St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Monday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, St. Mark depicts Jesus responding with a deep sigh to the arguments of the Pharisees and their request for a sign. He asks, "Why does this generation seek a sign?"

As we listen to this story unfold, it's hard to overlook the frustration in the Lord's sigh, which comes from "the depths of His spirit." We have all experienced similar sighs of frustration in ourselves and others, and we recognize the emotion they convey. But why was Jesus sighing? What was the source of His frustration with the Pharisees?

Many religious people have been tempted to seek extraordinary signs and visions from heaven throughout history. However, Jesus continually directs our attention to the ordinary moments where we can find the divine. He uses examples like the sower who goes out to plant seeds, the woman who searches for a lost coin, the Samaritan who helps a stranger on the road, and the man who unexpectedly discovers treasure in his field. The list goes on.

When we only look for God in miraculous events, we risk missing His presence in the everyday moments of our lives, where He is always present. Often, in these ordinary experiences, we find the mystery of God's kingdom, for Creation is full of His glory.

Homily for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In the Beatitudes, Jesus is not expressing a wish for something impossible. His statements are controversial and challenge our understanding because they often contradict what we see. People who are poor, hungry, and suffering are frequently unhappy. However, Jesus suggests they will find joy if they see themselves as God sees them and see what He has in store for them. 

Meanwhile, Jesus warns those who are comfortable that they might not feel as satisfied when they come to understand God's perspective. Ultimately, what matters most is not a person's wealth or comfort. Many people accept this idea on the surface or as a hopeful thought. Still, Jesus encourages us to change our behavior based on it.

Jesus' words are meant for our world's poor, hungry, and suffering. Many of us experience poverty, hunger, or suffering. If we are in this situation, the Beatitudes speak to us directly. It may take a substantial leap of faith to believe that the kingdom of God can really change our lives. If our faith is weak before we face suffering, we will find it hard to build our faith when challenges come.

If we cannot honestly say that we are poor, hungry, or suffering, we should not just pay attention to Jesus' warnings; we should act on them. The Beatitudes are meant primarily for those who are poor and hungry. We can help by actively addressing the needs of less fortunate people. As comfortable individuals with resources others lack, we must acknowledge that we are called to be part of God's kingdom—a kingdom marked by justice, love, and peace. Achieving these often requires sacrifice. Let us pray for the wisdom and understanding of what we can do to help those less fortunate and for the courage and commitment to do so.

Homily for Saturday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, we hear the famous story of Jesus feeding the hungry crowd. He did so with only seven loaves of bread and a few fish. It's interesting to note that (although He could) Jesus didn't create the bread or fish. Instead, He used bread and fish from the people, highlighting the importance of our gifts — even what may seem to be meager ones — and offering them with trust that God will do great things with them.

In His ministry, Jesus didn't say magic words or wave a wand to make things happen instantly. Instead, He relied on the gifts and talents, words and actions, of the people around Him. From the outset, the Lord didn't just make us the beneficiaries of His grace; He made us coworkers and sharers in His mission, and we continue His mission today.

May we always be aware that we can and should offer our gifts, talents, and commitment to the mission of our Lord, and may we trust that He will bring our efforts to fruition.

Homily for the Memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius

In our Gospel reading, we encounter the unusual word "ephphatha," which means "be opened." This phrase encourages us to appreciate the numerous opportunities we have to invite God's friendship and forgiveness into our lives and the lives of those we love and encounter.

"Ephphatha" invites us to recognize and be grateful for our identity and all we have received from God. It urges us to listen for God's voice amidst the constant noise and distractions surrounding us and to seek His presence when we feel overwhelmed by anger, jealousy, or disappointment.

Let "ephphatha" be our prayer as we strive to remain open to God's presence in joyful and sorrowful times. This openness will empower us to share God's compassion, mercy, and love with our families, friends, and everyone we meet.

Homily for Thursday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time

Focusing on one thing can often cause us to overlook another. Even Jesus appears hesitant to shift his attention from His chosen people, Israel, to the pagan woman. There's no clear way to soften Jesus' seemingly sharp reply except to propose that He did not want to repeat the errors of Solomon, who allowed himself to be led astray by foreign women.

The woman's humility, perseverance, and love for her child diffuse the weight of Jesus' initial refusal. She does not seek personal gain or selfish pleasure; instead, her response is for the sake of her daughter. She counters Jesus' sharp words by saying, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps." This ingenious response addresses His first objections, leading to her daughter's healing. It serves as a great example of how gentle perseverance can be rewarded.

Homily for Wednesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time

Traditionally, the human heart is viewed as a symbol of love. However, in today's Gospel passage, Jesus presents a different perspective on the human heart, highlighting it as the source of evil intentions that can harm and destroy others.

The heart represents a person's inner core, which encompasses both light and darkness. It can serve as a reservoir for goodness or become a channel for evil. One compelling image of our faith is the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a figure that was prominent in my home while growing up and still holds significance today. This image represents God's inner core, which embodies wholly selfless love. This love was fully revealed through the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus, demonstrating a love that is intensely creative and life-giving.

Our calling is to cultivate hearts that, to some extent, reflect the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to have inner cores that participate in God's essence. This profound vision of our central calling is beautifully captured in the simple yet powerful prayer many of us learned: "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love."

Homily for Tuesday of the 5th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus challenged His critics for prioritizing human regulations over God's commandments. He recognized that the religious traditions of His time did not always align with God's will, as revealed in the Scriptures and, more fully, through His own teachings.

The Church must remain vigilant to ensure that its traditions reflect God's Word, particularly as expressed by Jesus. Periodically, the Church needs to renew itself, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to cleanse its traditions so they align more closely with the true spirit of the Gospel. The Second Vatican Council is a significant example of such an effort.

Similarly, in our personal lives, we can fall into traditional practices that do not resonate with the essence of God's message in Scripture. Whether in our religious practices or in a broader context, our personal traditions require reform in light of the Gospel. We should continually seek to hear the Word of the Lord anew and ask the Holy Spirit for help in doing so.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Scholastica

Our Gospel today emphasizes Jesus' incredible popularity among the people of Galilee. He especially attracted the sick and broken because God's healing power was clearly at work through Him. People were hurrying to bring their sick to Him. People begged Him to let them touch even the tassel on His cloak. 

We often seek out the Lord with the greatest sense of urgency in our brokenness and weakness. Something happens to us that causes us to see our vulnerability, weakness, and inability to manage things unaided.

When we face our frailties, those experiences reinforce our recognition of the need for and dependence on the Lord. Often, life's darker and more painful experiences open us up to the Lord.

When St. Paul struggled with his "thorn in the flesh," he heard the Risen Lord say, "My power is made perfect in weakness." Our recognition of our weaknesses can be the opening through which we reach out to and encounter God.

Homily for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

We've just heard one of the greatest vocation stories of biblical times: Jesus calls Simon Peter to become a fisher of God's people, sharing the Good News and gathering people to the Lord. 

One might ask: "Why him? He was flawed and would even deny knowing Jesus." But this is nothing new for God, who has repeatedly called on flawed individuals for significant responsibilities. Abraham became the father of a great nation at a very old age; Moses, who was described as "slow of speech and heavy-tongued, was called to take on Pharaoh; David, a young shepherd, was called to be king; and Saul, the prolific persecutor of Christians, was called to become an Apostle of Christ named Paul. 

God does as God wills.

Peter experienced the Lord's generosity in the incredible catch of fish in our Gospel. At that moment, he became aware of his own weakness and unworthiness. He felt undeserving of such generosity but found that the Lord loved him and had a great purpose for his life despite his imperfections. From that moment on, he would gather people to the Lord. 

Throughout history, God has chosen flawed person after flawed person to be instruments of His love, mercy, compassion, and justice. So, it would be wrong for us to conclude that we could never be called by God to be His instruments. Despite our failings and weaknesses, we are all called to be, in some way, instruments and ambassadors of God's presence, love, and action in our world.

The Lord's plan for us is not conditional on our worthiness. The Lord does not wait for us to be perfect before calling us to share in his life-giving work. Indeed, like Simon Peter, our calling demands our comprehension of our unworthiness, thus creating a way for the Lord to work through us. 

Genuine service to God requires humility and recognition of our need for God's grace in every facet of our lives and person. As Paul said, "If any one among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool so as to become wise."

Homily for Saturday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Flexibility is a good gift because things do not always go as planned. In the morning, we intend to accomplish certain tasks by the end of the day, but sometimes, those tasks remain unfinished. On a larger scale, we might have envisioned specific plans for our lives that have not come to fruition for various reasons. Such experiences can lead to feelings of despair. Still, we also have the option to respond differently and move beyond disappointment or frustration.

Jesus experienced similar situations with His plans and those of His followers. As we heard in today's Gospel, He intended to take them to a deserted place for quiet prayer and reflection because they had been so busy that they barely had time to eat or pray. However, when they arrived at that secluded spot, they found it crowded with people who had gotten there before them.

Jesus' response to the disruption of His plans was not anger or resentment. Instead, "His heart was moved with pity for them... and He began to teach them many things." His plans needed to change because a situation arose that aligned with God's larger purpose.

Whenever our plans go off-kilter, we should remain open to the possibility that something better can replace them. Being flexible allows us to see greater opportunities beyond our own desires. Ultimately, God's plan is always more important than our personal plans. When we have to set aside our own goals and dreams, we should pray for the Lord's life-giving purpose for our lives to prevail.