St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Tuesday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel recounts Peter's question: "What about us? We have left everything and followed you." Peter and the others had sacrificed a lot to stay with Jesus. They questioned whether it was truly worth it. We, too, have answered His call, although not as drastically as the first disciples who abandoned their livelihoods and families for a very uncertain future. During moments of uncertainty, we may be tempted to ask: "Is it worth the effort, this struggle to live by the Gospel every day?"

The clear answer is, "Yes, it is worth the effort." Jesus assures us that when we give of ourselves for His sake, we will gain much more than we give up. We will experience a new sense of family beyond our blood relatives. We will find ourselves journeying with others who, like us, strive to live the Christian way. We will experience the warmth of the Church, the community of the Lord's followers. This community includes those of us still on our journey and all who have passed beyond this life, including the saints, the "great cloud of witnesses."

Homily for Memorial Day

For many, Memorial Day Weekend is more than just a three-day break. It's a time to mark the unofficial start of summer and a time of solemn commemoration. But for those who have lost a family member in one of our nation's wars or military efforts, this day holds a more profound significance.

My first visit to the National Mall in Washington, DC, and Arlington National Cemetery was in the mid-80s, shortly after the Vietnam Memorial was erected on the Mall. I was struck by the seemingly endless rows of grave markers at Arlington and the nearly 60,000 names inscribed on the Vietnam War Memorial. 

It is important to remember that behind every marker and every name, there is a real person who sacrificed their life for our nation and the hope of peace in our world. Each death recast the course of history for individual families and their communities who stood with them in their grief and continue to stand with them as we remember them today.

This is a day when we also remember all of our beloved deceased. Many people will visit cemeteries around our nation today, bringing a physical presence as they remember their loved ones, their grief at their passing, and their hope for everlasting life with them in heaven.

Let us pray, especially today, for all of our beloved deceased and for ourselves, as this day reminds us both of our mortality on earth and our hope for immortality in heaven.

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

Mysteries are a familiar part of our lives. Many of us read mystery novels or like mysteries on television or at the movies. The inner workings of the human brain are still a big mystery to the world of science. For many, a great mystery is how to set the clock on a microwave. A mystery is a fact or an object that we do not entirely understand, and this, by no means, indicates that it doesn't exist because we cannot understand it.

Today, we stand in awe of a mystery: the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity. Through the Church's teaching, we are granted a glimpse into the existence of this divine mystery. We may comprehend aspects of it, but its full depth eludes us and will continue to do so in our earthly lives. Yet, it is the very essence of our faith as Christians. The Trinity's existence is not a product of our understanding but a divine revelation from God Himself. Without this revelation, the Trinity would remain a mystery beyond our grasp.

What we do know, again, from God's revelation, is that there is one God in three distinct persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This concept of the Trinity can be challenging to grasp, but it's important to understand that even though there are three distinct persons, there is still only one God. The three persons are not separate entities, but they are united in their divine essence. They act together at all times, and all three exist from eternity without beginning or end. Think of water; it can exist in three forms: solid, liquid, and gas, but it's still water.

Perhaps the best way to 'understand' the Trinity is to look at God from the perspective of the way that God has related to the human person in the course of human history. Early in history, we looked to God the Father as our Creator, the Giver of Life. As time passed and we moved farther and farther from God, we found solace in God the Son, Jesus Christ. He is not solely divine but a brother, a fellow human being with whom and to whom we can relate. It is through Jesus that our failing relationship with God was restored and redeemed, a testament to God's love and care for us.

That love and care continue in the gift of the Holy Spirit, who is always present to us and active in us as He guides us toward the kingdom of heaven.

Homily for Saturday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time

Bringing little children to Jesus was considered a form of preventative medicine when Jesus was on earth, and it should be no different today. The parents wanted to protect their children from physical and moral harm, and Jesus was seen as the person who could do so. 

However, the Apostles thought it was a waste of Jesus' time. They questioned why He would give His attention to little children, believing that it would be more beneficial to help those who were clearly in need and could, in turn, help others in need.

The Apostles failed to see things from God's perspective, as worldly views influenced their thinking. They should have recognized that God's Kingdom is primarily spiritual and otherworldly. When it comes to our faith, it is important for us to maintain our childlike innocence; if we lose it, we should work hard to recover it.

Homily for Friday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel passage, the Pharisees confront Jesus about the Mosaic Law on marriage and divorce. Jesus understands the spirit of this Law and explains that Moses allowed divorce because of the hard hearts of the people, but it is God's will to make marriage a sacred and binding union.

According to the Law, a man was permitted to divorce his wife if he found something "indecent" about her. During Jesus' time, there were two schools of thought about what constituted indecency justifying divorce.

The Shammai school interpreted it narrowly, considering only adultery as indecent. The Hillel school interpreted it much more broadly. Things like a wife ruining a meal, speaking disrespectfully about her husband's family, fighting with others, or talking to a strange man could be considered indecent. The latter was the prevailing approach during Jesus' time and led to divorce for petty reasons being quite common.

The Sacrament of Holy Matrimony is not just a legal contract or a social institution but a vocation. It is a divine calling, a path to holiness. Some may believe that marriage should always give them happy feelings and whatever they desire. However, marriage is about giving to one another and receiving from one another. It requires both partners to give and not be selfish. Marriage aims to make married people saints, achieved through love and not using one another. The marriage vow is sacred and is made to love one another unconditionally every day and moment for the rest of their lives. Love is about seeking the good of the other and serving one another in the spirit of God.

Homily for Thursday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel began with a comforting promise about how acts of kindness will be well rewarded. However, it then goes on to give stern warnings against scandal. Jesus' vivid remarks cannot be taken literally, as he does not actually want us to deform ourselves, cut off a hand, or gouge out an eye. He stresses the significance of the eternal over the temporal and the heavenly over earthly life, repeating the declaration: "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the Gospel will save it." (Mark 8:35)

He means that if we use our hands, feet, eyes, and other faculties solely to serve ourselves and never to serve others, we have no reward. But if we give ourselves generously now, our eternal future is assured. Life is for sharing what is ours and forming bonds with others. In such a lifestyle, even small acts of helpfulness have special meaning: "whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward." (Matthew 10:42)

The Letter of James puts this differently but even more directly. A greedy, profit-centered life, insensitive to other people's needs, will turn against us: "Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire." 

James is vigorous and outspoken on social justice, convinced that God does not forget the helpless of whom others take advantage and that the cries of the defenseless " have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts." This strong emphasis on social justice should instill in us a sense of responsibility and urgency in addressing the needs of others.

Homily for Wednesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

St. Mark often shows a clash of views between Jesus and His friends. Some of the disciples had a "them-and-us" view of other people. Only inner circle members could be trusted to do the Lord's work. 

Jesus, in His wisdom, embraced a more inclusive perspective. He recognized that even those not formally joining his circle could be conduits of God's life-giving work. His generous statement, "whoever is not against us is for us," serves as a beacon of hope for us in these challenging times, inviting all, regardless of their faith background, to contribute to the greater good.

Many of our friends and neighbors do not share our faith explicitly, or at least do not practice it as we do, yet they are not against the Gospel either. We should strive to build bridges with anyone who shows a desire to improve the lives of others and provide assistance where it is needed. We can collaborate in our mission with those who are not even professing Christians. In these times, we need to embrace Jesus's outlook rather than the narrower vision of His disciples.

Homily for Tuesday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time

Several years ago, I was privileged to attend a Youth Ministry conference in Colorado Springs. I vividly remember one of the workshops, where a fellow attendee made a profound comment about youth, referring to them as "the future of the Church." The presenter's response was even more impactful: "Young people are not just the future of the Church; they are a real part of the Church of the present as well." This resonated deeply with me, a sentiment we should all embrace. One day, it will be their duty to teach and carry on the faith long after we are gone.

It is with tender devotion, then, that the Church prepares our youth for their First Communion and (a few years later) for their Confirmation and their future role as teachers of the faith. In these sacraments, we welcome them into the Church and receive them into the family of faith. That welcoming children is important is clearly evident from today's Gospel passage. In it, Jesus identified Himself very closely with children; He went so far as to say, "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me."

Our Gospel passage today suggests that somehow, it is in and through children that we can best encounter Jesus and His Father. Elsewhere, Jesus identifies Himself with the most vulnerable — the sick, the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the stranger, the imprisoned. Children, by definition, are among the most vulnerable; they are dependent on others for life in all its dimensions. Today's Gospel passage suggests that ministry to children and young people, whatever form it takes, is sacred; it is indeed holy ground.

Homily for the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church

Those who have grown up in the Catholic faith have always understood Jesus' Mother, Mary, to be our Blessed Mother. Today's Gospel depicts the moment Jesus proclaimed her the Mother of the Church.

As the Church's Mother, Mary is involved in our relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. She answered God the Father's call through her conversation with the angel Gabriel. She gave birth to and raised Jesus, His Son. She was present on the original Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Church's first leaders.

When she stood at the foot of the Cross, just moments before her Son died, He proclaimed her to be not just the Mother of His beloved disciple but the Mother of all His disciples, the Mother of the Church.

May we live out our faith as did our Blessed Mother. May we be guided by her example and rely on her intercession for us in heaven.

Homily for the Solemnity of Pentecost

In an article featured in the November/December 2014 issue of Maryknoll Magazine, Maryknoll Missionary Sr. Janet Hockman shares a heartwarming story about the Sunday prayer gatherings of the parishioners of St. Paul's in the village of Tinak, located in the small Pacific island of Arno Atoll. Despite the unavailability of a priest to conduct the Mass on some Sundays, the community's prayer leaders step up to prepare the day's services, seek readers, and lead everyone in singing hymns.

Impaired eyesight is a common problem on the island due to limited diets and intense sun glare. The simple church's lack of electrical lighting exacerbates the issue.

On a Sunday, a woman named Marguerite led the prayer service, while her husband Anjua was one of the readers. During the service, when Anjua stood up to read, he approached Marguerite to borrow her glasses. After he finished reading, his brother Airmail borrowed the glasses from Anjua to read next. Airmail later returned the glasses to Marguerite for the remainder of the service.

The pair of glasses, shared within the community, spoke powerfully of God's love as much as their prayers did.

Like that pair of glasses shared by a family and community, the Spirit of God is a lens through which we recognize God's love in the midst of our homes and hearths, our communities and villages. 

The presence of the Spirit we celebrate today enables us to recognize what is good, right, ethical, true, and of lasting worth, guiding us on our journeys to God.

The Spirit of God calls upon us to acknowledge and appreciate our connection with God and with each other. It allows us to express our beliefs that we sometimes hesitate to put into words. It gives us the strength and elegance to pursue the dreams that we might be too doubtful or anxious to aspire toward.

May the Spirit of God, the creative breath of the Holy One, always dwell within our hearts, enlivening us with His love and filling us with hope. May this light illuminate the possibilities of bringing the promise of Jesus' Resurrection into our homes and hearts, like the first light of dawn dispelling the shadows of night.