St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Augustine

Jesus continues to express His righteous anger toward the scribes and the Pharisees. Yesterday, He admonished them for focusing on the details of the law while ignoring the Torah's values. 
 
In today's passage, He indicates the importance of our inner reality over the image we portray to others. What really matters, He tells us, is who and what we are in the deepest recesses of our being. 
 
Jesus was swollen, bruised, and bleeding while dying on the Cross – a gruesome image – but it was then that His love for us was most powerfully visible. 
 
The widow who donated two small coins to the Temple treasury seemed unimportant. However, Jesus not only saw her, but He recognized her generosity of heart; He saw that she was prepared, like Him, to give everything she had.
 
Indeed, appearances can be misleading. The scribes and Pharisees had far less substance than their outer image. In the widow and the crucified Jesus, there was far more than met the eye. Jesus tells us to be less concerned with how we appear to others than the quality of love in our hearts. 
 
So, let us pray, today and always, that God's Holy Spirit will kindle in our hearts the fire of His love and that we may be recreated to become the people He created each of us to be in the first place.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Monica

It's not often that we think of Jesus using humor to point out faulty mindsets. Yet, His imagery in today's Gospel has a playful twist. He humorously accuses the Pharisees of straining out gnats and swallowing camels. A gnat is practically invisible; a camel is large and imposing. The image of someone straining out a gnat to not swallow it while cheerfully swallowing a whole camel is funny and relatable in an outlandish way. 

He uses this relatable image to poke fun at those who make a big deal about what is unimportant while happily ignoring what is essential, scrupulously paying tithes on herbs while ignoring justice, mercy, and fidelity. Jesus is talking about getting our priorities right and keeping things in balance.

We can all be predisposed to get worked up about minor concerns while not attending adequately to what is essential. On this occasion, Jesus lists what is important: justice, mercy, and fidelity. Justice and mercy concern our relationship with our neighbor; fidelity concerns our relationship with God. Jesus is saying that what really matters is getting those two relationships right; everything else, no matter how urgent it may seem, is secondary. St. Paul says something similar: 'the only thing that matters is faith expressing itself in love.' 

We pray that this is, and will remain our priority.

Homily for Monday of the 21st Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus was critical of those who hindered others from believing in Him. He chastised His own disciples for trying to prevent children from drawing near to Him despite their parents' wishes that they do so. He rebuked those who wanted to avert the blind man Bartimaeus from making contact with Him. 

Instead of closing off the kingdom of Heaven, Jesus calls upon His followers to open it up to others. This is not a solitary task but a shared responsibility. We are meant to guide each other to the Lord, reveal the Lord to each other, and bolster one another on our journey towards Heaven.

The Gospels are rich with examples of individuals who brought others to Jesus, serving as a wellspring of inspiration for us. Consider John the Baptist, whose life's purpose was to lead people to Jesus and, in doing so, to open up the Kingdom to others. His dedication and fervor can ignite our own passion for this shared mission. 

As we navigate our pilgrim way through life, we all rely on the support of each other’s faith and lived witness. This mutual support is a crucial aspect of our shared experience as we journey together toward Heaven.

Homily for the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

I am a huge fan of the late comedian Jack Benny. I enjoy listening to his radio show recordings from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.

One of Jack’s running jokes depicted him as an extreme penny-pincher, always looking for ways to make money and even more ways to avoid spending it. Jack and his writers used this gag in every program.

In a classic scene, Jack walks down a dark alley on a rainy night. Suddenly, a figure comes out of the shadows, approaches Jack, and demands, “Your money or your life!” This is followed by a long and unexpected silence. So, the robber yells even louder, “Hey Bud, I said, ‘Your money or your life!’” Jack, clearly annoyed, says, “I’m thinking it over!”

Of course, the idea is that everyone hearing this encounter is shocked that the answer isn’t so obvious to Jack Benny.

Jesus must have been shocked that some of the people He encountered during His ministry could not recognize and appreciate what He was offering them. He wanted them to choose between life and death, but they really didn’t know which one to choose. In the end, many refused, turned, and walked away from Him, returning to their former way of life. They preferred not to know the truth rather than to live up to the challenges - and thus, the rewards - of the truth. It was easier.

However, some people recognized that Jesus had the words of everlasting life and that He was the Holy One of God, and they chose to stay with Him, realizing they had nowhere else to turn.

Some people view religion as a burden, something that ties us down with a list of rules and checks and balances, but it doesn't have to be that way. Jesus always followed the laws of His faith but not the “laws” that others made up for the people to follow. It was the “breaking” of these human-made laws that found Him in conflict with the Pharisees and Scribes, who could not accept the offer of life that He came to bring to us.

Let us recognize in the Scriptures, in our celebration of the Mass, and in our practices of faith the incredible offer Jesus makes in His invitation to His Father’s kingdom. May we recognize the great sacrifice He made on our behalf and be willing to make sacrifices that lead us to accept that offer while inviting others to do the same.

 

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.