St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the Baptism of the Lord

In 2006, a film titled Stranger Than Fiction, starring Will Ferrell and Emma Thompson, was released. It is a gently absurd fable that, despite its implausible premise, serves as a thought-provoking meditation on the meaning and purpose of life.

Ferrell portrays Harold Crick, a colorless and compulsive IRS auditor in the film. An unvarying routine and a rapid, computer-like proficiency with numbers characterize his life. His apartment is meticulously neat and unadorned. He is unfailingly polite and cooperative, yet he feels terminally lost and lonely.

Everything changes when Harold hears a woman's voice narrating his life. He cannot silence the dry, British female voice in his head, which describes the story of his empty days as he is living them.

As he becomes increasingly unhinged by this voice, Harold discovers that he is a character in a novel being written by a once-bestselling author struggling with severe writer's block.

As the writer unfolds her story about Harold, he must make crucial decisions about the direction of his life. He grapples with whether his life is a comedy or a tragedy and considers whether he is cast as a romantic lead or a selfless hero. Guided by the unshakeable voice in his head, Harold becomes a puzzled but hopeful seeker of love, friendship, and the small joys of life he has overlooked, like homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Without revealing the ending, it is essential to note that Harold evolves into someone willing to give his life to save another. The narrator/novelist realizes Harold is "exactly the kind of man [a storyteller] should keep alive."

In the accounts of Jesus' baptism, the evangelists depict the Holy Spirit as descending upon Jesus, hovering over him "like a dove." The same Spirit that rests upon Jesus after his baptism also descends and resides within us.

The Spirit that hovers within us resembles the voice Harold Crick hears; the Spirit of God functions as the narrator of our own lives, encouraging us to live our "stories" with compassion and mercy.

God's Spirit communicates with us in the deepest and most hidden parts of our hearts; it is the very essence of God animating and guiding us. This Spirit is a wellspring of grace and wisdom, courage and perseverance, empowering us to become the people of justice, peace, and goodness God intended us to be.

Homily for Saturday after the Epiphany of the Lord

John the Baptist was a humble person who understood his identity in God's eyes. He recognized his strengths and weaknesses, knowing that his life was meant to revolve around the One who was to come—Jesus. 

This awareness was not a burden for him; instead, he found overwhelming joy in Jesus's arrival and his role in Jesus' mission. He recognized that he was the herald of good news but not the good news itself. When Jesus came, John willingly stepped aside, and in doing so, he became first among many. 

By embracing humility, we find our true purpose and value in God's eyes. Prayer can be a complete offering of oneself to God, allowing for the exchange of life and love.

Homily for Friday after the Epiphany of the Lord

The Lord demonstrates true service by reaching out to those marginalized by society. Instead of seeking the powerful and wealthy, Jesus engaged with the poor, as well as tax collectors, prostitutes, and thieves, encouraging their dignity.

In today's Gospel, He encounters a man with leprosy who was required to live apart from society and declare his unclean status. Defying convention, the man approaches Jesus, begging to be made clean. Jesus' response is profound; He touches the leper, shocking everyone around Him. This act of compassion and acceptance illustrates Jesus' mission to heal and restore, embodying the “pastoral” risk-taking that defines being a fisher of God's people.

Homily for Thursday after the Epiphany of the Lord

In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus clearly articulated His purpose, choosing a profound passage from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me…” This scripture embodies joy, freedom, and justice, reflecting the divine power to liberate the oppressed. The people were initially impressed and hopeful, but their support quickly turned to hostility, foreshadowing the opposition He would face throughout His ministry from religious authorities who resisted His vision of freedom and fraternity.

Even during His crucifixion, the Spirit remained with Him, and His mission culminated in His sacrificial death. He proclaimed God’s grace and mercy, especially toward the marginalized, though His expansive vision of God’s love was too challenging for His neighbors. Ultimately, Jesus offers transformation and belonging to all, regardless of their past struggles.

Homily for Wednesday after the Epiphany of the Lord

The Gospels frequently show Jesus in prayer. After miraculously feeding a large crowd, He went up the hillside to pray. While He sought solitude, prayer did not separate Him from the world's challenges. In fact, prayer made Him even more attuned to the needs and struggles of others. While praying, He thought of His frightened friends, exhausted from rowing across the stormy lake. He paused His prayer to go to them and help them, saying, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!"

Though Jesus maintained a close communion with His Father, He also remained connected to the needs of the people around Him. This duality is evident in our own inner lives as well. In prayer, we become aware of God's presence, tuning into the divine within us. This awareness also prompts us to consider others and empathize with their needs. Unsurprisingly, the One we reach out to in prayer is filled with love for others; thus, conversing with Him reminds us to care for those around us. Often, our prayers take the form of intercessory petitions for ourselves and others. Genuine prayer strengthens our connection with God and broadens our concern, especially for those facing the storms of life.

Homily for Tuesday after the Epiphany of the Lord

In the encounter we witness in this morning's Gospel passage, Jesus encouraged His disciples to become trusting and generous givers who strive to support those in need.

When faced with a large, hungry crowd, Jesus' disciples suggested that He send the people away to fend for themselves. However, Jesus proposed a different approach: "Give them some food yourselves." He urged them to take responsibility for these needy individuals rather than simply wishing them away. Jesus challenged His disciples to take action, no matter how small their contribution might seem. Eventually, they discovered five loaves and two fish—minimal resources. Yet, with this meager offering, they could feed the entire crowd.

According to Jesus, the willingness to do something, no matter how small, and the readiness to give, no matter how little, can yield significant results. The Lord can use our contributions to accomplish great things, no matter how minor. The Gospel encourages us to be generous, even when we feel we have little to offer or when the situation appears overwhelming. He will ensure that our efforts bear fruit.

Homily for Monday after the Epiphany of the Lord

Today's Gospel begins with Jesus entering Galilee, encountering people in great need of hope and a renewal of spirit, and fulfilling the words of the prophet Isaiah of the people in darkness seeing a great light. Jesus' arrival is that light and the beginning of God's reign on earth. 

Jesus calls us to repent of our sins because God's kingdom is near. His healing acts are a tangible demonstration of God's love and power to restore wholeness to people's lives, a promise that will be fully realized in heaven.

As a community of faith and as individuals, we are called to reflect on our lives and consider how we can actively participate in bringing the light of the Gospel to our community, our parish, our workplaces, our schools, and our homes. 

By responding to Jesus' call to follow Him and actively sharing His message of hope and healing, we become instruments of God's Kingdom in the world, bringing light to the darkness around us.

Homily for the Epiphany of the Lord

On this Feast of the Epiphany, we place the figures of the Three Kings in our nativity scene. Following the star, the Magi journeyed from the East to Bethlehem to find the Infant Jesus and offer Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These expensive gifts carry deep symbolic meaning: gold honors Jesus' kingship, incense honors His divinity, and myrrh honors His humanity, which would experience death and burial.

As we reflect on this aspect of the nativity scene, we are reminded of every Christian's responsibility to be a herald of the Gospel. We are called to bring glad tidings to all we meet, witnessing to this through our acts of mercy and sharing the joy of knowing God's love.

The Three Kings illustrate that people may reach Christ through a long and winding path. These men of wealth and wisdom, seeking the infinite, embarked on a challenging journey to Bethlehem. They experienced incredible joy upon finding themselves in the presence of the Infant Jesus.

Unfazed by His humble surroundings, they knelt to worship the Newborn King. In doing so, they recognized that the God who guides the stars with infinite wisdom also guides the life of our world, casting down the mighty and uplifting the lowly. Upon returning home, they surely shared their extraordinary encounter with the Messiah, thus beginning the spread of the Gospel among all peoples and nations, a mission that we continue to this very day.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Elizabeth Ann Bayley was born in New York City on August 28, 1774, into a well-known and influential family, and she was raised as an Episcopalian. Tragically, her mother passed away when Elizabeth was just three years old.

In 1794, at 19, Elizabeth married William Magee Seton, a wealthy businessman. Together, they had five children. However, about nine years into their marriage, William died of tuberculosis in 1803 while they were living in Italy, leaving Elizabeth a young widow. During her time in Italy, she discovered Catholicism and, upon returning to the United States, entered the Catholic Church in 1805 in New York City.

The following years were quite challenging for Elizabeth. In 1809, she moved to Emmitsburg, Maryland, where she founded the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph, the first community for religious women established in the United States. She also initiated St. Joseph’s Academy and Free School, laying the groundwork for Catholic education in the country.

Mother Seton, as she is commonly known, was canonized on Sunday, September 14, 1975, in St. Peter’s Square by Pope Paul VI. She was the first person born in what would eventually become the United States to be given the title of “Saint.” Her remains are entombed in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in the Basilica at the National Shrine that bears her name.

Let us pray that, like Mother Seton, our faith will guide and support us during difficult times and inspire us to work for the good of others.

Homily for Friday of the Weekdays of Christmas

A prominent aspect of John the Baptist's portrayal is his generosity of spirit. John was a charismatic figure who attracted many followers and had his own disciples. However, in today's gospel passage, we see John directing two of his followers away from himself and toward the One he identified as the Lamb of God. These two disciples eventually become followers of Jesus. By positively responding to John's invitation to seek the Lamb of God, they accept Jesus' invitation to "come and see."

John's attitude and actions exemplify the best of human nature, demonstrating love as an expression of God's love. When we love others in a way that mirrors God's love for them, we genuinely desire what is best for them, which often means letting them go to those who can help them grow as human beings and as children of God in ways that we may not be able to. Ultimately, it is the Lord who can help us fully develop as individuals and as children of God.

The greatest act of love we can show others is guiding them toward the Lord, just as John the Baptist guided his own disciples. There was only so much John could do in leading his disciples to Jesus; they had to respond personally to Jesus' call to "come and see." The same is true for us. At some point, each of us must make our own personal response to the Lord's individual call to come and see and then remain with Him.