St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

The origin of today's Solemnity, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, also known as Corpus Christi, can be traced back to a priest who struggled with his belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. His faith was waning, but one day, as he consecrated the host, it began to bleed. This miraculous event rekindled both his faith and that of his congregation. In honor of this event, that community began celebrating Corpus Christi, a tradition that has since spread throughout the Church.

Initially, the focus of the celebration was on the miracle that occurred with the host. However, over time, particularly since the Second Vatican Council, our celebration has shifted to emphasize the spiritual nourishment we receive in communion with the whole Church when we eat the Body of Christ and drink His Blood.

God has united us in a relationship that transcends anything we could create on our own. This relationship is marked by something greater than humanity. We encounter God by turning our attention inward into our own lives and those of others, especially during our communal worship. As St. Augustine points out, this is where God has chosen to be present with us. This means that how we treat one another reflects how we treat Christ. Jesus said that whatever we do for one another, we do for Him.

At the heart of our faith in Christ is our commitment to morality and an ethic of love for one another. As Christians, we are called to a particular understanding and practice of love. Jesus set a simple standard: we are to love one another as God has loved us. While we may call others to account for their actions, our attitude toward them should not be based on what we think they deserve or what feels right at the moment. Instead, our attitude must mirror God's own.

In Christ's words, we are called to love our enemies if we are to be His people, His Body. Is this a radical calling? Yes, but it is one that Jesus embodied throughout His life.

Every week, every day, the Church commemorates the mystery of our profound connection with God. We do not merely acknowledge this mystery; we actively participate in it and bring it to life. Our worship and participation in the Eucharist serve as the means through which God unites with us. God could have chosen many ways to establish intimacy with His people, but He selected the very human acts of eating and drinking. This level of intimacy transcends comprehension and imagination; it requires faith.

Thus, the Eucharist is integral to our identity as the community of the Church. We not only partake in the Body and Blood of Christ, but every time we gather in God's name and strive to bring about the justice spoken of in the Gospel, we embody the Body of Christ on earth.

St. Paul tells the Corinthians, "Now you are Christ's body, and individually parts of it." In her prayer, St. Theresa reminds us, "Christ has no body now but yours, no hands, no feet but yours."

As we celebrate the Eucharist today and every day, and as we partake together in the One Bread and the One Cup, let us be mindful that we, the Church, are the Body of Christ on earth. We are called to be the hands and feet, the instruments of God's love to all people. Through our actions of love, care, and concern, may everyone witness the love and compassion of God that acts in and through each one of us.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

Today's Gospel reading emphasizes the two greatest commandments that Jesus teaches: love of God and love of neighbor. No matter how often we hear these words, we are reminded of their significant demands on us.

Loving our neighbor as ourselves sounds lovely until we look closely at some of those neighbors or co-workers. We all know that some individuals can easily get under our skin. Some people can be rude, selfish, and even unbearable. Yet, we are still called to love them. We are called to follow the example of Jesus, who, while hanging on the Cross and looking at the very people who nailed him there, said, "Father, forgive them..."

It may seem impossible to show love to those we encounter in challenging circumstances. Still, precisely during these moments—when we strive to do God's will—we often experience God's love most profoundly. This love does not originate from either person but from God, residing deep within us. It is a love we can access when we act according to God's teachings; it is a love capable of transforming even the most difficult circumstances.

Homily for Friday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus teaches the difference between earthly and heavenly treasures, highlighting the need to put spiritual wealth ahead of material possessions. He exhorts His followers to store up spiritual treasures in heaven, where they are lasting and secure, rather than earthly treasures, which are temporary and often devoid of real meaning. 

Our hearts are directed by what we value most in life. If our treasure is on earth, earthly concerns will consume our hearts. If our treasure is in heaven, our hearts will be guided toward God's will and His kingdom. 

We must periodically reflect on what we truly value in life and recognize in what our hearts are truly invested. We must constantly work on building up our relationship with God, putting Him first and spiritual and heavenly pursuits above earthly ones. We do this through prayer, worship, and acts of generosity and kindness toward those in need.

Homily for Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

We just heard the narrative of Jesus introducing the Lord's Prayer, which is found in two of the Gospels: Matthew and Luke. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus warns us not to use many words or engage in meaningless repetition like the pagans, who believed they could influence the gods to favor them.

Jesus tells us that such empty chatter cannot sway our heavenly Father. Instead, He teaches us to surrender to God's will. 

Let us reflect on the true essence of prayer. Jesus encourages us to focus our prayers on glorifying God, supporting the coming of His kingdom, and fulfilling His will rather than merely expressing our desires. By doing this, we acknowledge our dependence on God for our fundamental needs, guidance in this world, and the journey toward the world to come.

Homily for Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus advises us not to flaunt our good deeds to seek attention from others. However, earlier in the sermon, he seems to suggest the opposite when he states, "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." Although there appears to be a contrast between these two ideas, both hold significant value. We should not conceal our faith or pretend to be agnostic and noncommittal. Instead, we should demonstrate our love for the Lord through our lives and choices. We must act and speak with humility, always remembering that everything we do, no matter how small, should be for the glory of God. This is our inspiration and motivation.

Homily for Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Our natural inclination is to be generous to those for whom we feel warmth and esteem. However, Jesus teaches us to extend our goodwill to individuals outside our immediate circle of friends and loved ones. Embracing this teaching challenges us to push our generosity beyond its limits.

According to Jesus, we should reflect some aspect of God in our interactions with others. His love shines equally on good and bad people, and the rain falls on the just and unjust. This lifestyle, as taught by Jesus, is only possible with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who dwells among us and within us.

Regardless of the depth of our hurt or the validity of our anger, we can seek God’s forgiveness for those who have wronged us. Embracing this act of forgiveness can have transformative power in our lives.

Homily for Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus encouraged His disciples to respond to evil not with more evil but with kindness. The worst human instinct is to react to goodness with malicious intent, which is exemplified by the rejection and crucifixion of Jesus, who "went about doing good; for God was with Him." The best human instinct is to conquer evil with goodness, reflecting a divine impulse—God's own impulse. This was a defining characteristic of Jesus Christ. In response to the evil committed against Him, He consistently chose to act with goodness. Even when unjustly rejected, He expressed His love fully, living and dying to defeat evil with goodness.

Remaining good in the face of evil is incredibly challenging. It is difficult to stay loving amid hostility, to be faithful when betrayed, and to serve as peacemakers in a hostile world. We cannot rely solely on our own strength for this; we need God's strength, resources, and Spirit. However, we should not fear failure, as God's strength and grace are always available to us. Saint Paul urges us "not to receive the grace of God in vain." God continually offers us grace, and by depending on Him, we can strive toward the ideal of overcoming evil with good.

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

God's infinite beauty and grandeur were among the late Pope Benedict's favorite topics. One of the symbols on his coat of arms, the shell, reflects this belief.

The shell is inspired by a story about St. Augustine. One morning, while walking along the seashore, he was trying to understand the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Suddenly, he noticed a little child playing nearby. The child had dug a hole in the sand and repeatedly walked between the hole and the ocean, holding a small shell in his hands. He would fill the shell with water at the sea, then carefully carry it back to pour it into the hole. He continued this effort persistently.

After a while, St. Augustine asked the child what he was doing. The child replied, "I am going to empty the sea into this hole I have dug in the sand." St. Augustine laughed and said, "That's quite impossible. Look at how big the ocean is compared to your small hole!"

The child looked at him and responded, "And yet, it would be easier for me to do this than for you to understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity." With that, the child disappeared.

By placing a shell on his coat of arms, Pope Benedict reminded himself and the whole Church of God's infinite wonder. We must always remain humble and confident in Him, much like little children.

The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity may seem abstract and impractical, but the reality is the opposite. The Trinity is humanity's only realistic source of hope in our increasingly connected world.

Social media has transformed much of our world into a tightly linked global community. We encounter different races, religions, traditions, and cultures within that community. If globalization erodes the rich diversity of cultures, we will foster anger, resentment, and revenge in people's hearts and minds. Yet, if we fail to create real bonds between different cultures, serious conflict results

We need unity and diversity — we must become one human family with many different cultures. We know we can achieve this.

Because we are created in God's own image, and He is both one and three, God embodies perfect unity as well as perfect diversity. He is, by His very nature, an unbreakable communion of persons. The Church — which unifies different peoples through a common faith in and obedience to Christ — demonstrates that such unity is indeed possible.

The Trinity is the source of the human family, our ultimate purpose, and our ideal. Today, as we renew our faith in the Trinity, let us ask Him to help us build up His kingdom on earth by living truly in His image, mending our ways, encouraging one another, and living in peace.

Homily for Saturday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus teaches His followers that they should be so truthful and honest that taking oaths becomes unnecessary. In ancient Judaism, people often swore oaths on various sacred items. However, as representatives of God’s message of reconciliation, we are encouraged not to swear at all. When a sacred object is referenced in an oath, it is as if God's name itself is being invoked.

The practice of taking oaths reflects the corrupt nature of humanity, revealing our tendency toward deceit and lack of trust in one another. According to Jesus’ new ethical teachings, truthfulness should stem from inner integrity rather than from oaths. In a society that does not assume evil as the norm, oaths have no place. We should avoid using deception or false arguments to persuade others to follow Christ; instead, we should simply present the truth of Christ through His words and actions.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua

In our Gospel passage, Jesus calls for a deeper understanding and practice of morality beyond merely avoiding outward sins like adultery. He teaches that true righteousness involves guarding our hearts and addressing sinful desires before they lead to unwholesome actions. Jesus also expands our knowledge of marriage and divorce, stressing that they should represent a sacred union that reflects God's love and commitment.

While acknowledging the commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," Jesus raises the bar. He insists that it is not enough to avoid the deed itself; we must also refrain from lustful desires in our hearts. This highlights the importance of inner righteousness and confronting sinful thoughts before they become actions.

Jesus' teachings highlight the need for inner transformation, not just external obedience to rules. He calls for a radical change in our hearts and minds, leading to a way of life that reflects His teachings.