St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Saturday of the 7th Week of Easter

In today's Gospel scene, we see three main characters: Jesus, Peter, and the Beloved Disciple. Peter had just received an important responsibility: "Feed my lambs and my sheep." But instead of asking what this new role might entail, Peter asks about the future of the Beloved Disciple: "Lord, what about him?"

Jesus seems to respond by saying, "I have other plans for him. You follow me, doing the work I have given you." Peter and the Beloved Disciple had different roles to play. Peter's ministry ended with his martyrdom in Rome during the first persecution under Emperor Nero, while the Beloved Disciple stayed in the East and seems to have died an older man, either in Ephesus or on the island of Patmos.

The Lord has a unique role for each of us, something that no one else can do. Rather than wondering, like Peter, what God wants from other people, we need to discern what task is given to us personally. Comparing ourselves with others is just a distraction; we can only be ourselves.

Homily for Friday of the 7th Week of Easter

After Jesus was arrested, Peter denied Him three times. However, after the Resurrection, Jesus appeared to Peter and asked him three times, "Do you love me?" The question Jesus asked was not focused on Peter's past actions, but on his present love for Him.

Jesus asks us the same question, "Do you love me?" This question invites us to make Jesus the center of our affection and devotion. In the Gospel of John, Jesus said, "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you, remain in my love." This love relationship between us and the Lord is fundamental to our faith, and everything else we do in His name presupposes it.

Peter could not be entrusted with the responsibility of caring for the Lord's flock until he publicly declared his love for Him. Similarly, our personal relationship with the Lord comes before any work we might do in His name. Our life of faith, and our participation in the Lord's work of caring for His flock, is the result of our personal relationship of love with Him.

Homily for Thursday of the 7th Week of Easter

The Resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christianity. If Jesus truly rose from the dead, then we can believe in all that He said and did. However, if He did not, our faith would be in vain, as Saint Paul reminds us.

Following His Resurrection, Jesus did not appear to the Pharisees or the general public, but only to His Apostles and a few select followers. The only witnesses to the fact that His body was not in the tomb on the third day were the Apostles. Despite the grave danger they faced, these ordinary and fallible humans did not deny the Resurrection. Instead, they bravely offered their lives in martyrdom as a testament to their unwavering belief in what they witnessed.

At the Last Supper, Jesus prayed not only for His Apostles, but also for all those who would believe in Him through their word. Although the world may not have known Jesus, these chosen people did. He entrusted them with the mission of sharing that knowledge so that all who believe in Him could be united on earth and in the presence of God in heaven.

Jesus relied greatly on His Apostles, and now He relies on us. Our sharing of the faith is a continuation of what the Apostles took on after the death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus. May we be faithful to that mission, thus guiding others to the same.

Homily for Wednesday of the 7th Week of Easter

Jesus has always been a guide and protector for His disciples. In today's Gospel, He continues to care for them through His intercessory prayer. This prayer is a natural extension of the many ways He has served them since they first began to follow Him. In the same way, when we pray for others, we show our care for them and serve them as Jesus did.

Jesus taught us the value of intercessory prayer by praying for His disciples. Since then, praying for others has been an integral part of the Church's prayer life. Paul also mentions prayers for his churches and asks his people to pray for him. This form of prayer has a long history in the Jewish tradition. Through the prayer of intercession, we express our unity and connection with others in Christ.

Homily for the Feast of St. Matthias, Apostle

After Judas' betrayal, the Twelve Apostles were left with a significant void. The number twelve held immense importance, symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel and the heart of the new Israel, a people of God comprising both Jews and non-Jews. Matthias was chosen to restore the integrity of this sacred number, filling the vacancy left by Judas and reviving the full team of Apostles.

However, this was not a mere human decision. The original Twelve were chosen by Jesus, and now it was the Apostles' turn to select a replacement for Judas. They understood the gravity of their task, seeking someone who had witnessed the entirety of Jesus' public ministry. After nominating two suitable candidates, they turned to prayer, humbly asking the Lord to reveal His chosen one.

This is an exciting mixture of human judgment and submission to divine guidance. Those early disciples used their judgment and discernment but also realized that they needed to ask for insight from God.

We also need both in our lives. We must use our judgment and experience to determine what steps to take, and we must equally entrust ourselves to the Lord in prayer.

Homily for Monday of the 7th Week of Easter

[1]Jesus invited the people of His time to repent and have faith in the Gospel. We need to renew our repentance and conversion throughout our lives. John the Baptist's baptism only offered repentance, while Jesus offered redemption and hope through His baptism. Saint Paul referred to John's baptism as a way of consecrating people with repentant dispositions. In contrast, Jesus' baptism offered the Holy Spirit and eternal life.

We should never forget that everything we have in this world is a gift from God. From our conception to our lives, our faith, even our death—these are God's gifts intended for our well-being. As we may tend to do, the Apostles believed their faith in Christ was generated from their own efforts. However, any faith in Jesus they had formed on their own was delicate, as was exhibited in the Garden of Gethsemane and by their absence on Calvary.

Christ has already overcome the world, but He is the only one who can do so. If we wish also to overcome the world and experience true life, our only sure way is through Him. He is not merely a guide or a teacher but the source of our strength and hope. Only through Him can we find redemption; only through Him can we find true life. Therefore, let us strive to deepen our relationship with Him, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

 

[1] Based on a Homily by Bishop John A. Marshall, 1928-1994.

Homily for the 7th Sunday of Easter

Charles Dickens wrote a novel called "Great Expectations." It tells the story of a boy named Pip who comes from a poor, lower-class family in a small English town. He has no hope of leaving his surroundings, getting a good education, or becoming successful. He seems destined to a life of poverty.

One day, while playing in the hills outside his town, Pip met an escaped prisoner who desperately needed help. Pip went out of his way to assist him. Months later, a lawyer from London arrived at Pip's home. He informed Pip's family that an anonymous donor had arranged to send him to London to be raised in an upper-class home and given the finest education.

From that moment on, Pip's life changed significantly. He was rescued from poverty and given a life of hope and opportunity.

Years later, when Pip was a successful businessman living in a fine London home, a dirty, lower-class workingman knocked at his door. Pip treated him unkindly and tried to get rid of him. The man was the prisoner that Pip had befriended years before.

This same man was the anonymous donor who rescued Pip from his life of poverty and ignorance and made possible the life of wealth and education he enjoyed. The man had used all of his resources to ensure that Pip was educated and living well, and he was very proud of his accomplishments.

This story is a parable of Jesus and us. Sin had doomed us to a life of slavery and despair. We had no hope. We had nothing to look forward to.

But then came Jesus. He rescued us from that doomed life and gave us a life of freedom and spiritual opportunity. We owe everything we have, are, and enjoy today to Jesus, who bought it for us at the price of His own life.

Now, we find ourselves in Pip's situation. Just as he realized how much he owed the man at his door, we know how much we owe Jesus. And just as Pip suddenly faced an important decision, so do we: How will we use our new life of freedom and opportunity? How will we show gratitude for all that Jesus has done for us?

And this brings us to today's Gospel reading. Like Pip, each of Jesus' Apostles had to decide what they would do with their new life of freedom and opportunity and how to show their gratitude to Jesus.

Each one, except Judas, decided to commit to Jesus and his life to complete the work Jesus began. And so, Jesus prayed to His Father for them, asking Him to protect them and saying, "As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world."

Our presence here in this Church, celebrating the Eucharist today, says that, like the Apostles, we have decided to cast our lot with Jesus. We, too, have decided to commit our lives to completing the task that Jesus began.

And so, that same prayer that Jesus prayed for the Apostles almost 2,000 years ago, He prays for us. Just as He sent the Apostles into the world, He sends us to complete His task on earth.

Let us close with the words from today's second reading: "Beloved, if God has loved us so, we must have the same love for one another… He has given us His Spirit. We have seen for ourselves the love God has for us."

 

Homily for Saturday of the 6th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's reading from Acts, we learn about how early Christians supported and helped each other in their faith. Paul strengthened local communities, while Apollos deepened his faith in Jesus with the help of a married couple, Priscilla and Aquila, who befriended him and provided him with further instruction. When Apollos decided to travel to Corinth, the Christians in Ephesus encouraged him to do so and sent a letter of recommendation ahead of him to the Church in Corinth.

When Apollos arrived in Corinth, his knowledge of the Scriptures proved invaluable to the believers there. The reading paints a beautiful picture of the Church at its best - believers helping, supporting, and encouraging each other in their faith and helping each other grow in the Lord. This is what the Church is called to be in every generation - a place where the Spirit of Christ is alive and active. 

As we approach the Solemnity of Pentecost, let us pray for an increase of the gift of the Spirit among us, as Jesus says in today’s Gospel, “Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy will be complete.”

Homily for Friday of the 6th Week of Easter

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus knew that His disciples would experience grief and sadness after His death. However, He also assured them that these feelings would not last forever. Jesus promised them that their sorrow would turn into joy, a joy that no one could take from them because He would rise from the dead and see them again.

If we trust in Jesus, we can be assured that whatever sorrows we endure will not last forever. He is present with us here and now in the power of His risen life, and this transformation of sadness into joy can be experienced during our life journey, not just in the life beyond death.

Homily for the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

Many years ago, when the war with Iraq was beginning, and the media was covering it 24/7, an unexpected and emotional moment happened on NBC. This moment shifted the focus of the war from "shock and awe" headlines to the heartbreaking reality of the situation.

On the first day of the air strikes on Baghdad, Tom Brokaw, the then-anchor of NBC News, moderated a discussion in the studio with three military commanders. They analyzed the first few hours of the battle and discussed possible strategies for the next phase of the attack.

During the broadcast, news broke of the first casualties of the war - a Marine helicopter carrying four Americans and eight British marines crashed during a sandstorm near the Iraqi oil fields. The aircraft was flown by Marine Captain Jay Aubin from Winslow, Maine.

NBC producers contacted Captain Aubin's mother, Nancy Chamberlain, who agreed to speak with Brokaw on air. She spoke eloquently and lovingly about her son's dedication to the Marine Corps and his passion for flying. At the end of the interview, Brokaw expressed his condolences to Mrs. Chamberlain. She then asked, "May I make a point?" Brokaw invited her to continue.

She said, “I truly admire what all of the network news and all of the new technologies are doing today to bring [the war] into our homes. But for the mothers and the fathers and the wives who are watching, it is murder. It is heartbreak. We can’t leave the television. Every tank, every helicopter [we see] – [we ask:] is that our son?” She said, “Technology is great, but there are moms and dads and wives and children out there who are suffering because of this. This,” she said, “is why I agreed to do this interview.”

Mrs. Chamberlain's words totally changed the mood of the show. Tom Brokaw, who was visibly moved, and three analysts decided to put aside their maps and charts. Instead, they spoke about their own experiences in combat, including the painful memory of watching their friends die. The retired commanders then went on to talk about their own sons and daughters who were serving in the military. They were no longer speaking as generals discussing war theories but as loving and proud parents who were anxious about their children's safety.

If only for a brief moment, Mrs. Chamberlain's loving memory of her son and advocacy for the families of the servicemen and women transformed the war from a video game into the human tragedy that real war is.

On the Mount of the Ascension, Jesus calls us to proclaim His Gospel, to be His “witnesses.” We bear such witness whenever we act in a spirit of selfless giving and with a conviction of what is right and just.

Mrs. Chamberlain gave just such witness to the compassion of God in grace-filled words.

As followers of Christ, we are called to demonstrate the compassion and mercy of God that is present in the Gospel of the Risen Christ. We should strive to bring hope and peace to others and the communities we belong to, including our families, churches, and schools. With courage, we can share our generosity, empathy, and ethics to bear witness to the love of God that we have experienced through Christ's Resurrection. 

May God grant us the strength to live out these values and be a source of light and love in our world.