St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Antioch

Jesus' words about sparrows serve as a powerful statement about God. Sparrows are common birds, lacking in notable distinction. Yet, not a single sparrow is overlooked in God’s eyes. God pays attention to even the smallest and least significant creatures. 

If God cares for the humble sparrow, how much more does He cherish us? God is aware of the smallest details of our lives. In the grand scheme of things, this is truly remarkable. God, as the Creator, is transcendent and worthy of reverence and awe, yet can He also focus on each individual in this vast world.

Jesus reassures us that God is a caring Father who is close to us and looks after each one of us. Knowing this, we can trust ourselves to Him without any hesitation.

Homily for Thursday of the 28th Week in Ordinary TIme

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus criticizes the experts of the Jewish Law for taking "away the key of knowledge." They rejected His teaching and tried to prevent others from knowing God through it. They have not remained faithful to their calling as teachers of God's ways. Jesus revealed God more completely than any other human being could, and by rejecting His teaching, they fail to recognize that God is at work in Him.

God has entrusted us with the key to understanding Him, and that key is Jesus. He serves as the gateway to this unique knowledge, and our journey of learning from Him is lifelong. It is a misconception to think that we have a complete understanding of God's ways; we are more like infants, always in need of more learning. This is why Jesus, in His humility, prayed to His Father, acknowledging, "You have hidden these things from the wise and learned and revealed them to the innocent." Our understanding of God will only deepen when we accept this truth.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Teresa of Jesus

Jesus admonished the Pharisees and the scholars of the Law for placing heavy burdens on people instead of helping them. Their interpretation of Jewish Law was misguided, turning what should have been a path to life into a heavy load for those already facing life's challenges. Jesus did not come to make people feel more guilty. Instead, He offered comfort, saying, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

At times, the Gospel can feel demanding, but this is meant to help us grow in love within our relationships. We are not to feel completely weighed down by these challenges. God desires for us to experience life in its fullest measure. He presents us with challenges but also provides the Holy Spirit to guide us on our journey toward eternal life.

Homily for Tuesday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time

Experience teaches us that people have different priorities and values. What is essential to one person may be unimportant to someone else, and this can lead to frustration when something we regard as necessary is not taken seriously by others. 

For example, the prescribed ritual of washing before meals was more critical to the host than it was to Jesus. This highlighted their conflicting priorities. Certain rituals, like prescribed washings, held less significance for Jesus compared to the values and attitudes of our minds and souls. 

Jesus then emphasizes the importance of almsgiving and caring for those living in poverty as a means of purifying one's deepest self. Ultimately, love takes precedence over human-made rituals. 

It's crucial to recognize that what we consider vital may not always align with Jesus' values. To truly emulate Him, we must allow Him to shape our perspectives rather than trying to shape Him to fit our own. Our ultimate goal should be to align our priorities with His, as this alignment is essential for spiritual growth and guides us on our journey.

Homily for Monday of the 28th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus often seemed frustrated with those who sought signs yet were unwilling to put their faith in the power bestowed upon Him by His Father in heaven. He understood that no sign would truly inspire their faith; they would be entertained by the spectacle of the sign but would ultimately move on to something else, completely missing the power and authority behind it.

Jesus referenced the sign of Jonah, explaining how, as a "mere" prophet, Jonah led the Ninevites to repentance. He emphasized that someone far greater than Jonah was among them, but they couldn't recognize Him for who He truly was or comprehend His purpose because He appeared too ordinary.

Let us earnestly pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance to help us discern when Jesus's power and presence are at work in the seemingly ordinary moments of our lives. This recognition can open the door to a deeper faith in God's boundless love, unending mercy, and His active presence in our daily lives.

Homily for the 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the story of the ten lepers, St. Luke notes that only one of them realized he had been made “clean.” There is no mention of the other nine being aware of their healing.

At what moment did the Samaritan leper come to this realization? Did part of the rag covering him slip, allowing him to see a patch of healthy skin? Did he feel a surge of energy he hadn’t experienced in years? Did he suddenly discover that his arms, hands, legs, and feet were whole again, enabling him to stand straight, walk, run, or grab his walking stick or bag? Did he sense the ugly wounds drying up, the constant stinging subsiding, and the persistent stench disappearing? Or perhaps he noticed that no one was staring at him anymore, that he was no longer the object of scorn or ridicule, and that passersby no longer avoided him. Maybe someone even smiled at him!

For the first time in many years, the leper felt physically well. He found himself no longer on the fringes of society but welcomed into it. The now-healed leper realized that his life was filled with possibilities, recognizing that this encounter with Jesus had given him a new lease on life.

The moment he realized he was “clean” or healed must have been an extraordinary experience of joy and gratitude.

Some people never experience that moment of realization that the grateful leper did; they remain unaware of how much they have received from God. Instead, they mourn what they lack, consumed by disappointment and cynicism. Their self-absorption isolates them from others, trapping them in a cycle of fear, distrust, and hopelessness.

However, if we approach life with a sense of faith, there will be many moments when we realize just how much God loves us, even when life is not easy or does not meet our expectations. Each person’s moments of realization will be different, but they are there; we simply need to open our hearts and surrender our wants and desires to the mercy and goodness of God.

We pray that our lives may be illuminated by the realization that we have been made “whole” by our loving God—created in God’s image, sustained by God’s forgiveness, and transformed by God’s grace.

Homily for Saturday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel reading is the shortest in the Lectionary, consisting of only two verses. In this passage, we see a brief exchange between Jesus and a woman who was so moved by His teaching that she spontaneously called Jesus' mother blessed for being His mother. However, Jesus expanded the blessing to a larger group, saying, "Rather, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."

In this larger group, Jesus' mother plays a significant role. Mary, a shining example of devotion, heard the word of God and kept it better than anyone else. Her attitude was always, "Let it be done to me according to your word." Mary is blessed not only because of her motherhood but also because she dedicated herself to hearing and doing God's word. Her unwavering commitment to God's teachings inspires us all, encouraging us to follow in her footsteps.

Homily for Friday of the 27th Week in Ordinary time

Some people tried to test Jesus by asking Him to show a miracle from heaven to prove that He was working on God's behalf. They didn't realize how God was already present and at work in Jesus' ministry. Jesus said that if He was able to drive out demons by God's power, then it was clear that God was helping Him, even if people didn't understand it. He didn't need to perform a miracle to show that He had authority.

Even today, some people are still fascinated by amazing and miraculous events. It is sad to miss how God is with us through the kindness, good deeds, and prayers of others. In our daily lives, it can be easy to overlook these essential truths.

On a war memorial in Kilkenny, Ireland, the words of Irish Republican, poet, and journalist Joseph Mary Plunkett are engraved: "I see His blood upon the rose and in the stars the glory of His eyes." He recognized the presence of Jesus in nature. The finest aspects of human nature and relationships can convey the presence and action of God in our lives even more profoundly.

Homily for Thursday of the 27th Week in Ordinary time

Perseverance is rooted in the conviction that we will ultimately achieve our objectives. In today's Gospel, St. Luke employs the term "persistence" instead of "perseverance," which implies a kind of determined resilience. 

This idea resonates with the Jewish cultural value of hospitality, even to those who arrive at inconvenient times. While it may seem unusual to disturb a neighbor at midnight for assistance, Jesus' parable emphasizes that if we are persistent, the door will be opened to us. 

This imagery reflects God's willingness to care for us, much like parents provide for their children. According to Jesus, the heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask, which the Gospel writers, especially St. Luke, regard as the greatest gift from God.

Homily for Wednesday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus was committed to prayer, even during the busy and stressful times of His life. His dedication to prayer inspired His disciples to seek guidance, prompting them to say, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples." They understood that to pray effectively, they would need significant help. Prayer is not merely a human activity; it is an expression of God's work within us, guided by the Holy Spirit.

The disciples' request, "Lord, teach us to pray," is itself a form of prayer. In response, Jesus provided them with the Lord's Prayer, which introduces essential principles of prayer. It begins with an act of worship, focusing on God's glory and will before making any requests for our needs. This serves as a model for all our prayers. We begin by honoring God and then entrusting our needs to Him, cultivating in ourselves a sense of reverence and humility.