St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga

Today's Gospel reading highlights the two commandments that Jesus says are the greatest: love of God and love of neighbor. No matter how often we hear these words, we are struck by their demands on us.

Loving our neighbor as ourselves sounds very nice until we get a good look at some of our neighbors or co-workers. You know well that some folks out there push every one of our buttons. There are people out there who can be rude, selfish, and downright unbearable. But we're called to love them anyway. We are called upon to follow the example of Jesus, who hung on the Cross, looked at the people who nailed him to it, and said, "Father, forgive them…"

It may seem impossible to show love to those we encounter in the most challenging circumstances, but it is precisely in these moments, when we strive to do God's will, that we often experience the love of God most profoundly. This love doesn't come from either person but from God, residing deep within us. It is a love we tap into when we act in accordance with God's teachings, a love that can transform even the most difficult situations.

Homily for Thursday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

We just heard the story of Jesus introducing the Lord's Prayer, found in only two of the Gospels: Matthew and Luke. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus precedes His teaching of the Prayer by warning us not to use too many words or to babble, as did the pagans, who did so to induce the gods to show favor to them.

Jesus tells us not to pray that way. Our heavenly Father cannot be influenced or controlled by such babbling. Instead, Jesus teaches us to surrender to God's will.

Let us reflect on the true essence of prayer. Jesus encourages us to direct our prayers toward God's glory, the coming of God's kingdom, and the fulfillment of God's will rather than our desires. In doing so, we acknowledge our reliance on God for our most fundamental needs, to navigate this world, and to advance toward the world to come.

Homily for Wednesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus advises us not to flaunt our good deeds for the purpose of seeking attention from others. However, in an earlier part of the sermon, it seems as though he is suggesting the opposite, stating, "Your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." Although there appears to be a contrast between these two ideas, each holds real value. We are not supposed to conceal our faith and keep it hidden, pretending to be agnostic and non-committal. Instead, we should find ways to demonstrate our love for the Lord through our lives and choices, acting and speaking with humility, always keeping in mind that everything we do should be for the glory of God.

 

Homily for Tuesday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Our natural human inclination is to be generous to people with whom we feel warmth and esteem. Jesus tells us to go beyond our comfort zone and show goodwill to people outside the circle of those we personally like. Following this teaching will push our generosity to the limit.

According to Jesus, we should reflect some aspect of God in our interactions with others. His love makes the sun shine on the good and the bad people alike, and the rain fall on the just and the unjust. This lifestyle option taught by Jesus is possible only with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, who lives among us and within us.

Regardless of the depth of our hurt or the validity of our anger, we can ask God for forgiveness for those who have wronged us. Embracing this act of forgiveness can be a transformative power in our lives.

Homily for Monday of the 11th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus encouraged His disciples to not respond to evil with more evil, but to respond with kindness. The worst human instinct is to react to goodness with malicious intent, as shown by the rejection and Crucifixion of Jesus, who "went about doing good; for God was with Him."[1] The best human instinct is to conquer evil with goodness, which can be seen as a divine impulse — God's own impulse. This was the main characteristic of Jesus Christ. He responded to the evil done to Him with goodness. Even when He was unjustly rejected, He showed His love most fully. He lived and died to conquer evil with goodness.

It is incredibly challenging to remain good when facing evil, to remain loving in the face of hostility, to be faithful even when betrayed, and to be peacemakers in a hostile world. We cannot do it by our own strength alone. We need God’s strength, resources, and Spirit. However, we should not fear failure because God's strength and grace are promised to us. Saint Paul urges us “not to receive the grace of God in vain.”[2] God always graces us, and if we rely on His grace, we can work towards the ideal of overcoming evil with good.

[1] Acts 10:38

[2] 2 Corinthians 6:1

Homily for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

There is a story about a couple named Bob and Mary. They were very active in their parish community, always involved in everything that went on, whether it involved bread and wine, pasta and meatballs, or hammer and nails. They were always there, giving of their time and their talents.

But, over the years, the ravages of Alzheimer's Disease reduced Bob to helplessness, and every day was a tremendous struggle for this faithful couple. The parish community, however, was always there for them. People would take turns staying with Bob on Wednesdays so Mary could get a few hours to herself.

One day, a group of our parish members approached Mary with a request. They asked if she could bring Bob to the parish hall, where they were doing renovation work. Mary was hesitant, unsure of how Bob would cope or contribute. But they were adamant, convinced that Bob's presence alone would be a valuable contribution. They wanted Bob to be part of the project in any way he could, even if it was just being there.

So, Mary brought Bob to the parish hall, where they were warmly welcomed. The people in charge gave Bob a hammer and some nails to pound into the new flooring, and they encouraged him on every nail. Bob looked up at his wife, beaming. On that day, if only for a few minutes, Bob was his old self.

This simple act of caring on the part of Bob's friends powerfully restored a sense of joy and purpose in Bob's life.

Such is the "mustard seed" faith that we are called to embrace—that even the smallest act of selflessness and goodness, done in faith and trust in God's presence, has meaning in God's kingdom. The mustard seed challenges us to grab hold of our opportunities to plant and reap a harvest of peace, compassion, and reconciliation, bringing a glimpse of God’s kingdom to the piece of the earth and point in time that we occupy.

Homily for Saturday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus tells His followers that they should be so truthful and honest that oaths become unnecessary. In ancient Judaism, people used to take oaths on various sacred items. However, as ambassadors of reconciliation for God, we are encouraged not to swear at all. When a sacred object is mentioned in an oath, it is as if God's name itself were being used.

The concept of taking an oath reflects the corrupt nature of humanity, showcasing deceit and lack of trust in one another. In the new ethical teachings of Jesus, truthfulness should be achieved through inner integrity rather than by taking an oath. In a society that does not assume evil as a norm, oaths have no place. We should not resort to deception or false arguments to persuade people to follow Christ but rather simply present the truth of Christ - His words and actions.

Homily for Friday of the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

In our Psalm response today, which comes from Psalm 27, we hear the prayer of one who earnestly searches for God. "I long to see your face, O Lord."  

The quest of this Psalm resonates with all of us because we are all, to varying degrees, searchers. Our ultimate search is for God, the source of our existence and destiny. St. Augustine echoes the longing of this prayer when he says, "You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you."

The searcher in us, the active participant in our spiritual journey, makes us travelers toward God. Elijah, the prophet, was that kind of searcher when he embarked on his journey to the mountain of God, Mount Sinai or Mount Horeb, as it was also called. In a cave on that mountain, he encountered God in a quiet way, in a "sound of sheer silence."

Silence, a precious and often elusive commodity in our busy and noisy lives, is where the Lord is best heard. We often have to actively seek such silence to find it. To seek silence is to seek the Lord because it is where we become most aware of the Lord's presence.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Anthony of Padua

Today, in our Gospel passage, Jesus calls His followers to embody a virtue and standard that surpasses those of the scribes and Pharisees. For them, an essential commandment was, "You shall not kill." Jesus' call goes even further, addressing the fundamental feelings and passions that drive people to harm others. It requires us to pay attention to deep-seated attitudes and emotions to prevent evil actions and guide us in renewing our minds and souls.

The more profound and fundamental transformation that Jesus is calling for is not something we can achieve through our efforts. We require the power and grace of the Holy Spirit to bring about this profound change within us. Most of us already know this in the words of the well-known prayer: "Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth."

May the Holy Spirit recreate deep within us the love that is God. May the roots of this profound virtue and standard grow within our hearts and minds and help us to become what God truly wants us to be.

Homily for Wednesday of the the 10th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus demonstrated His respect for Jewish tradition. However, He also emphasized that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, meaning to bring their true purpose to completion. While Jesus appreciated the positive aspects of His religious tradition, He also remained open to how God intended for that tradition to evolve.

Likewise, we are called to appreciate the positive aspects of our religious tradition and remain open to the ways in which the Lord continually renews and inspires it.