St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle

Today, we celebrate the Feast of St. Bartholomew. We know little about him from Scripture, except that he is mentioned in the synoptic Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles as one of the original Twelve. Scripture scholars believe he was the Nathaniel mentioned in today's Gospel passage. John said that he was from Cana in Galilee and that Jesus called him a true child of Israel, with no dishonesty in him.

St. Bartholomew's commitment to his mission was unwavering. He traveled to India, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, and Greater Armenia, spreading the Gospel. In Greater Armenia, he was scourged and beheaded by King Astyages at Abanopolis on the west coast of the Caspian Sea, a testament to his unyielding faith.

St. Bartholomew's influence extends to a wide range of professions. He is the patron saint of tanners, plasterers, tailors, leatherworkers, bookbinders, farmers, house painters, butchers, and glove makers.

Let us pray… LORD, teach us to treasure, proclaim, and practice the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, which Saint Bartholomew so eloquently preached and finally sealed with his heroic martyrdom. Through his intercession, may we be fearless in our expressions of faith and desire to bring the faith to others. Through Christ our LORD. Amen.

Homily for Friday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

God calls us to be people of love, to be instruments of His love in our world, to speak out against evil and injustice, and to do our part to bring peace and justice to our world. This doesn't mean we condemn others; it means we show others how to love through our example.

In John's Gospel, Jesus says, "By this, shall [people] know that you are my disciples: if you love one another."

As we seek to bring today's Gospel alive in our hearts and lives, let us pray that God might let the fire of His love burn brightly in our hearts so that we might show His love to all people and express His love in our service to one another.

Homily for the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

By the Middle Ages, the Blessed Virgin Mary was venerated as Queen of the angels and the saints. In 1955, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The feast was given the date of August 22nd to emphasize its connection with the Solemnity of the Assumption, one week earlier.

There are many "vocational stories" throughout the Scriptures. Today, we read about Mary's call, the vocation, which showed a wide range of responses to her encounter with the angel. First, she was "deeply troubled" at being called "full of grace." Then, she was confused that she would conceive and bear a son. Then, only after reflection, she submitted to what God was asking of her, saying, "May it be done to me according to your word."

Mary's question, "How can this be?" shows that she struggled before reaching her famous response. There is always some struggle in reaching our own understanding of what God wants from us. Mary's response of total surrender to God's purpose for her life did not come easy to her or to us. However, in our struggle to live in harmony with God's will for us, we have the promise of Gabriel's words to Mary, "Nothing will be impossible for God." What seems impossible to us is always possible with God's help. In the words of St. Paul: "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me has not been ineffective."

Homily for the Memorial of St. Pius X

For many people, today's parable about the workers in the vineyard is tough to swallow.  There doesn't seem to be any fairness to it, yet this parable isn't about fairness; it's about generosity and mercy. It's a reminder of God's boundless love and His willingness to show mercy even when we don't deserve it.

The vineyard owner is, of course, representative of God, and we are fortunate that God is like that: generous and compassionate in His love for us.  After all, even if we work hard to follow God's will in our lives, we know that we often fail, and it is then that we don't want God to judge us with fairness but with mercy instead.

God's kingdom is His free gift to us, a manifestation of His boundless love.  All we can do is love God and our neighbor and trust that He will give us all the graces we need for our salvation. Each of us is loved deeply by God, but none of us can do anything to have either earned it or demanded it.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

Certain expressions in the Scriptures carry deep inspiration. For instance, recognizing that "for God, all things are possible" is reassuring. This is similar to the response given to Mary's question to the angel, "How can this be?" The angel Gabriel replied, "Nothing will be impossible for God."

In today's Gospel passage, the context is the moment when the rich young man, seeking the path to eternal life, left feeling disheartened because Jesus' response implied a sacrifice greater than he thought he could make. How can a wealthy person find the way to eternal life (assuming that sacrifice may not be feasible for some rich individuals)? Jesus says it is possible, but only with a special grace from God.

At different points in our lives, we all encounter what appear to be insurmountable challenges. We become anxious, pondering how we will navigate through a health crisis, a family loss, a breakdown in marriage, or a severe bout of depression. In these moments, it is comforting to know that, for God, all things are possible. St. Paul embraced this belief and expressed it uniquely. He wrote, "I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me." How reassuring it would be to share in that deeply held conviction!

Homily for Monday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time

The young man's question to Jesus in today's Gospel passage is sincere. He sought spiritual meaning and asked, "What good must I do to gain eternal life?" In response, Jesus recited several commandments about being just and kind to others, emphasizing that the way to eternal life is to be life-giving and law-abiding.

The young man, already fulfilling these commandments, felt there was more he could give of himself. When Jesus suggested selling his property and giving the money to the poor, it seemed too much for him, and he left feeling grieved.

Although this challenging lifestyle may not be for everyone, the path to life and the one God wants us to follow will always include some level of self-denial and an unselfish relationship with others. Through His teaching and example, Jesus shows us what we must do to gain eternal life.

Homily for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The truth of our faith has transformed ordinary sinners into extraordinary saints throughout Church history, as demonstrated by the life and death of St. Tarsicius. In 257, St. Tarsicius met his death on the Appian Way in Rome, becoming a victim of one of the most lethal waves of persecution to happen to the expanding Church.

Malicious tales at the time falsely accused Christians of cannibalism and other horrible practices, labeling believers as the Roman Empire's enemies, punishable by torture and death.

The faithful had to gather secretly to celebrate the Mass. The prisons swelled with Christians awaiting trial and execution. Isolated, terrorized with torture, and overwhelmed by the steady stream of martyrdoms, many of these prisoners lost courage, abandoning the faith to save their lives.

So, local pastors sent deacons and acolytes on the difficult mission of bringing the Blessed Sacrament to strengthen imprisoned Christians. The teenager Tarsicius was among them.

Tarsicius was stopped by a group of Roman soldiers during such a mission. They realized what he was doing and ordered him to hand over the Blessed Sacrament. He refused, knowing they only wanted to defile it. The soldiers became forceful; Tarsicius would not give in. They began to launch sticks at him; still, he clutched the Blessed Sacrament.

They took pavement stones and threw them down upon him until he died. When they seized his body to take the Blessed Sacrament, they found no sign of the Hosts he had been carrying; Tarsicius had fulfilled his mission.

St. Tarsicius risked his life because he knew that his fellow Christians needed food for their souls, or they would tire in their struggle to keep the faith. Jesus knows we can't win this struggle alone, so He goes with us through the Eucharist.

Through the incarnation, Jesus, the Word of God, reduced Himself to our level out of love by taking on our human nature. In the celebration and reception of the Eucharist, He raises us to His level, nourishing us with His Body and Blood.

The Eucharist is the sacrament of Christ's love, but His expression of love goes even further. Jesus offers Himself as food for our souls in Holy Communion, nourishing and replenishing all the virtues we need to resist temptation and continue in the battle for the Kingdom. He stays with us always.

After Mass, we reserve the remaining consecrated Hosts in the Tabernacle so we can pray in Jesus' physical presence throughout the week and take the Blessed Sacrament to the sick and elderly who cannot be with us for our Sunday celebration.

Jesus stays with us. He wants to be with us whenever we need Him. When we turn to Him, He gives us light, strength, comfort, and guidance.

Jesus Christ, God himself, not only inhabited Palestine centuries ago, but He literally dwells in every city, town, and neighborhood today, bringing the life of heaven into every person in every corner of the earth.

As we continue with this celebration of the Eucharist, let us thank Him for not abandoning us, and when we receive the Living Bread today, let's promise that we will never abandon Him.

Homily for Saturday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel tells us about an incident where parents brought their children to Jesus, hoping He would lay His hands on them and pray for them. They recognized Jesus as a channel of God's life-giving work and wanted the best for their children. Today, parents who value Jesus and His teachings have the same desire to bring their children to Him, seeing Him as an extraordinary gift from God and wanting the best for their children's spiritual well-being.

In our Gospel, the parents' path was not without obstacles. The disciples initially tried to deter the parents. However, Jesus, in His wisdom, insisted that the children be brought to Him, conquering the resistance of His disciples.

This story serves as a powerful reminder to trust in the Lord's plan. He is always at work, guiding our efforts to bring our loved ones to Him. His desire for others to find life in Him will always prevail, overcoming any obstacles in the way. We must hold onto our faith, knowing that the Lord will always find a way to bring people to Him, regardless of the resistance we may face.

Homily for Friday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

The Pharisees often tested Jesus, as they knew His teaching usually went beyond what the Jewish law required and sometimes even undermined it.

In this instance, the Jewish leaders wanted to challenge Jesus on his faithfulness to the Jewish law regarding marriage. They suspected that Jesus' teaching would contradict the Jewish law's stance on divorce in some instances, and they were right.

Jesus' teachings on marriage were more radical than those of the Jewish law. He emphasized that men and women should commit to marriage for life, referencing the Book of Genesis to support His stance.

While it's a reality that many marriages do not last for life and relationships break down, the Gospels show that Jesus recognized and engaged with people as they were in their everyday lives.

Jesus related to people in the context of their lives, acknowledging the reality of their situations. However, he also presented God's vision for human life, including married life. He articulated this vision while still lovingly engaging with those who, for various reasons, could not attain it.

In essence, Jesus' relationship with us is twofold; He loves us as we are yet also encourages us to strive for something greater than ourselves.

Homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

After dying together in a freak accident, three friends go to Heaven for an orientation session. They are all asked the same question: "When you are in your casket and family and friends are mourning over you, what would you like to hear them say about you?"

The first guy responds: "I would like to hear them say that I was one of the greatest doctors of my time and a great family man."

The second guy says: "I would like to hear that I was a wonderful husband and a school teacher who made a huge difference in the children of tomorrow."

The third guy thinks for a while and then replies: "I guess I'd like to hear them say, 'Look – he's moving!'"

There are a lot of jokes about heaven, and I suppose it’s because we have a lot of questions about what it will be like.

It's natural to have questions about what happens after we die. Every religion seeks to provide answers to this ultimate question. Today's feast reflects on what happens after death, offering a key to understanding the profound mysteries of our lives. In the Christian perspective, we find hope and purpose in understanding that our journey continues beyond death.

If you look at Mary's life as recorded in the Gospels, on the surface, there is nothing special about it. It is a life of faith, not vision. Only divine Revelation lets us look at the hidden glory of her life. Revelation tells us that at her death, she was assumed body and soul into Heaven, a belief that signifies her unique role in salvation history and her special relationship with her son, Jesus.

Because of Christ's Resurrection and Mary's Assumption, we have hope that our death is a beginning, but also that in our life, we can look back from that vantage point and find the infinite in the finite. There is so much more going on in our lives than we can see, understand, or even imagine. When Mary conceived Jesus in her womb, she had a life within her life. Every woman who has conceived must have experienced this—a life within her life. This seems to be a model of the Christian life: We have the life of God within our lives. We must be attentive to the life we bear, nurture it, and bring forth its fruit. Nothing is as it seems. Death is life, suffering is redemptive, and mortality becomes immortality.