St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Friday of the 3rd Week of Lent

The Scribes are often depicted as opponents of Jesus; however, in today's encounter, they find common ground. Jesus tells the Scribe, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." They agree on the two great commandments of the Law. The first commandment instructs us to love God, while the second commands us to love our neighbor. The highest form of love is reserved for God.

The two commandments differ in the intensity of love required. We must love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Only God deserves our absolute love. To love God in this manner means to be enveloped in God's love for humanity, which naturally leads us to the second commandment: loving our neighbor. This love for our neighbor directly reflects God's pure and total love for us.

Homily for Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Some people who witnessed Jesus casting out a demon from a mute man believed that He did it through the power of Satan rather than recognizing it as God's power at work in Him. This was a significant misjudgment. In response, Jesus proclaimed that it was through the power of God that He healed people.

Sometimes, we fail to see God's work among us, especially when it happens through those we may not always agree with. God blesses us in various ways, yet we often overlook these gifts. Instead of concentrating on what we lack or what is wrong in our lives, we should recognize and express gratitude for the blessings God has given us.

We should pray for the ability to see as Jesus sees. He recognized God's work in creation, the sower, the vineyard, the flowers of the field, and the birds of the air. Jesus also saw God's presence in people others had dismissed due to their imperfections and faults. He teaches us to look with eyes of generosity, hope, and mercy. When we do this, we will feel inspired to give thanks in all circumstances, just as St. Paul encouraged us to do.

Homily for Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Throughout His ministry, Jesus used powerful imagery to emphasize what is essential in life. In all three synoptic Gospels, He compared His ministry to new wine, stating that this new wine required new wineskins; otherwise, the skins would burst. This metaphor suggests that a new approach is necessary rather than sticking to traditional methods.

At the same time, Jesus deeply respected tradition, especially His Jewish heritage and the Scriptures that nourished and inspired Him. In the Sermon on the Mount, He declared that He had come not to abolish the Law and the prophets but to fulfill them. Jesus did not intend to start from scratch; He valued Jewish tradition immensely and aimed to enhance it, bringing forth greater richness and fullness. His goal was to renew Israel's tradition rather than discard it.

Jesus' approach indicates that we should neither abandon our religious traditions nor idolize them as absolute rules and dogmas. Instead, the renewal process involves honoring the best aspects of our tradition, allowing its rich potential to be fully realized, and being open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to guide us in new directions.

Homily for the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord

Today, we celebrate the Annunciation of the Lord—the moment Mary learned of God's call for her to become the mother of His Son. 
This was a frightening time for Mary; she was visited by an angel and faced the possibility of damaging her reputation and Joseph's in the eyes of those who might accuse them of wrongdoing. 
Yet, despite her fears, she responded to God's call with all her heart, soul, mind, and body. 
Let us pray that Mary's example of selflessly surrendering her own will to that of God will inspire us to pursue God wholeheartedly, even when it is difficult, unpopular, or puts us at odds with those around us.

Homily for Monday of the 3rd Week of Lent

In our Gospel passage, Jesus confronts a limited view of God held by His fellow Nazoreans, who believed that God belonged solely to the Israelites. When Jesus reminded them of instances in Scripture where God seemed to favor pagans over the Jewish people, they felt resentment and drove Him away. This rejection in Nazareth foreshadowed the more violent rejection He would face in Jerusalem.

Jesus aimed to expand the people's narrow understanding of God. He wanted them to recognize, as St. Peter later stated, that "God has no favorites." Jesus sought to convey that God's generosity and inclusiveness extend beyond their imagination. He consistently attempted to demonstrate that there is so much more to God than they comprehended.

Jesus' vision of God remains a challenge for us today, but it is still "Good News" for all who are open and willing to receive it.

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Lent

This third Sunday of Lent focuses on the theme of second chances. In our first reading, we encounter a bush that is engulfed in flames yet remains unburned. In the Gospel passage, there is a fig tree that bears no fruit and is destined for destruction, much like young George Washington's cherry tree, but it is saved by the gardener. In both instances, where we might expect destruction, we instead discover new opportunities for growth, care, and flourishing.

Over the centuries, the goodness of God, which always offers us another chance, has not been proclaimed as strongly as it should be. Too often, we have focused on God's justice as if it were a one-time ultimatum: shape up or ship out. This perspective can be seen in today’s second reading, where Paul appears to argue that God punished the chosen people for their complaints and infidelity.

Paul was a tough individual, and for him, commitment to Christianity was no trivial matter. He recognized the suffering and sacrifices that many endured for the Gospel, so he worked diligently to teach the people of Corinth that the commitment demanded by the Gospel might require everything they had. However, his interpretation of why the Israelites perished in the desert should be viewed alongside the second chances presented in the other readings, especially in the Gospel.

During Lent, we, as believers, enter a sacred time and explore the holy space within ourselves, where the fire of God’s love should burn brightly. These weeks provide us an opportunity to re-evaluate our values, family history, commitment, fidelity, and growth so we can determine the best ways to grow old with God. This often requires confronting our sinful behaviors and making choices to change our lives. We can only embrace this process when we trust that the fire of God’s love is not about destruction, but rather about compassion, forgiveness, and second chances.

May this Eucharist nurture the foundations of our lives and serve as a moment for us to reflect honestly on the fruitfulness of how, as a reflection of Christ's light within us, we live out our faith in our marriages, at home, at work, and in the world.

Homily for Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Forgiveness and reconciliation are central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Being a true disciple of Jesus means dedicating ourselves to achieving unity of spirit, even in the face of differences and disagreements.

The work of reconciliation is not confined to a specific time or place or dependent on any particular circumstances. It is offered to all individuals and is not limited to specific groups.

Forgiveness requires confronting our responsibility for harming others, just as the Prodigal Son did. This often entails setting aside our agendas, desires, and need for control. At times, it may necessitate putting aside our own pain to focus on the goal of reconciliation and actively work towards it. It isn’t an easy journey, but it is what the Gospel calls us to pursue. We are urged to prioritize reconciliation and healing instead of seeking vengeance and punishment, much like the father in today’s Gospel reading who navigates between his two sons.

Let us all commit ourselves to reconciliation: forgiving without wanting revenge, asking forgiveness to heal those we have harmed, and restoring hope and dignity to those who have suffered because of our actions.

Homily for Friday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Today's parable serves as a creative introduction to the narrative of Jesus' Passion. After sharing this story, Jesus quoted the Psalms: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone," foreshadowing His Resurrection. Although He was rejected by the religious and political leaders of His time, Jesus rose from the dead and became the cornerstone of a new temple: the Church, which consists of people who have faith in Him.

Through this teaching, Jesus emphasizes that what we often reject is of vital importance. The aspects of our lives that we wish to leave behind might be how God communicates with us. The elements we hesitate to accept can be the very means through which the Lord works powerfully in our lives and, through us, in the lives of others. Jesus' experience also suggests that God has a purpose for what we reject. Unlike us, God never turns His back on us, even if we reject Him.

Homily for Thursday of the 2nd Week of Lent

The parable for today is not intended to criticize wealth itself. Instead, it encourages those with more than enough to consider whether they share with those in need. Are we doing our part to help close the gap between those with plenty and those with very little?

While possessions are not inherently evil, they should not distract us from the plight of those in the world who have so little. In this parable, the rich man is criticized for using his wealth solely for his own benefit, which reflects his indifference toward others. 

Even if we do not consider ourselves wealthy, we can still become complacent regarding the poor. This story raises an important question: are we even aware of the poverty around us and within our communities?

Homily for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today's Gospel highlights that while St. Joseph loved and protected his young Son, he sometimes struggled to understand Him. After anxiously searching for Jesus with Mary, Joseph finally found Him in the Temple, where Jesus told him that He must be engaged in His Father's affairs.

In that moment, St. Joseph realized that his Son had a deeper connection with another "Father." It became clear that Jesus had a stronger loyalty to this divine Father than to His earthly parents. St. Joseph learned that he needed to allow his Son to pursue a greater purpose, even if it differed from the one he had envisioned for Jesus. Consequently, St. Joseph serves as an inspiration and a reference point for all parents who face the challenging task of learning to "let go" of their children.