St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Tuesday of the 22nd Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel, a man possessed by an unclean demon loudly confronted Jesus, asking, "What have you come to do with us? Have you come to destroy us?" Jesus did not shy away from this aggressive encounter, nor did He respond with hostility. Instead, He addressed the demon directly and brought healing and peace to the man.

Throughout the Gospels, we see that Jesus often refrains from reacting in kind to those who oppose Him; yet, He never backs down. The Lord interacts with us in a manner that differs significantly from how we typically relate to Him. His approach is consistently more generous, loving, and merciful than our responses to Him and to each other.

When the people in the synagogue witnessed Jesus' interaction with the troubled man, they were astonished by His authority and the power He wielded over unclean spirits. Jesus demonstrates His authority through love and kindness to those in need, regardless of whether they have any claim to it. In this way, He exemplifies what actual authority looks like.

Let us pray that Jesus' example inspires us to approach one another with love, mercy, and a genuine desire for understanding and peace.

Homily for Labor Day

Jesus calls us to prioritize our love for God, which is essential for developing a mature faith. When we love God wholeheartedly, we direct our hearts, minds, and lives toward Him, and our attachment to worldly things diminishes.

It’s not just physical possessions that can distract us from our focus on God. Jesus’ message encourages us not to be consumed by worries about the future but to concentrate on the present. By embracing God's daily mercies and trusting in His generosity and providence, we can find freedom from anxiety.

When we recognize that all things come from God and strive to live in His presence, we become satisfied with what we have. This spiritual maturity enables us to live well, even with less, as we recognize that our ultimate security lies in God.

Homily for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Several years ago, the St. Petersburg Times ran a story about the legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula. He was on vacation with his family in a small town in northern Maine.

 One afternoon, it was raining, and Coach Shula, his wife, and their five children went to a matinee movie in the town’s only theater. When they arrived, the house lights were still on, and Coach Shula could see that there was only a handful of people there. When he and his family walked in, everyone stood up and cheered.

As he sat down, Coach Shula turned to his wife and said, “We’re about fifteen hundred miles from home, and they're giving me a standing ovation. They must get the Dolphins on TV all the way up here.”

Then a man approached him and, with a huge smile, shook his hand. Shula beamed and asked, “How did you recognize me?” The man replied, “Mister, I have no idea who you are. All I know is that just before you and your family walked in, the manager told us he wouldn’t show the movie today unless four more people showed up.”

That story clarifies the teaching of today’s readings that our Christian commitment calls us to be humble; it calls us to be the kind of Christian that Don Shula revealed himself to be in sharing that story.

There was a man whose reputation extended across the country, not only as an excellent coach but also as a truly good person. It was only natural for him to think that the man who came over to him knew who he was. When it turned out that he didn’t, Coach Shula was the first to laugh at himself. In fact, he enjoyed the incident so much that he shared it with others. Only a truly humble person would do a thing like that.

This raises an important question for us: What exactly is humility? Does it mean that we put ourselves down? Does it mean that we think little of ourselves? Does it mean that we deny our true worth?

Humility doesn’t mean any of these things. Humility is something more profound and far more beautiful than that. Humility isn’t thinking little of ourselves; it’s not thinking of ourselves at all. In its most profound and beautiful sense, humility means to be like Jesus who said in Matthew’s Gospel, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” It means to be like Jesus who said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.”

Humility means to live as Jesus lived — not for ourselves, but for others. It means to use our talents as Jesus used His talents — not for ourselves and our own glory, but for others and their needs.

There is a story about three people who were having a conversation about recent translations of the Bible. The first person said, “I like the New American Bible that we use at Mass. The language is so much easier to understand without sacrificing the sacredness of God’s Word.”

The second person said, “I like the translation of the Jerusalem Bible because it is very poetic without sacrificing the meaning of God’s Word.”

The third person said, “I like my mother’s translation of the Bible. She has translated the Bible into life and made it live by her example. Her translation is the best one of all.”

That story sums up the challenge of Jesus in today’s Gospel. Jesus challenges us to translate God’s Word into everyday life. He challenges us to live the Bible — to make the Bible live — to use our talents and gifts, again, not for ourselves and our own glory, but for others and their needs. This is how we are to be of humble service as was Jesus Christ.         

I would like close with St. Ignatius’ Prayer for Generosity:

“Lord, teach me to be generous.

Teach me to serve you as you deserve;

to give and not to count the cost;

to fight and not to heed the wounds;

to toil and not to seek for rest;

to labor and not to ask for reward,

except to know

that I am doing your will.”

Homily for Saturday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time

In the parable, one of the servants viewed his master negatively. He believed his master was a demanding man who reaped where he had not sown. Out of fear and a limited perspective, this servant chose to do nothing with the gifts he had been given. In contrast, the other two servants held a much more positive view of their master. As a result, they felt free to take initiative and even take risks with what they had.

Jesus revealed God as infinitely generous. He demonstrated that God's goodness is awe-inspiring and that God remains faithful, even when we are not. Unlike the third servant, who saw his master as someone waiting for him to fail, Jesus showed us that God wants us to take risks in our service to Him and assures us that we remain in His love, regardless of our success or failure.

God's unfailing love should inspire us to take risks with the gifts we have received from Him. The first letter of John tells us that perfect love casts out fear. We should not be paralyzed by fear, as the third servant was. God, who has blessed us abundantly, expects us to share our blessings generously and to trust Him with the outcome.

Homily for the Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist

John the Baptist was a significant figure who was destined to announce the coming of the Messiah. In his late teens, he felt guided by the Spirit to lead a simple and reflective life in the desert. By the age of thirty, he emerged as a preacher advocating for reform and renewal. He called on the people to repent and be baptized, offering them a chance to wash away their sins while proclaiming the arrival of the Messiah. Many regarded him as a true prophet of God, and his voice resonated with a clear call for faith and moral transformation.

John's message angered Herod and Herodias, the wife of Herod's brother Philip, as they were living together in violation of the law. John boldly criticized their scandalous relationship, which led to his imprisonment.

At a lavish birthday banquet in the royal palace, Salome, the daughter of Philip and Herodias, enchanted the guests with her dancing so much that Herod promised to grant her any wish she desired. Provoked by her mother, the girl asked for the head of John the Baptist. Acting on her wishes, Herod reluctantly had John beheaded. 

Today's memorial honors the great herald of Jesus, who sacrificed his life for the truth about a year before Jesus' Passion. He foresaw Jesus' death on the Cross, referring to Him as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Augustine

In today's parable, Jesus teaches us the importance of being prepared for the Kingdom of God. We risk being locked out if we neglect to prepare ourselves properly. 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.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Monica

In today's parable, Jesus teaches us the importance of being prepared for the Kingdom of God. We risk being locked out if we neglect to prepare ourselves properly. 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.

Homily for Tuesday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time

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 become overly focused on minor concerns, neglecting 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 by stating, "the only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love."

Homily for Monday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus was critical of those who hindered others from believing in Him. At one point, He chastised His own disciples for trying to prevent children from coming to Him, despite their parents wanting them to do so. He also rebuked those who attempted to stop the blind man Bartimaeus from reaching out to Him.

Rather than closing off the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus calls His followers to open it up to others. This is not an individual task but a shared responsibility. We are meant to guide one another to the Lord, reveal the Lord to each other, and support one another on our journey toward Heaven.

The Gospels are filled with examples of individuals who brought others to Jesus, serving as a source of inspiration for us. Consider John the Baptist, whose life's purpose was to lead people to Jesus and, in doing so, to help open the Kingdom to others. His dedication and fervor can ignite our own passion for this shared mission.

As we navigate our pilgrimage through life, we rely on each other's faith and lived witness for support. This mutual encouragement is a crucial aspect of our shared experience as we journey together toward Heaven.

Homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

There is a Peanuts cartoon that shows Charlie Brown getting up one morning and looking out the window. It’s a beautiful winter day: snow covers the ground, and while it’s very cold, it’s perfect for skiing. Charlie bundles up in several layers of clothing, puts on his big gloves, and straps on his skis. However, when he moves toward the door, he finds that he’s too bundled up to fit through. Instead of removing the items that are preventing him from getting outside, he stands there and screams at the top of his lungs.

The image of Charlie Brown standing in front of the door, too bundled up to pass through, serves as a good reminder as we confront the challenge that Jesus presents to us today. Many things can make it difficult for us to pass through the narrow gate to the kingdom of heaven. These could be spiritual or material obstacles, but whatever they are, they can keep our hearts and our focus away from the loving and merciful presence of God.

One of the things that might keep us from entering the kingdom of heaven is the expectations of others. A story that illustrates this point involves Joe Rosenthal, the photographer who took the famous photo during World War II of the United States Marines raising the American flag on the island of Iwo Jima.

Joe was a Jewish man who became convinced that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah. He decided to convert to Catholicism, but his family and friends thought this was a terrible mistake. Despite their objections, Joe’s faith in Jesus burned in his heart. He knew that his decision was right, and he understood that he had to go against the wishes of those who loved him most. This was a challenging and painful task.

After World War II, Joe spoke about his work as a photographer as well as his faith in Jesus and how it helped him during the challenging years on the battlefield. In an interview, he reflected on his conversion to Catholicism, stating, “Sometimes, the thing that keeps us from entering the door to God’s kingdom is not just material possessions and concerns, but also concerns about what others may say about us or think of us.”

Indeed, it’s essential for most of us that others think well of us. Jesus warns us that we need to stand by the truth; we must speak out and live out the Gospel, regardless of the sacrifices, suffering, or even rejection that we might face from those we love most, if we hope to walk through that narrow gate. This ties back to the Gospel from last week, where Jesus spoke about family members turning against one another because of His message. He emphasized that, as important as our relationships are, living out the Gospel and the kingdom of God are infinitely more important.

As we bring today’s Scripture to prayer this week, let us be mindful of those bundles and burdens that keep us from becoming all that God has called us to be. May we ask God for the true freedom we need to be children of God, walking freely toward His kingdom of love.