St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the Memorial of St. Lucy

Jesus was a perceptive observer of people, often using everyday images from their daily lives to illustrate the kingdom of God. In today's Gospel, He mentioned children playing in the marketplaces. At times, they played joyfully, pretending to play pipes while others danced to the music. At other times, their games reflected the sorrows of life, perhaps stemming from having witnessed the death of an elderly family member. Some children sang mournful songs while others cried in response. However, some children refused to engage at all.

These unresponsive children reminded Jesus of indifferent adults. They showed no signs of mourning in response to John the Baptist's stern message, nor did they dance in response to Jesus' more joyful message. They dismissed John, calling him possessed, and labeled Jesus as a glutton and a drunkard.

Jesus identified His ministry with the piper and the dance. His life and message represent good news—the Good News of God's love for us. 

Homily for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

On a December morning in 1531, a man named Juan Diego was on his way to church. As he passed a hill at Tepeyac, near present-day Mexico City, he heard a voice calling him by name. Looking up, he was surprised to see what appeared to be a young Aztec woman. She instructed him to go to the bishop and tell him to build a shrine on the hill, which was the site of an ancient Nahuatl shrine. However, the bishop ignored Juan's message.

In her second apparition, the woman introduced herself as the Mother of God and instructed Juan to return to the bishop with her request. However, the bishop denied the request once again.

During her third appearance, the woman instructed Juan to gather a bouquet of roses growing out of season at her feet. So, Juan collected the roses in his cloak and presented them to the bishop. When he opened up his cloak to reveal the flowers, both the bishop and Juan Diego were astonished to see a full-color image of the woman Juan Diego had seen imprinted on the fabric of the cloak.

Today, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose story is a significant turning point for the Church in the Americas. The apparitions occurred ten years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1521. Although Christianity was the conquerors' religion, it failed to offer much to the native people.

After the appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, everything changed. Mary spoke to Juan in his native language, Nahuatl, instead of Spanish. She seemed to be one of them, and all the symbols she appeared in spoke to the native people. She expressed her desire that her shrine would radiate her love and compassion to all the inhabitants of that land.

Mary's apparitions caused a significant transformation in the Church and the Aztec people. Within six years of the apparitions, around nine million Aztecs converted to Christianity. This event marked a turning point for the Church, as it shifted its focus towards serving the needs of the poor and oppressed. It was no longer seen as the religious arm of the conqueror but rather as the voice of God's compassion and justice.

Homily for Wednesday of the 2nd Week of Advent

There are many factors that can make us feel overwhelmed and burdened, such as fatigue, work demands, relationship troubles, health issues, and other challenges. 

Jesus offered hope to those who felt weighed down by the demands of Jewish Law. Many felt excluded for not being able to follow the laws correctly. Instead of giving them a new law to adhere to, He offered Himself as a guide for life and invited them to learn from Him. He called them to come to Him and to embrace His example and teachings.

To truly learn from someone, we need to spend time with them. Jesus invites us to come and stay with Him, to develop a friendship with Him. When we spend time with Him, we learn how to live life in the right way. If we remain with Him, we will find that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Living according to the Gospel can be challenging, but having a relationship with Jesus makes it much easier than it would be otherwise. Saint Paul reassures us that God's power within us is sufficient to achieve more than we could ever imagine. By staying connected to Jesus, our lives will flourish, and we will bear much fruit.

Homily for Tuesday of the 2nd Week of Advent

The decision of the shepherd in today's Gospel passage seems unrealistic or even foolish. He left ninety-nine sheep on the hillside and searched for one sheep that had wandered off and, perhaps, into danger. Why would the shepherd leave the rest of the flock untended and in danger to go off in search of the lost one? Why would he risk the ninety-nine for the sake of one that went astray? The attitude of the shepherd is the opposite of that of Caiaphas, the high priest "who had counseled the Jews that it was better that one man should die rather than the people."

The shepherd in today's parable did not share that practical outlook. The shepherd was an image of God and, indeed, of Jesus's caring outlook. God in Jesus is concerned about the lost one. The Lord values each of us; He calls each of us by name; none of us is worthless in His sight. He cares equally for each one of us.

Homily for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today, the Church celebrates the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary with special solemnity. From all eternity, she was chosen to be the daughter of the heavenly Father, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, the Mother of the divine Redeemer, and, as a result, the queen of angels and all people.

Reflection on Mary's roles led the earliest teachers of Christianity to believe that she was conceived without Original Sin. Notably, among the many saints who have adorned the Church throughout the centuries, no one wrote against this belief. Bishops' decisions from the earliest days of the Church's history affirmed it.

As human beings, we face many limitations. We are finite, and because we do not possess everything we require within ourselves, we depend on external resources to sustain our existence. Sometimes, this reliance can cause us harm when we misuse these resources, while at other times, it helps us become more complete when we use them properly to enhance not only ourselves but also the world around us.

When we connect to God's love and grace, we find ourselves made whole, overcoming the limitations of our finite nature. When the Church speaks about Original Sin, it addresses the fragility of our limited human existence and our need for something to make us complete.

Through her actions, Mary instinctively understood and demonstrated that God completes her. Mary entirely relied on God to fulfill everything she could have lacked as a member of the human race. She trusted that God loved her and would enable her to become all she was meant to be in this life and the next.

Mary's life and faith inspire us to trust that, as Meister Eckhart said, "However devoted you are to God, you may be sure that He is immeasurably more devoted to you."

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent

We are currently in a dark time of the year. The mornings are dark, and the evenings are even darker. Light is scarce, and we have yet to reach the year's shortest day. In this darkness, we have lit our second Advent candle. So, while the days are getting darker, our Advent wreath is becoming brighter. The illumination from our Advent readings draws us toward the grand celebration of light—Christmas, commemorating the One who is the light of the world. With Jesus' birth, the light of God's love shines forth. Our first reading anticipates a day when "God [will lead] Israel in joy by the light of his glory."

Advent is a season of hope, a virtue that transcends mere optimism. Our hope is not in the mundane but in union with God. It's a hope that can bring life out of death and light out of darkness. We pray for those currently facing dark days—those who feel uncertain in their jobs, health, or home lives, and displaced people hoping for a better life. Hope has the power to transform even the darkest of days.

Our second reading is from a letter St. Paul wrote while chained in prison. He wasn't sure he would get out alive, but this was his most hopeful and joyful letter. It reveals that one can stay hopeful even when circumstances seem dark. 

It's easy to surrender to a pessimistic view of life during dark times. But St. Paul encourages us to see life, especially people, through a lens of hope, even in the toughest of times. This hopeful perspective allows us to recognize the good in people's lives. He expresses hope that God, who began a good work in us, will bring it to completion. He has high hopes for what people can become with God's help. Let us remember to see others with the same hopeful eyes.

May we see ourselves with hopeful eyes, too. God's good work has only begun in us; we are a work in progress, and God will complete this good work. But we need to cooperate with the workings of grace. Only when our days on earth are complete will this work be done, and we will achieve the perfect goodness that Jesus Christ produces in us.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Ambrose

We believe that Jesus was like us in every way except for sin, but the Gospels rarely mention His emotions. However, in today’s reading from Matthew, we see that when Jesus saw the crowds, “His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” Compassion emerges when we empathize with the needs of others and feel compelled to take action. Jesus’ compassion for the crowd is evident in two significant ways in the Gospel.

First, He instructed His disciples to pray for God to send workers into His harvest. The troubled and abandoned people needed those who could journey alongside them and guide them.

Second, Jesus appointed workers Himself. He summoned twelve of His disciples and instructed them to share His life-giving message with others.

As we reflect on today’s Gospel reading, we should ask ourselves: Where do we see ourselves in this story? Who do we relate to?

At times, we may find ourselves among the troubled and abandoned. In these moments, today’s Gospel reassures us that the Lord is with us in our distress, drawing near with His compassion.

At other times, we might be among the workers the Lord sends forth, tasked with helping the troubled and abandoned. In these instances, the Gospel assures us that the Lord will empower us for the work He calls us to do.

Let us pray that, regardless of our circumstances, we may always feel the Lord’s presence within and around us and that we may both experience and share His compassion with others.

Homily for Friday of the 1st Week of Advent

In today’s Gospel passage, the two blind men do more than just ask Jesus to heal them; they approach Him and say, “Son of David, have pity on us.” This statement is a clear expression of their faith in Him. They follow Jesus until He reaches the house where He is going, and once inside, He turns to them and asks, “Do you believe that I can do this?” Their response to Jesus’ question, “Yes, Lord,” is another demonstration of their faith.

This scene of the two blind men crying out as Jesus walks by encourages us to keep reaching out to Him in faith. Like them, many of us often turn to prayer when we are aware of our needs. We all experience various forms of neediness in our lives. There may be areas of weakness within us that require healing; we all face imperfections and vulnerabilities that leave us feeling broken. 

The example of the two blind men inspires us to continually turn to the Lord in prayer, even when it seems as though He is not listening. Ultimately, our prayers of faith will not go unanswered.

Homily for Thursday of the 1st Week of Advent

We can all relate to Jesus's weather metaphors in today's Gospel. He talks about rain, floods, and winds—concepts that are easy to understand. Living in New England, we can add snow to that list and still grasp the message Jesus conveys.

Beyond the weather, we all experience personal storms, regardless of where we live. We may find ourselves grappling with life's challenges, facing difficulties and obstacles that seem insurmountable.

Jesus warns us that storms will come, but He wants to help us overcome them. When these storms arrive, we can either feel helpless and be tossed about or find the strength to stand firm and move beyond them.

Jesus wants to be our rock during these turbulent times. If we listen to and follow His teachings, we can remain safe even when the storms rage around us. He reminds us of the importance of doing God's will and encourages us to consistently return to that focal point. By doing so, we can endure any storm we encounter.

Homily for Wednesday of the 1st Week of Advent

Today's Mass readings refer to the concept of the high ground. In the first reading, Isaiah describes a mountain where the Lord invites everyone to an abundant banquet featuring rich food and fine wines. On this mountain, all mourning, sadness, and shame will be removed; even death will be destroyed. This vision lifts us beyond our current experiences toward a realm where everything aligns with God's intentions.

In today's Gospel, Jesus ascends a mountainside, and a large crowd follows Him. There, high above the Sea of Galilee, Jesus restores speech to the mute, mobility to the lame, and sight to the blind. He also feeds the hungry with minimal resources, providing so much that everyone eats to their fill and has abundant leftovers.

Isaiah's words in the first reading become a reality in the Gospel. Both readings convey the message that God desires that we have life and experience it in abundance. Saint Irenaeus once said that God's glory is the human person fully alive. In the Gospel, the Lord relies on others to bring the sick to Him; He needs the disciples to assist in feeding the crowd. He continues to depend on us for His life-giving work to be accomplished.

Advent calls upon all of us to be instruments of the Lord's life-giving and healing presence in the world. During Advent, we pray, "Come, Lord Jesus," and offer ourselves as channels for the Lord's coming.