St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

When Jesus read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and sat down, He explained that the prophecy referred to Himself. He declared that He was sent to bring glad tidings to the poor, proclaim liberty to captives, restore sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free, and proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Jesus also compared Himself to the prophets Elijah and Elisha, who ministered to outsiders—a hungry widow from Zarephath and a leper from Syria—emphasizing that His mission was for everyone, especially those most in need, regardless of their background or origin.

When Jesus claimed this vision of generosity as His mission, the people of Nazareth were outraged. Expecting special favor because He was one of their own, they were disappointed to find that Jesus came to help all in need. His only partiality was for those broken in body, mind, or spirit.

The Lord constantly reaches out to us in our need and pain, asking only that we accept Him on His terms—something the people of Nazareth could not do. He is always near; our need and suffering, in whatever form, can draw us closer to Him.

Back on Labor Day Weekend of 1993, I drove a racecar at the former Riverside Park Speedway. The whole experience began a few weeks earlier when, in a homily, I mentioned, in passing, my lifelong association with the sport of auto racing. Sitting in the pew was one of the local TV sportscasters who thought my driving a racecar would make a nice story. After some negotiating, the whole thing came together, and I was invited to drive a few laps. Fortunately for the other drivers, I had the track all to myself.

Steve, the sportscaster, asked me to wear my black clothes and Roman collar to the track. Somehow the picture of me walking through the pit area dressed like this didn’t seem right to me. The thought of it caused me tremendous feelings of dread. I knew that I would feel ridiculous and that an awful lot of attention would be drawn to me, as no one else would be dressed like that.

I still vividly remember walking through the pit area, more than slightly self-conscious of the stares and surprise of all the racing teams.

Standing at the end of the pit area, watching this spectacle, was Steve, his face very red, saying, “I’m truly sorry I made you dress like this.” It did, however, help the story, and I was allowed to change into a fire suit for the actual driving experience. Steve told me later that the people at the track were intrigued and even somewhat impressed by what we did there.

As Christians, God calls us to stand out in our world, be a light in the darkness, pick up our cross, and follow Jesus. It sounds like an easy enough thing to do, but in practice, it can be a difficult thing to do.

In standing apart from others in our world, in our living out of our Christian vocation, we find that we are vulnerable to the criticism, the scorn, and the mockery of our world. In being lights in the darkness, we find that unwanted attention is drawn to us when, through our words and example we pierce the darkness of closed hearts. When we pick up our cross, that is, our difficulties and struggles, we are reminded by most people watching that it is easier to leave our cross where it is.

Through the example of Jesus and many, many people who have gone before us and even some among us today, we know, at some level, that while it may be easier to blend in, to stand in the darkness, to leave our cross where it is, we don’t grow spiritually or emotionally by doing so. We may experience the ridicule of others by standing up for our faith and growing in our faith but, in the end, if we profess our faith with integrity, we will prove ourselves undeserving of such ridicule.

My intention is not to sound cynical about our world but simple to acknowledge that there are many ways in our world and even in our own church and families, sometimes loudly and sometimes very subtly, that we are discouraged from following God’s call to live a life of discipleship and all the burdens that go along with it.

There is a value in carrying the burdens and difficulties of life; there is a value in working through the pains that life brings us; there is a value in the sacrifice it often takes to be a follower of Jesus Christ. It is a value that can be found only in our experience of giving of ourselves to God, of putting aside our own wants and desires and truly discerning what God calls us to do.

We look to Jesus, who begged God the Father to take away His suffering, to free him from the ravages of the Cross, but He knew deep down what the Father wanted from Him, and He knew His suffering had value for all of humanity. May we, too, be open to God’s will and see in our lives, in our endeavors and even in our pains and struggles, a value to those around us. May we then open our hearts to receive the call to stand out and show others the way to God and the way to our fulfillment.

Today we recall how St. John the Baptist paved the way for Christ—not just through his birth, preaching, and baptism, but also by sharing in Christ’s suffering and death. From his earliest recognition of Jesus in the womb to his bold call to repent, John’s life served as a signpost pointing others to Christ. His martyrdom, driven by Herod’s guilty conscience, foreshadowed Christ's passion and the trials future Christians would face. Jesus confirmed this parallel, teaching that suffering in the name of truth is integral to discipleship. John’s steadfast witness continues to inspire us to orient our lives toward Christ and lead others to Him.

 

St. Paul teaches that God often chooses the humble and overlooked to carry out His work, so that His power may shine through their weakness. Though John came from a priestly lineage, he embraced a life of simplicity and was disregarded by society’s elite. God’s preference for such servants underscores our dependence on Him, not worldly status. Like John, we are called to faithfully witness to the truth, regardless of recognition or reward, always pointing others to Christ.

 

John’s martyrdom resulted from his courageous proclamation of truth to Herod and Herodias, urging them to repent. Despite the personal risk, John’s unwavering fidelity to God’s law led to his arrest and execution. What was a moral tragedy for Herod became a spiritual victory for John—a passage into eternal life and a model of integrity for all believers.

 

John’s entire life testified to Christ. His mission was to ready hearts for Jesus, embracing humility so Christ could be exalted. In a world often confused about truth and morality, John’s steadfast example calls us to courageously stand for what is right, even in the face of adversity. Our faithful witness, like John’s, can resonate far beyond our own time.

 

At Mass, we are united with Christ, receiving His Body and Blood as the source of our strength and witness. Here, we learn to decrease so Christ may increase within us, receiving grace that surpasses any earthly reward and empowering us to proclaim the truth with courage.

In today's parable, the bridegroom arrived quite late and would have been thrilled to discover that some bridesmaids were there to meet him. Despite his late arrival and their long wait, their perseverance testified to their unwavering faithfulness.

 

Immediately after relating this parable, Jesus told His disciples, "Stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour." He wanted them to remain faithful, particularly when He seemed absent and their expectations of Him were unmet.

 

Jesus wants us to keep our light burning right to the end, through good and bad times. This constant commitment to faithfulness shows our devotion to the Lord and trust in His love.

 

Earlier, Jesus called His disciples the light of the world and encouraged them to let their light shine so others could see their good deeds and give glory to God. Keeping our lamps burning and allowing our light to shine until the end means carrying out the good works the Lord asks of us for as long as we can.

In today's parable, Jesus teaches us to prepare for the Kingdom of God. We risk being locked out if we neglect to prepare. The lesson here is simple and straightforward: we must be ready to enter the Kingdom of God. 

Preparation is not just a one-time task or a list of requirements to complete by a specific deadline. Instead, it is a lifestyle—a continual way of living. 

If we treat our relationship with God and our response to His call to love as mere checklists of things to do, we will miss the opportunity for God's love to truly transform our hearts and lives. 

Every day, our lives should be filled with love and concern for others, acts of kindness towards those in need, and expressions of praise and gratitude towards God.

Jesus continues to express His righteous anger toward the scribes and the Pharisees. Yesterday, He admonished them for focusing on the law's details while ignoring the Torah's values. 

In today's passage, He indicates the importance of our inner reality over the image we portray to others. What really matters, He tells us, is who and what we are in the deepest recesses of our being. 

Jesus was swollen, bruised, and bleeding while dying on the Cross – a gruesome image – but it was then that His love for us was most powerfully visible.

The widow who donated two small coins to the Temple treasury seemed unimportant. However, Jesus not only saw her, but He recognized her generosity of heart; He saw that she was prepared, like Him, to give everything she had.

Indeed, appearances can be misleading. The scribes and Pharisees had far less substance than their outer image. In the widow and the crucified Jesus, there was far more than met the eye. Jesus tells us to care less about how we appear to others than about the quality of love in our hearts. 

So, let us pray, today and always, that God's Holy Spirit will kindle in our hearts the fire of His love and that we may be recreated to become the people He created each of us to be in the first place.

It's not common to think of Jesus using humor to highlight faulty mindsets, but His imagery in today's Gospel has a playful twist. He humorously accuses the Pharisees of straining out gnats while swallowing camels. A gnat is practically invisible, while a camel is large and imposing. This amusing and relatable image of someone carefully straining out a tiny gnat while cheerfully swallowing an entire camel emphasizes an important point.

Jesus uses this metaphor to gently ridicule those who make a big deal out of insignificant matters while happily ignoring what is essential. They meticulously pay tithes on herbs yet overlook justice, mercy, and fidelity. Jesus emphasizes the need to prioritize correctly and maintain balance.

We often focus too much on minor concerns and neglect what truly matters. On this occasion, Jesus highlights what is essential: justice, mercy, and fidelity. Justice and mercy concern our relationships with our neighbors, while fidelity pertains to our relationship with God. Jesus teaches that the key to a meaningful life is to prioritize these two types of relationships. Everything else, no matter how urgent it may seem, is secondary. St. Paul echoes this sentiment: "the only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love."

Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Bartholomew. We know little about him from Scripture, except that the Synoptic Gospels and Acts of the Apostles mention him as one of the original Twelve. Scripture scholars believe he was the Nathaniel mentioned in today's Gospel passage. John said that he was from Cana in Galilee and that Jesus called him a true child of Israel, with no dishonesty in him.

St. Bartholomew's commitment to his mission was unwavering. He traveled to India, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, and Greater Armenia, spreading the Gospel. In Greater Armenia, he was scourged and beheaded by King Astyages at Abanopolis on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, a testament to his unyielding faith.

St. Bartholomew's influence extends to many professions. He is the patron saint of tanners, plasterers, tailors, leatherworkers, bookbinders, farmers, house painters, butchers, and glove makers.

Let us pray… Lord, teach us to treasure, proclaim, and practice the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, which Saint Bartholomew so eloquently preached and finally sealed with his heroic martyrdom. Through his intercession, may we be fearless in our expressions of faith and desire to bring the faith to others. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Today's Gospel takes us to a very important moment in Jesus' public ministry. Jesus and His disciples have come to Caesarea Philippi, a place filled with pagan temples and statues dedicated to various gods. It was a place where people were asking, "Who is God? What should we believe? Where should we put our trust?"

And it is there, in that setting, that Jesus asks His disciples: "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They give him several answers: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

Then Jesus makes the question personal: "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answers, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

That answer changes everything. Up to this point, Jesus has been preaching, teaching, healing, and gathering disciples. But from this moment forward, His ministry begins to take a new direction. Jesus will begin preparing the Apostles for what lies ahead: His suffering, His death, and ultimately, His Resurrection. Jesus knows that before the Apostles can continue his mission, they must first understand who He truly is.

Jesus also tells Peter that He will build His Church upon this rock. The Apostles will become the foundation upon which the Church will continue to grow and spread the message of Jesus throughout the world. At this point, the Apostles have no idea what lies ahead. But Jesus is about to bring them more deeply into His mission.

And that same question Jesus asked Peter, He asks each of us: "Who do you say that I am?" We can know a lot about Jesus. We can come to Mass, hear the Gospel, say our prayers, and know the stories.

But Jesus asks something much more personal: "Who am I to you?" Is Jesus simply a good teacher? A historical figure? Someone we turn to when life becomes difficult?

Or is He truly the Christ, the Son of the living God, the one who loves us, forgives us, guides us, and gives meaning to our lives? Our answer matters, because what we believe about Jesus affects how we live.

If Jesus is truly the Son of God, then His teachings aren't simply suggestions. His call to forgive, to love others, to care for those in need, to serve, and to put God first becomes the way we are called to live.

And just like the Apostles, we are all called to be His disciples and to bring His message to others. We can start right where we are-in our families, in our workplaces, among our friends, and in our communities. We don't have to travel to the far corners of the world to be missionaries. We can share our faith simply by the way we live our lives.

Today, even in a world where there is so much doubt and confusion, the Church that Jesus established and built upon the Apostles continues to grow throughout the world. And it continues to grow because generation after generation of people have answered the same question Peter answered: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." The challenge for us is not simply to say those words, but to live them.

By the Middle Ages, the Blessed Virgin Mary was venerated as Queen of the angels and the saints. In 1955, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The feast was given the date of August 22nd to emphasize its connection with the Solemnity of the Assumption, one week earlier.

There are many "vocational stories" throughout the Scriptures. Today, we hear about Mary's call, which shows a wide range of responses to her encounter with the angel. First, she was "deeply troubled" at being called "full of grace." Then, she was confused that she would conceive and bear a son. Then, only after reflection, she submitted to what God asked of her, saying, "May it be done to me according to your word."

Mary's question, "How can this be?" shows that she struggled before reaching her famous response. We always struggle to understand what God wants from us. Mary's response of total surrender to God's purpose for her life did not come easily, just as it may not come easily to us. However, in our struggle to live in harmony with God's will for us, we have the promise of Gabriel's words to Mary: "Nothing will be impossible for God." What seems impossible to us is always possible with God's help. In the words of St. Paul: "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective."