St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel lays out Jesus's mission. The Spirit that descended upon Him in the Jordan River led Him to proclaim a message and a way of life for those eager to be friends with God. He had moved away from home but made such an impression that news about Him reached His hometown of Nazareth. We are told that He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, as was His custom, and announced the beginning of a new age.

His sermon was straightforward for anyone familiar with the words of the prophets. Jesus read a remarkable passage from Isaiah that clearly described what would happen when the Messiah came. After reading, He rolled up the scroll and declared, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." By announcing that He had come to replace the old Jewish emphasis on law with a new law of love, He caused quite a stir. Initially, everyone was pleased with His basic message; however, in next Sunday's Gospel, we will learn how this encounter ended — not very well.

"To let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Our human nature can make us a bit resistant to God's will. This resistance manifests as a refusal to listen and an insistence on following our own path. Some basic rebelliousness and pride lead to the blindness and oppression mentioned in today's Gospel. We cannot resolve this alone; we need help from outside ourselves. But Jesus has come to join us, to lead us, and to save us, and this is the powerful good news announced in the Nazareth synagogue: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor."

Homily for the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

Today, we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul, a Pharisee known as Saul, who became an Apostle of Jesus and is known as Paul. 

As a Pharisee, Saul was well-versed in the events of Jesus' life and death. He understood that Jesus' followers recognized Him as the Messiah and that the Mosaic Law was no longer considered the ultimate authority. Instead, people came to believe that Jesus' life, death, and Resurrection were now part of the final truth. This was deeply troubling for Saul, who focused entirely on the Law.

However, on the road to Damascus, Saul experienced a profound transformation. Instead of viewing Jesus through the eyes of a Pharisee, he began to see Him through the eyes of faith, which completely changed his perspective.

This new understanding allowed him to move past his strict adherence to the Law and recognize Jesus as the Messiah, leading him to become His follower. Additionally, it opened his eyes to the call to preach not only to the Jewish people but also to the Gentiles, who some early Jewish Christians believed should be excluded.

Let us pray that we, too, will recognize Jesus' presence in our lives and respond to the call to share our knowledge and love of God with others.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales

What may initially seem like an insignificant line in today’s Gospel actually deserves our attention. It follows Jesus summoning those He chose, stating, "And they came to Him."

Jesus called the Twelve He wanted to be His Apostles, and they came to Him.

Every day, Jesus calls us; He is constantly reaching out to us. Do we respond when He calls? Are we even aware of when and how He calls us?

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus tells us that He calls us through those who need help with basic necessities, such as food, water, clothing, and shelter. He is present in those who are sick and require our compassion and care, as well as in those who are imprisoned, especially those who suffer due to oppression.

Do we recognize Jesus in these individuals? Do we hear His call through them? Do we reach out to Him through our service to these people? We should because Jesus made it clear on many occasions that it is through people like these that He can be found and served.

Homily for Thursday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Throughout His ministry, Jesus attracted the suffering and distressed. These people understood that He came to bring them life, particularly for the hurting, the broken, and the lost.

Like them, we reach out to the Lord in our need, acknowledging Him as the source of healing and life. The Lord is no less present to us today than He was to the people of His time; He continues to give us strength, healing, and life amid our struggles.

May we trust in His constant presence and His desire to bring hope, healing, love, and peace to our lives.

Homily for the Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children

Today, the Catholic Church in the United States observes a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children, commemorating the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion. This day is dedicated to prayer, penance, and reflection on the dignity of human life.

Scriptures tell us God created humanity in His image, endowing us with a dignity that must be cherished and protected. God lovingly knits us together in our mothers' wombs, placing us in the center of His Creation.

The Gospel of the Visitation shows how Mary, pregnant with Jesus, brings joy to Elizabeth, affirming the life within her womb.

This passage calls us to celebrate and protect new life while acknowledging that pregnancy can present challenges. We must respond with love and support for expectant mothers, following Mary's example when she traveled in haste to be with Elizabeth.

On this day, let us pray for the protection of unborn children, seek healing for those affected by abortion, and commit ourselves to supporting expectant mothers. May our hearts leap with joy for the gift of life.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Agnes, Virgin & Martyr

The Pharisees criticized Jesus’ disciples for picking and eating heads of grain on the Sabbath, believing this act constituted work and was, therefore, prohibited. They assumed they fully understood what God expected of people on the Sabbath, but in reality, they did not comprehend the true intention behind it.

Although they considered themselves experts on the subject, they had significant lessons to learn from Jesus and His perspective on the Sabbath.

In our journey of faith, we all have much to learn from the Lord. He continues to speak to us and desires to teach and enlighten us through His Word. Therefore, we must approach the Scriptures with openness and humility.

As learners, we should come before the Word, not as experts, but with a willingness to invite the Lord to enlighten us and guide us further in our quest for complete truth.

Homily for Monday of the 2nd Week in Ordinary Time

Wine played a vital role at wedding feasts in Jesus' time, marking the beginning of a marriage. This is evident from the story of the Wedding Feast at Cana, which precedes today's Gospel reading. When Jesus referred to Himself as the bridegroom, He compared His presence in the world to that of new wine.

The new wine, representing the Lord's loving presence and life-giving action, requires new wineskins to contain and share it. While the Lord's love is a gift, it also places certain demands on us, urging us to continually renew our lives so His love can truly shape us.

With new wine comes the need for new wineskins: we must continually shed our old ways and develop anew, thus always growing closer to God.

Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

A characteristic of John's Gospel is that even ordinary-sounding sentences can carry profound meaning. One such sentence is in today's passage: "They have no wine." In other translations, this line reads, "The wine has run out." Upon deeper reflection, this phrase becomes a powerful symbol.

Today, "the wine has run out" serves as a metaphor indicating enthusiasm and thrill have suddenly lessened. Other phrases convey a similar sentiment, such as "the honeymoon is over," "the bubble has burst," or "the party is over."

This metaphor manifests itself in various ways: the first year in college is great, but about halfway through the first semester, the reality of exams and term papers sets in. A new job is thrilling, but before long, it is filled with long stretches of boredom, and the initial challenge fades. Friendships can be genuine, yet little conflicts can create stress, making things feel different from how they used to be. A marriage might have once been good, but somewhere along the way, the wine ran out. Faith may sustain us when everything is going well, but illness, death, and struggles enter the picture, and the wine runs out once again. Speaking about hope can be easy when supporting someone struggling, but when faced with our own challenges, we may find that the wine has run out.

Even the most hopeful people must wrestle at various points to keep the wine from running out. We must strive to maintain faith, hope, and love in our hearts.

Today's Gospel reminds us that keeping these qualities alive is not something we can do alone. We need the help of Jesus and the support of one another as ambassadors of Christ in the world.

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus is presented with jars of ordinary water, which He transforms into the finest wine. He desires to do the same for us. He wants to take our ordinary lives and make them extraordinary. He aims to invigorate us during times of dullness and indifference and to fill our lives, particularly during struggles, pain, and doubt, with the light and vitality of faith so that we may be filled with God's love and strength.

However, we must take the first step: We must bring our lives to God, just as the servants brought the jars of water to Jesus. We must open our hearts and souls to God's love and power to be transformed and discover that the adage, "the best is yet to come," holds true.

Homily for Saturday of the 1st Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel illustrates how Jesus wants us to share His message. He dined with many, including sinners, tax collectors, and others who were considered less acceptable than law-abiding Pharisees. By breaking bread with sinners, He also likely shared God’s Word with them—God’s healing and merciful message. In defense of His actions, He stated, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus reveals a Father who does not withhold His living Word or grace from us, even when we feel unworthy. The Lord continues to speak words of love and light into the darkest and most troubled parts of our lives. He offers us the Bread of His Word to satisfy our deepest hunger, waiting for us to take and eat.

We are called to reflect God’s mercy and to invite all people to the Table of the Lord, not just those who seem to conform to the ideal of Christian living. ALL are called, especially sinners. God’s grace and mercy are not rewards for perfection; rather, they are essential as we strive to be perfect, just as our heavenly Father is perfect.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot

In our Gospel reading today, we encounter the well-known story of Jesus healing the paralytic on the mat. While the man's healing is significant, it serves as a part of a larger narrative: the forgiveness of sins. This healing demonstrates to the doubters and critics that Jesus possesses the authority to forgive sins. As we observe in many healing stories, it is through their faith that people receive healing and forgiveness. This is not merely a reward; their faith opens them to God's healing power, which is always present.

The primary focus of this story is not the healing of the body but the transformation of our souls through God's forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our relationships with God and one another. This healing occurred because the paralyzed man's friends because they believed Jesus could heal him. Indeed, their faith changed their lives and the life of their friend.

Let us pray for the faith we need to invite God's healing power into our hearts and souls.