St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

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

It's natural to ponder what happens after we die. Every religion seeks to provide answers to this ultimate question. Today's solemnity reflects on what occurs after death, offering insights into the profound mysteries of our lives. From a Christian perspective, we find hope and purpose in understanding that our journey continues beyond death.

If we look at Mary's life as recorded in the Gospels, we may not initially see anything remarkable; it appears to be a life of faith, not visions. Only through divine revelation can we catch a glimpse of the hidden glory of her existence. Revelation teaches us that upon her death, her body and soul were assumed into Heaven. This belief 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 death is not an end but a beginning. Furthermore, we can look back from this perspective and find the infinite within the finite. There is so much more happening in our lives than we can see, understand, or even imagine. When Mary conceived Jesus, she carried a life within her life. Every woman who has conceived must resonate with this experience—a life within her life. This serves as a model for the Christian life: we also have the life of God within us. We must be attentive to this life we bear, nurturing it and bringing forth its fruit. Nothing is as it seems. Death leads to life, suffering is redemptive, and mortality becomes immortality.

Homily for Thursday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

Peter was a prominent figure in the community where Matthew lived. It is only in Matthew's Gospel that Jesus refers to Simon Peter as the "rock" upon which He will build His Church. It is also only in Matthew's Gospel that Peter asks, "Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

In their culture, the number seven symbolized fullness and completion. To forgive someone seven times would be seen as the greatest extent of forgiveness. However, Jesus responds to Peter and us by saying, "I say to you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." This emphasizes that our willingness to forgive one another should have no limits.

Jesus understands that it is part of human nature to impose harsh limits on our willingness to forgive. Yet, He encourages us to look to God's infinite mercy as a model for how we should forgive.

In today's parable, Jesus highlights how forgiving God is. Setting a high standard, He calls on us to mirror God's mercy in our readiness to forgive those who have wronged us. As stated in Chapter 5 of Matthew's Gospel, we are encouraged to "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Homily for Wednesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary time

There is a devout tradition that when two Jewish people sit together to discuss the words of the Torah, God's presence is with them. Jesus makes a related but different claim. He declares that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there among them. Matthew has already presented Jesus as Emmanuel, "God-is-with-us." He is God's presence among us. Whenever His followers gather in His name, worshipfully aware of Him, He is there as Emmanuel, "God-is-with-us."
 
Only two followers are needed to ensure Emmanuel's presence. When we gather in the Lord's name to pray, whether it is the prayer of the Eucharist or some other form of prayer, the Lord is always present with us. We don't just enter into the Lord's presence on such occasions; we are already in it. We only have to become aware of the One who is present among us. That is why attention, or consciousness, is always at the heart of all our prayers, whether we pray privately or communally.

Homily for Tuesday of the 19th Week in Ordinary Time

People's questions often reveal their priorities. In today's Gospel passage, the disciples asked Jesus, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" This question indicates their interest in status and rank.

In response, Jesus called a child over and placed the child in their midst. He told them that they must become like that child merely to enter the kingdom of heaven, let alone strive to be the greatest in it. 

Jesus instructed His disciples to adopt a child-like attitude, characterized by trust in a loving parent. This trust depends on God for everything and does not seek status or rank. 

True greatness, according to Jesus, belongs to those who rely on God as children rely on adults for their well-being. His response to the disciples' question echoes the first beatitude He mentioned earlier in Matthew's Gospel: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

Homily for the Memorial of St. Clare of Assisi

In today's Gospel, Jesus and His disciples continue their journey, even after Jesus has foretold His death and Resurrection. They arrive in Capernaum, Simon Peter's home, where an interesting incident occurs. During this time, every Jewish person was required to pay a half-shekel tax annually for the maintenance of the Temple. Jesus explains that He and His followers are exempt from this tax, as He is the "New Temple." 

However, to avoid offending the religious leaders, Jesus tells Peter to pay the tax. Essentially, He emphasizes freedom from this obligation but advises temporarily setting aside that freedom to prevent unnecessary conflict. This serves as a potent reminder that while we may have the freedom to act in certain situations, it is wise to forgo that freedom when it could jeopardize the well-being of others and the common good.

Homily for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Several years ago, CBS's 60 Minutes aired a story that illustrates the profound satisfaction of returning to your roots after achieving success and giving back to your community.

For the late Dikembe Mutombo, who played center for the Atlanta Hawks, his roots were in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa. He made a significant contribution by funding a $29 million, 300-bed hospital—a dream he pursued after witnessing the devastating loss of life in his community. Of that total, $15 million came from his own funds.

While in high school, Mutombo aspired to attend medical school in the United States and eventually practice medicine back home. He only began playing basketball during his senior year. Georgetown University recognized his potential as a seven-foot basketball star and offered him both athletic and academic scholarships. After three years at Georgetown, he shifted his focus from a medical career to the NBA, realizing he could make a greater impact with a multi-million dollar salary.

In his homeland, one in five children dies before reaching their fifth birthday, and one in fourteen women does not survive childbirth. Diseases like measles and polio—conditions that have long been controlled or eradicated in many countries—continue to claim numerous lives and cause significant suffering each year. Mutombo said, “Whatever you accomplish in your life, your heart still stays here.”

Beyond building the hospital, Mutombo established a foundation to recruit and train medical staff for the African continent. His efforts aim to eradicate polio, build elementary and technical schools in the Congo, and sponsor exchange programs for medical students and professionals. He traveled globally to raise awareness and funds for his people’s struggles.

When asked by a 60 Minutes correspondent about his work, Mutombo responded: “We have an obligation to give something back to the place where we come from… [My mother] instilled in me a strong faith that God would support you in whatever you try to achieve. She taught me, ‘Do whatever you can, as much as you can, and God will give you more.’”

Mutombo added, “I’m investing in my people so they can have a better life because I have already found a better life.”

Before God, the gifts we possess hold little significance. What truly matters is how we use our talents and wealth to build the kingdom of God. Some of us may have the intellect to unlock the mysteries of medical science, while others may excel in sports. God has entrusted each of us with unique gifts, talents, and blessings—not for our own benefit, but to selflessly and lovingly assist others without seeking personal gain.

A faithful disciple will take the time to assess their gifts and talents and determine how best to use them for the glory of God, ensuring that God's kingdom of peace, justice, compassion, and love is advanced through our offerings.
 

Homily for Saturday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time

When Jesus chides His disciples, it's not for their lack of faith but for their struggle with having too little faith. Their attempt to heal a sick child fell short, and Jesus attributed this to their faith not being as strong as it could be. This is a struggle we all face. Our faith, while present, often isn't as strong as it could be, and we don't always trust the Lord as much as we should.

In response, Jesus offers encouraging words: even if our faith is as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains. He desires for His disciples—and for all of us—to not just have faith, but to grow in it. We can echo the prayer of the father of the sick child, as described in Mark's version of the story: "I do believe; help my unbelief!"

Homily for the Memorial of St. Dominic

Jesus often spoke in paradoxes, and one of the most striking is when he said, "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." In essence, this means that if we focus solely on ourselves, our needs, and our desires, we will lose our true selves. However, if we look beyond ourselves to the Lord and to the needs of those around us, we will discover our true identity.

Jesus also conveyed this fundamental paradox in a different way when he said, "Give, and gifts will be given to you." This implies that it is through giving that we actually receive.

Our own experiences may have shown us that when we turn our attention to others and recognize the Lord present in them, we encounter the joy and life of the Lord. This, in turn, reflects the joy and life of the kingdom of heaven.

Homily for Thursday of the 18th Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel reveals two sides of Peter. Initially, he shows a remarkable understanding of Jesus by identifying Him as "the Christ, the Son of the Living God." In response, Jesus calls him the rock on which He would build His Church.

However, later on, Peter rebukes Jesus for speaking about His Passion, Death, and Resurrection. At this point, Jesus refers to him as Satan and describes him as an obstacle in His path. This represents a significant contradiction: from being called the rock to becoming a stumbling stone.

We can see a similar contradiction in our own relationship with the Lord. There are times when we align with His will and moments when we stray from it. Yet, the Lord continues to have faith in us despite our shortcomings, just as He did with Peter.

This narrative illustrates that Jesus founded His Church on a somewhat imperfect rock, which has the potential to become a source of scandal. When Jesus refers to Peter as the rock, He is speaking of the Church as "my Church." It will endure because it is Jesus' Church, even when those responsible for pastoral leadership falter. Since the Church carries the presence of the Risen Lord until the end of time, the gates of the netherworld—the powers of evil and death—will never prevail against it.

Homily for the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord

Peter, James, and John had the extraordinary opportunity to accompany Jesus to the mountaintop, where He underwent a transformation before their eyes. It must have been an incredible sight: Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah right in front of them. They were filled with amazement and wonder at what was taking place.

Jesus is present with each of us as well. When we least expect it, He blesses us with great experiences of His grace to support us on our journey with Him. This grace is not merely something to admire; it is a call to respond to His invitation to love. Jesus invited these three Apostles to deepen their love and trust in Him, and He offers the same invitation to us.

The Apostles were so amazed that they found themselves at a loss for words. Nevertheless, Peter felt the urge to say something, even though he wasn't entirely sure about what to say.

In our spiritual journeys, we often wrestle with the temptation to speak excessively. In our Gospel reading, we hear the Father proclaiming: "This is my chosen Son; listen to Him." God encourages us to carefully heed Jesus' words rather than feeling compelled to speak. He often seeks a response through our actions rather than our words.