St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

Our Gospel passage today concludes an important sermon known as the Missionary Discourse, which Jesus delivered to those who would carry on His work. The Scriptures remind us that following God's will can be challenging and may even disrupt our peace. Jesus states, "I have come not to bring peace, but the sword."

In this statement, Jesus refers to the suffering and conflict we may experience in our lives. We can recall Simeon's words to Mary as he held the infant Jesus: "This child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and will be a sign that will be contradicted." Throughout history, many incidents have shown God's people facing oppression due to racial bias and nationalistic envy.

Similar to politics, disagreements about religion can create tensions within families. What the Lord offers is not "peace at any price," but a unique peace that comes from being close to Jesus. If there is conflict within our families, let it arise from personal conscience rather than from any dominating or judgmental attitudes. We are called to be sincere rather than authoritarian. Jesus encourages us to welcome others and appreciate the gifts they offer. Even something as simple as a cup of cold water will be recorded in the Book of Life as a commendable action.

Homily for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Young Dylan hated going to bed each night. He was terrified, like many children, of the monsters that lived under his bed. But Dylan's room also had a door that led up the creaky stairs to the attic. And as everyone knows, the attic is where the replacement monsters for under the bed come from.

Each night, Dylan grew increasingly anxious as the shadows lengthened at bedtime; the four-year-old was beside himself with fear.

Dylan's older brother's friend, Aiden, learned about his problem. Aiden shared that when he was Dylan's age, he was also afraid of monsters. However, one night, Aiden made a remarkable discovery: he found that his bed sheet was bulletproof. He said he could not be harmed as long as he stayed underneath that sheet each night. In fact, he claimed that the power of the bulletproof sheet was so strong that simply pulling it up to his neck would protect his head, too. Aiden told Dylan that this miraculous sheet had saved his life and helped him sleep soundly ever since.

That very night, Dylan discovered that his sheet was bulletproof, too. He burrowed underneath its folds and was never bothered by monsters again.

Aiden embodies the compassion and kindness of the Good Samaritan we encounter in today's Gospel reading. He didn't make fun of Dylan or tell him to grow up or stop acting like a baby. Instead, he showed Dylan that he cared and understood. He helped a frightened child find a way to cope with his fears.

"Good Samaritans" like Aiden possess compassion and kindness that surpass the tendency to judge, assign blame, or look down on someone. They recognize that understanding and mercy go beyond legalistic arguments and rationalizations. They demonstrate the essential Gospel truth that extraordinary things can be accomplished with the ordinary gifts we possess for the love of our neighbors.

Homily for Saturday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus tells us that not even a sparrow falls to the ground without God's knowledge. He tells us that God watches over the life and death of even the smallest creatures with great love and care. So, how much more is God watching over us?

Despite our vast numbers, Jesus affirms God's individual concern for each of us. This reassurance is not just a comforting thought but a call to action. God invites us into a personal relationship with Him and also into a communal relationship with Him as the Church, the Body of Christ on earth.

God's care for us is not just a general concern but a meticulous attention to the details of our lives. Jesus assures us of this, saying, "There is no need to be afraid." This is the kind of relationship Jesus Himself had with His Father. He knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that the Father was concerned about the details of His life. As a result, He entrusted Himself to the Father, even when His enemies seemed to have triumphed over Him.

Jesus tells us that we can have the same relationship with the Father. He invites us to share in His relationship with the Father, with and in the unity of the Holy Spirit.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Benedict, Abbot

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus is straightforward about the kind of reception we might face when sharing our faith. The response could be hostile, and this opposition may even come from our closest relationships. However, Jesus assures us that we will not face this rejection alone; the Holy Spirit will be there to provide guidance and support.

Contemporary society may be less hostile towards faith than it was during Jesus' time with the first disciples. Nevertheless, Gospel values are often rejected in today's culture, with some people perceiving these values as a threat, particularly to human freedom.

Just as it was during the time of the first disciples, we need the Holy Spirit to bear witness to the Lord and His mission today. The Holy Spirit serves as our source of inspiration, guiding us in our faith and strengthening our resolve. The Church's reliance on the Holy Spirit remains constant, and His inspiration is just as accessible to us now as it was in the early days of the Church.

Homily for Thursday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus is the most complete revelation possible of God's tender and merciful love for humankind. Yet, He experienced people rejecting this love, refusing to respond meaningfully.
When He sends out His disciples in today's Gospel, Jesus warns them to expect the same. They are to proclaim the Good News that the kingdom of God is at hand —the reign of God's life-giving love —but they will face those who will not welcome them or listen to what they have to say. This response is not meant to prevent them from fulfilling their mission of proclaiming God's loving presence through what they say and do, just as it did not stop Jesus when He suffered the ultimate rejection on the Cross. He even announced the same Good News as the Risen Lord to those who had turned away from Him and rejected Him.
As followers of Jesus Christ, we need to demonstrate the loving presence of God, regardless of how others react to us. When we are not welcomed, we should ask ourselves: Are they rejecting the message or the way it is being communicated? Everything we say and do in the name of the Lord should reflect God's tender mercies.

Homily for Wednesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

In our Gospel reading today, Jesus sends the Apostles to continue His work. He gives them a clear directive, and as faithful followers, they carry out His commands, with most of them ultimately sacrificing their lives in the process. 

Through our baptism, each of us is personally charged with the same directive. This is not a call to be judgmental, nagging, or disagreeable, but rather a call to express our faith through our words and actions. Sometimes, this involves sharing our faith stories, while at other times, it means quietly living out our faith, even in the most ordinary moments, fulfilling our responsibility in evangelization. 

So today, let us pray for the wisdom and courage to respond to the call to be evangelists of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Homily for Tuesday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

Spite is a harmful human trait that most people have encountered, either as the target of spite or as the perpetrator of it. Spiteful behavior should be a source of embarrassment for the one who exhibits it. Yet, it is often portrayed as a virtue.[1]

In today's Gospel, the Pharisees displayed great spite toward Jesus. Those who focused on the letter of the law were disturbed by Jesus's emphasis on the spirit of the law, which prioritizes mercy and love. In their opposition to Him, they took the good works that Jesus performed—such as healing the demoniac—and attributed them to the work of Satan, acting through Him. What a contradiction!

Living by Gospel principles can be a challenging journey that often requires us to go against our natural inclinations. However, the transformative power of virtues like forgiveness, humility, charity, and mercy is profound. These virtues can be particularly difficult to practice when we feel wronged, but embodying them is the hallmark of a good Christian and a good person.

Let us pray, today and always, that the Holy Spirit may guide us to wisdom and understanding of ourselves and others when we feel wronged. May our responses bring us closer to God's will.

[1] Angier, Natalie, The New York Times, March 31, 2014

Homily for Monday of the 14th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, we see two individuals in need of help who approached Jesus. One was a synagogue official imploring assistance for his daughter, while the other was a woman suffering from bleeding who came to Jesus on her own behalf. Their approaches to Jesus were quite different. The synagogue official approached Him publicly, bowing low and speaking his request aloud so that everyone could hear. In contrast, the woman approached Jesus more discreetly, touching the tassel of His cloak and quietly expressing her hopes for healing.

Each of us connects with the Lord in our own unique way. Our personal approach to Jesus mirrors how we relate to others. Both the synagogue official and the woman demonstrated faith, but they expressed it in different ways. Our faith unites us as a worshiping community while still allowing for our individuality to shine through.

Despite the different ways in which they approached Him, Jesus responded generously and respectfully to both individuals. He did not show favoritism but rather addressed their needs with compassion and understanding. This reminds us that God's response to us is always considerate of the unique ways we come to Him with our requests. It serves as a powerful testament to the value and respect He has for each person and their individual approach to faith.

Homily for the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The scene in our Gospel passage today clearly depicts Jesus delegating His mission and authority to His disciples. They go out and then return to Jesus, reporting the work they have done in His name. This is the ongoing commissioning of the Church by Jesus, a delegation that He continues to share with us today.

It's truly amazing that God the Father entrusts us with the mission of His Son. His work and mission are to be expressed in our actions and lives. The Church's preaching, liturgy, and service are not simply about God; they are God Himself acting in and through us.

However, we can become so focused on the problems, abuses, scandals, and incompetence of some Church members and leaders that we overlook the deeper reality that God is working through us despite our flaws.

Taking on this incredible responsibility, it's natural for us to wonder if we are up to the task. We are told that "the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few." This expresses a strong sense that the job we have been given may be overwhelming, and there might be too much to do given our current capacity and capabilities.

We are also reminded that "the kingdom is at hand," which creates a sense of urgency. When a harvest is ready, it must be reaped before it spoils, adding pressure due to time constraints.

Moreover, we are described as "lambs among wolves," indicating that not everyone will support our efforts. Some may be indifferent, while others may actively work to thwart our mission. This situation may seem like a no-win scenario.

We are called "laborers," not supervisors, managers, or executives. This signifies active engagement, often requiring us to handle tasks that may feel menial or tedious. Labor can sometimes seem endless and unrewarding.

We are expected to be entirely devoted to this work. Inherent in this portrayal is the image of Christ Himself, the laborer completely consumed by His mission, the one among us who is "He who serves." We, who are delegated, are called to identify with the One who is sending us.

We are called to service and self-forgetfulness. Jesus sends His disciples out with only the essentials, instructing them to "carry no money bag, no sack, and no sandals." We aren't provided with abundant equipment or tools: no credit card, mobile phone, or tablet—none of the possessions that offer security and comfort. The Roman soldiers referred to their baggage as "impedimenta" because it made travel difficult; it was an impediment to mobility.

Jesus understands that possessions and security can be impediments to our freedom and focus, preventing us from dedicating ourselves fully to what is truly important in our lives.

Too often, we labor and stress over what is ultimately unimportant, exhausting ourselves by focusing our energies on minor issues. Embracing poverty of spirit and simplicity helps us recognize what is most important. A disciple of Christ will be marked by simplicity and single-mindedness.

St. Paul alludes to a Christian principle of self-sufficiency in his letter to the Philippians: "I know how to be full and how to be empty, how to have plenty and how to have nothing." This principle embodies the freeing capacity to live authentically, based on our true selves rather than our external circumstances. We can allow our inner nature to shine through.

At the beginning of His delegation to His disciples, Jesus says, "Go on your way." The origins of our mission lie in this divine command, which pierces through our hesitation, fear, and doubt. We need to heed this Word beyond the distractions that can fill our minds and lives. By doing so, we can live lives formed by the Word of God. When Jesus tells us to rejoice because our names are written in heaven, He gives us joy in knowing that we are personally known by God and that the stories of our lives hold significance in eternal life.

Homily for Saturday of the 13th Week in Ordinary Time

Matthew's Gospel highlights the traditional view of Jesus, showing that He focused on converting His people. He came to save "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" rather than those outside His community. However, in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew shares Jesus' new vision, which refines and goes beyond the old law. Jesus often said, "You have heard the commandment... but now I say to you..." This shift, from focusing on Judaism to spreading the Church, is evident when Matthew writes, "Go... and make disciples of all nations." This sets Jesus' disciples apart from those of John the Baptist.

The term "new wineskins" refers to animal skins that are still flexible. When wine ferments, storing it in new skins allows the skins to stretch. Old, stiff skins, however, can break and lose both the wine and the skins. Similarly, sewing unshrunken cloth onto an old garment causes a bigger tear when the new cloth shrinks.

These images, rooted in a Jewish background, demonstrate that Jesus' preaching and healing mark a significant departure from the past. What started on the edges has moved to the center. He offers a new kind of joy, a new garment instead of one patched with old pieces, and new wineskins to contain the new wine of His life-giving Spirit.

Change often brings different reactions. We should focus on keeping our peace and being open to new circumstances, guided by Jesus' teachings. Divine providence provides a steady path toward the ultimate goal of eternal life in heaven, complemented by human experiences. We must strive to be worthy followers of Jesus, letting Him bring new ideas into our lives and embracing change, just as the early Church did.