St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus warns us not to perform good deeds just to be noticed by others. He calls those who make a show of their piety "hypocrites." In Jesus’ day, the word "hypocrite" referred to actors who wore masks on stage. When our faith becomes nothing more than a performance, we put on a mask and hide our true intentions.

 

When we do good so that others praise us, we get our reward right away, but it is empty because it lacks grace. We trade the eternal gifts of God’s grace for the temporary admiration and approval of others.

 

Jesus explains three disciplines of spiritual life, focusing on the how rather than the what:

 

He tells us that when it comes to charity or giving alms, we shouldn’t let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. True generosity is done in secret, coming from real love for others, not from a desire for recognition.

 

He tells us that when we pray, we should go to our inner room, close the door, and pray to our Father in secret. While public prayer is a time for the community to gather and pray, private prayer is an intimate conversation with God, where we both speak and listen.

 

Finally, He tells us that when we fast, we shouldn’t change our appearance to get attention for our sacrifice. Instead, we should take care of ourselves so our offering is just between God and us.

 

Jesus promises that our Father who sees in secret will repay us. God isn’t a distant, judgmental observer looking for reasons to punish us. He is a loving Father. He sees our sacrifices and hears our quiet prayers. He notices our goodness when no one else does.

 

This Gospel invites us to examine our motivations. Are we living our faith to be seen by others or by God? Let’s take off the masks of ego, pride, and vanity. Let’s embrace the quiet places in our hearts, where God dwells and pours out His grace abundantly.

 

Homily for Tuesday of the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus elevates the Mosaic Law. Where the predominant culture often justified loving only one's neighbor and disdaining one's enemies, Jesus dismisses that standard. He calls us to reject conditional, reciprocal love—the kind of love even the tax collectors and pagans shared.

Such a standard seems to run counter to our human tendencies. So, how do we attain it? Jesus looks to His Father's actions in the world: “He makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” This is the core of agape love—a deep, intentional desire for the good of others, whether or not they deserve it or can return it. God’s love is not a reward for perfection; it is His free gift to us. And as His children, we are called to mirror His love to others.

It is important to know that loving our enemies does not mean that we ignore or condone the evil done to us, nor are we required to even relate with those who wish us harm. But it does mean that we pray for them. Sincerely asking God for what is good for them can heal our hearts of pain and resentment.

It means resisting the urge to pay them back for what they’ve done, thus breaking the cycle of revenge.

It means being a person of forgiveness. Again, not necessarily opening ourselves to further hurt and harm, but freeing ourselves of bitterness and hatred.

Homily 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 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel gives us a glimpse at Jesus’ compassion for the people. Before He ever gave a command or told the Apostles about His plans for them in His mission, He looked at the crowds and saw people who were "troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” He didn’t look at the crowds with any sense of frustration or judgment. Instead, His “heart was moved with pity for them”. He understood their spiritual weariness, their hidden wounds, and their desperate search for meaning in an imperfect world. That same compassionate gaze rests on us. With whatever burdens we bear, Jesus sees us, and desires to heal us and to walk with us.

 

But our Gospel today tells us that we are not merely recipients of Jesus’ compassion. He tells the twelve disciples, "The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest." At that time, Jesus was the only worker in His mission. He looked to His Apostles and, despite their many flaws, called them to work in the field. He “gave them authority over unclean spirits to drive them out and to cure every disease and every illness.” He told them that as they went about their work they were to proclaim that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

 

There is a very important lesson for us in this scene. Following Jesus is not meant to be a private, comfortable experience; it commands a mission that is often challenging and even painful. By virtue of our baptism, Jesus gazes upon us and, despite our many flaws, calls us to be laborers in His harvest.

 

So, are we, like the Apostles, called to drive out demons and to cure every disease and every illness?

 

Yes, we are. And you may ask, “How?”

 

We do so with the powerful yet gentle grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our harvest fields are our homes, workplaces, schools, and neighborhoods, where we seek out the sick, lonely, and poor. We "cure the sick" when we console the grieving, help the poor, the homeless, and the stranger. We "cast out demons" when we forgive those who have wronged us and seek the forgiveness of those we have wronged, or when we refuse to participate in gossip and false rumors.

 

Evangelization is more than theological debates and “Bible-thumping”; often, it simply means listening patiently to someone with different opinions, offering a helping hand and a listening ear to someone burdened by anxiety, or a host of other ways to help anyone in need.

Jesus tells the Apostles: "Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give." All we have—our lives, faith, talents, love —is a free, invaluable gift from God. We are called to share these gifts, not for personal gain or recognition, but out of love for God and neighbor and to be instruments of God’s love and peace in our world.

 

Let us pray that we may see our neighbor with the compassionate eyes of Jesus, and that we may bring the healing love of God to those who are heavily burdened.

Homily for Saturday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus tells His followers that they should be so truthful and honest that oaths become unnecessary. In ancient Judaism, people used to take oaths on various sacred items. However, as ambassadors of reconciliation for God, we are encouraged not to swear at all. When a sacred object is mentioned in an oath, it is as if God's name itself were being used.

The concept of taking an oath reflects the corrupt nature of humanity, showcasing deceit and lack of trust in one another. In Jesus' new ethical teachings, truthfulness should be achieved through inner integrity rather than by taking an oath. In a society that does not assume evil as a norm, oaths have no place. We should not resort to deception or false arguments to persuade people to follow Christ but rather simply present the truth of Christ - His words and actions.

Homily for the Solemnity ofd the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

Today's Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus commemorates God's choice to come among us as a human being, experiencing every aspect of life except sin. Jesus had a human heart that felt the same emotions and struggles we do. He experienced pity, distress, and pain, ultimately dying on the Cross.

 

The significance of this is that when God chose to become human, He did not take the easy path. Jesus endured the same trials and challenges that we face, showing profound empathy. By doing so, God reveals His deep understanding of our human condition, drawing us closer to Him.

 

The Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus invites us to reflect on how we see Jesus in our prayers. Do we picture Him as a distant, abstract figure, or do we imagine the man who lived among us and shared our experiences?

 

As we pray to Jesus, let us recognize Him as someone who deeply loves us and wants to be close to us—someone we can truly relate to. Doing this allows our hearts to unite with the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Barnabas, Apostle

St. Barnabas, whose given name was Joseph, was known for inspiring others in the early Church. In today’s reading from Acts, we see him actively participating in this ministry. A profound and life-changing event was taking place within the Christian community in Antioch. The Gospel had been proclaimed to both Gentiles and Jews, sparking the birth of a new kind of Church—one that welcomed members from diverse Jewish and non-Jewish backgrounds.

When St. Barnabas was sent to Antioch by the Apostles to assess the situation, he quickly recognized it as the work of the Lord and offered his support to this new development. His discernment was accurate; it was indeed the work of the Lord.

God’s work is not limited to the past but continues to unfold in new and creative ways among us. It is both a great gift and a responsibility to recognize divine inspiration wherever it is found, and to celebrate and encourage its effects. St. Barnabas had this gift, not because he was extraordinary, but because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. The Holy Spirit, our guide, plays a crucial role in helping us recognize the Spirit’s work. As St. Paul says in his first letter to the Corinthians, spiritual things are discerned spiritually.

Homily for Wednesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus showed His respect for Jewish tradition by honoring its practices and teachings. At the same time, He made it clear that His mission was not merely to preserve the past but to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, bringing their true purpose to completion. Jesus valued the wisdom and guidance found in His religious tradition, yet He remained attentive to how God was calling that tradition to grow and develop. He balanced reverence for the past with openness to God’s ongoing work in the present.

Likewise, we are called to value the richness of our own religious tradition, drawing strength from its teachings, rituals, and community. At the same time, we need to remain open to the ways the Lord continually renews and inspires our faith, guiding us to deeper understanding and fresh expressions of devotion. By holding both appreciation and openness together, we allow our tradition to remain vibrant and relevant in our lives.

Homily for Tuesday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel, Jesus urges us, "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." This call is both a challenge and an invitation. Jesus does not ask us to undertake this journey alone. He reassures us that the grace and guidance of the Holy Spirit are always present to help us. When we open ourselves to the Spirit's gifts—wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord—we become more attuned to the needs of those around us and better able to serve them with love.

Letting our light shine means living with integrity and compassion in our daily lives, whether in small acts of kindness or courageous stands for justice. Sometimes our actions may go unnoticed by the world, but they are always seen by God. Our example can inspire others in ways we may never fully realize.

When we unite with other people of faith and those who embody genuine goodness, our individual lights join together to form a radiant beacon. This collective witness has the power to dispel darkness and bring hope, comfort, and encouragement to those who are struggling. In a world often overshadowed by fear, cynicism, or despair, our shared commitment to living the Gospel becomes a source of faith, hope, and love for everyone we encounter.

Homily for Monday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

The Beatitudes that Jesus taught in today’s Gospel can be described as a portrayal of Jesus’ character. When He spoke these Beatitudes, He painted a picture of Himself and what He desired from His followers. He is poor in spirit, relying on the Father for everything. He is gentle and compassionate, mourns when God’s will is not being done on earth as it is in heaven, hungers and thirsts for justice, and suffers to bring that about. He is merciful to sinners, has a pure heart desiring what God desires, and works to bring about peace between God and humanity, and between people.

By presenting this image of Himself through words, Jesus also showed what His disciples should strive to become. It’s the image we are called to embody. We can’t become people of the Beatitudes on our own; we need the help of the Holy Spirit, who works within us to shape us into the likeness of Christ.