad Company ~ St. Alphonsus

About this sermon

Can the people you spend time with put your eternal salvation in danger? In this sermon for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost, St. Alphonsus Liguori uses the Gospel of the ten lepers to teach a sobering lesson about bad company. Just as leprosy spreads by contagion, sinful habits can spread through friendship, conversation, imitation, and repeated exposure. Drawing upon St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Basil, St. Bernard, St. Ambrose, Scripture, and the Fathers, St. Alphonsus warns that examples often influence us more powerfully than words. We gradually begin to speak, think, excuse, and eventually practice what our companions normalize. He does not teach that Christians must completely withdraw from sinners. Rather, he distinguishes unavoidable contact from familiar companionship that endangers the soul. Especially dangerous are friends who minimize sin: “Everyone does it. You are young. God will forgive you.” Such counsel can become the serpent’s voice in our own lives. St. Alphonsus’ remedy is clear: flee sinful companionship, seek friends who speak according to Christian truth, and never abandon God—your first and eternal Friend. 00:00 13th Sunday After Pentecost — Avoiding Bad Company 00:29 The Ten Lepers Meet Jesus 00:51 Why Christ Sent Them Away Before Healing Them 01:21 Sin Is Like Contagious Leprosy 01:36 You Must Separate From Bad Companions 01:56 “A Friend of Fools Shall Become Like Them” 02:16 Examples Influence More Than Words 02:33 St. Augustine on Sinful Friendships 02:49 St. Thomas: Know Whom You Must Avoid 03:01 A Wicked Companion Can Be Worse Than a Devil 03:17 Your Friends Reveal Your Character 03:50 Vice Spreads Like Infected Air 04:07 St. Peter & the Danger of Bad Company 04:30 St. Augustine’s Own Experience 04:53 “He That Handles Pitch Shall Be Defiled” 05:18 Avoid Their Paths & Allurements 05:57 Bad Friends as the Devil’s Decoys 06:30 One Sinner Becomes a Snare for Another 06:38 Avoid Them Like a Plague 06:59 Contact vs. Familiar Companionship 07:24 Would You Live Among Scorpions? 08:10 One Bad Friend Can Corrupt the Group 08:43 False Prophets & False Maxims 09:03 Evil Communications Corrupt Good Manners 09:15 “Everyone Else Does It” — The Serpent’s Argument 09:53 The Cruelty of Sinful Friendship 10:09 Be Careful Whom You Ask for Advice 10:49 The Value of a Good Christian Friend 10:57 Separate From Wicked Companions 11:19 Never Abandon Your First Friend—God 11:39 Bad Friends Do Not Truly Love You 12:06 Who Actually Wants Your Welfare? 12:32 Guard Your Ears From Wicked Speech 12:50 Correct Others Instead of Joining Them 12:58 A Terrifying Example of Bad Friendship 13:20 The Damned Friend Appears in a Dream 13:35 An Eternal Warning #StAlphonsusLiguori #BadCompany #CatholicSermon #CatholicFaith #NearOccasionOfSin #CatholicSpirituality #13thSundayAfterPentecost #CatholicTeaching #ChristianFriendship #AvoidSin #TraditionalCatholic #CatholicSaints #SpiritualWarfare #Salvation #SensusFidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/meditations/st-alphonsus/st-alphonsus-sermons-for-every-sunday-of-the-year/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴

Topics

• Holy Spirit
• Pentecost