St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Thursday of the 3rd Week of Easter

Today's readings emphasize the importance of God's Word, Baptism, and the Eucharist in nurturing the followers of Jesus. In the first reading, an Ethiopian pilgrim returning from a visit to the Jerusalem temple is inspired by a passage from Isaiah and asks questions. This inquiry leads to his Baptism by Philip, introducing him to the faith.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus promises to provide bread for the life of the world, which relates to the Eucharist. In many parishes, the typical sequence begins with Baptism, followed by an introduction to Jesus through the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, St. Paul's letters, and the Jewish Scriptures. This progression culminates in the reception of Holy Communion. The connection between the Word and the Eucharist remains strong for the baptized.

During Mass, the Liturgy of the Word nourishes our faith before we partake in the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which we approach with that nourished faith. The bread of the Word prepares us for the bread of the Eucharist.

Homily for Wednesday of the 3rd Week of Easter

In our first reading, we encounter the deacon Philip, who shared the Gospel with the people of Samaria and was warmly welcomed. In the first volume of Luke's writings, Jesus attempted to speak to the Samaritans, but they rejected Him because He was on His way to Jerusalem. However, after hearing the Gospel from the cheerful and open-hearted Philip, the Samaritans welcomed it joyfully. This illustrates that God's Word can thrive even in places where it was initially rejected. Even when we sometimes turn away from the Lord, He never turns His back on us. In fact, we have Jesus' promise that He will not reject anyone who comes to Him.

Easter celebrates God's unwavering faithfulness to His Son, Jesus, and all of us. This encourages us to trust in Him. Even after we may have rejected Him in various ways, He will never reject us. Though we often fail to respond to the grace of Jesus Christ, He continues to offer Himself to us as the Bread of Life. He assures us that if we come to Him, we will never hunger; if we believe in Him, we will never thirst.

Homily for Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Easter

As Jesus said, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit," Stephen also prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." He then asked the Lord not to hold the sin of those killing him against them. The message is that Jesus' followers should adopt His attitudes.

Today, the Risen Lord continues to live in and through us, His followers. He extends a generous invitation to each of us, inviting us to receive Him as our Bread of Life and to live guided by His Spirit. 

When we come to Him in the Eucharist, we partake in a sacred act that provides us with spiritual nourishment and strength to follow His example. Jesus says, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger."

Homily for Monday of the 3rd Week of Easter

In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus distinguishes between bread that quickly becomes stale and bread that provides nourishment for eternal life. He had fed the people with bread and fish to address their physical hunger. However, as they continued to seek more food, He invited them to consider the spiritual nourishment that satisfies their deeper desires. Jesus came not only to meet our physical needs but also to offer us the spiritually nourishing food of God’s presence.

He reminds us that while we need material things because we are physical beings, our search for fulfillment must go deeper. There is more to life than merely satisfying our bodily needs. We also have a deeper spiritual hunger that must be fulfilled to live fully and find peace within ourselves and others.

Jesus Himself offers us the food of eternal life, which satisfies our deepest longings. Our quest for fulfillment must ultimately lead us to God; as St. Augustine eloquently stated, “Our hearts cannot find true rest until they rest in God.”

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Easter

When Pablo Picasso was a schoolboy, he struggled with math. One reason for this difficulty was that he perceived the number 4 as having a nose. To young Pablo, it looked like a protuberant nose hanging off its face. Whenever his teacher asked him to write the number 4 on the blackboard, he couldn't help but fill in the rest of the face, influenced by his vivid imagination.

If Picasso had been more restrained in his imagination, his math grades might have improved. However, the world would have lost the benefit of this great artist's remarkable creativity and skill. While everyone else saw a mere number, Picasso envisioned something more profound.

Just as Picasso viewed simple shapes through the lens of his imagination, the Risen Christ invites us to perceive our lives and the world through the unique lens of his Resurrection.

This perspective reveals that love can transform even the saddest and most traumatic situations, that there is always a reason to hope despite the enveloping darkness, and that every crucifixion on Good Friday is a precursor to the Resurrection on Easter.

When we view earthly life as an end in itself, we risk becoming cynical, losing hope, and neglecting to recognize God's presence in every aspect of our lives. Life then loses meaning, we become preoccupied with problems, and our vision narrows.

During these Great Fifty Days of Easter, let us strive to see our lives through the prism of Easter—the promise of the empty tomb that has the potential to recreate us and those around us in the life and love of the Lord.

Homily for the Feast of Saints Philip and James, Apostles

In today's Gospel, Philip asks Jesus, "Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us." This request may resonate with many of us, as we often feel that our longing for fulfillment will only be satisfied when we see God in heaven. However, Jesus replies to Philip, saying that he already sees the Father in Him: "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." 

Through this reply, Jesus reminds us that He has already begun to fulfill our deepest desire for God. Through his life, death, and Resurrection, Jesus reveals the face of God Himself. As we deepen our relationship with Jesus, we begin to see the face of God, and heaven begins to be a present reality in our lives. 

Jesus desires us to appreciate and experience God's presence through Him, who is always with us until the end of time. We encounter this presence in His words, the sacraments—especially the Eucharist—and our interactions with one another.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Athanasius

Today's Gospel recounts the well-known story of Jesus feeding a large crowd with just five barley loaves and two fish, leaving twelve wicker baskets filled with leftovers. 

One crucial detail in this story is often overlooked: Where did Jesus get the five loaves and two fish used to perform the miracle? He received them from a small boy. Though the boy didn't have much, he generously offered what he had, and the Lord took care of the rest.

This detail reveals a crucial truth: God relies on our cooperation to carry out His will. We must offer our gifts, no matter how meager they seem. God can take our actions, talents, and efforts and transform them into something extraordinary, especially when it comes to feeding the hungry, providing shelter for the homeless, caring for the sick, standing up for the oppressed, and sharing God's love, mercy, and providence with those in need.

As we reflect on this story, let us remember that our mission on earth cannot be accomplished through our own strength alone. With God's grace, our efforts are multiplied, and our mission is fulfilled. Therefore, let us pray that we are always willing to use our gifts and talents to benefit others, trusting in God's grace to bring about His will.

Homily for Thursday of the 2nd Week of Easter

Today’s reading challenges us to turn away from the world’s expectations and follow God’s expectations by obeying His will rather than succumbing to human impulses.

The Apostles exemplified remarkable courage with their unwavering commitment to Jesus’ teachings. They stood their ground, even when their safety and lives were at risk, demonstrating their steadfast faith.

Our challenge is to remain firm in our obedience to God and to proclaim the truth of His love and our redemption in Christ, even when the world may not want to hear it.

Let us pray for the same courage as the Apostles, keeping our eyes fixed on heaven.

Homily for Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Easter

In this part of the world, evenings are getting longer, with daylight extending to nearly 8 p.m. Most of us are happy to see the increasing daylight at this time of year, but our hearts often sink later when the days grow shorter. Although many of us appreciate the light, the Gospel passage from John reminds us that sometimes people prefer darkness to light.

However, John does not refer to natural light but to Jesus, described as the "Light of the World." Jesus declares that anyone who lives by the truth and sincerely seeks it will come into the light. Even if they are unaware, they already stand in the light of God's grace. This is the light that people of faith share with all who seek the truth, as they are guided by the light of Christ.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Catherine of Siena

In today's Gospel passage, Nicodemus—a well-educated individual with strong beliefs—appears surprised and confused during his conversation with Jesus. The discussion is challenging because Jesus' words do not align with Nicodemus' understanding of truth. In response, Jesus encourages him to let the Holy Spirit dwell within him, so he may be born again.

Often, we are told to surrender ourselves to the Spirit. However, in today's passage, Jesus does not ask for surrender; instead, he invites us to open our minds and hearts to the Spirit. He is not asking us to give up anything, but rather to listen to the Spirit.

Our relationship with God is interactive, which means we actively participate through speaking and listening. In this relationship with the Spirit, we can come to understand who God is in our lives and souls, as well as who we are to God.

Let us pray that we truly open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, so that we may come to know God and remain aware of Him as the ever-present and essential reality of our lives.