St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Friday of the 34th Week in Ordinary tIme

We live in a world that is constantly and increasingly changing. Many people find it challenging to adapt because we often rely on certain constants in our lives. It is easier for us to manage change when familiar aspects remain the same.

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus announces a profoundly significant change: even heaven and earth will pass away. This can be difficult to understand. However, He immediately emphasizes something that will never change: "My words," He says, "will not pass away."

Despite the most drastic transformations, the Lord's word remains solid and unwavering because He Himself is eternal and true. He is the rock that stands firm when everything else fades away. In the midst of unsettling change, we can find comfort in knowing that the Lord remains constant. Our relationship with Him helps stabilize us when everything else seems to be falling apart.

Homily for Thanksgiving Day

Today, many people in the United States are celebrating Thanksgiving. This is a special day when we think about the things we are thankful for and remember the harvest. Families will decorate their tables with fall items like squash, pumpkins, colorful leaves, corn, and grapevines, which represent the spirit of the day.

Friends and family will come together to enjoy large meals that often include turkey, lots of side dishes, and desserts like apple or pumpkin pie. We will enjoy the food that comes from the harvest. As we gather, we will also think about those who are less fortunate. Many people will help by hosting dinners at churches or shelters and giving extra food to food banks. There is happiness in helping others.

It is good to celebrate and thank God for what He has given us. It is also important to share what we have and show gratitude for His goodness. However, Thanksgiving can feel less meaningful if our attitude towards life—and what God has done for us—is not filled with thankfulness.

There is a big difference between saying thank you on just one day and living with gratitude every day. Thanksgiving Day is a special event that lasts for a short time, but the spirit of Thanksgiving should last longer; it should be a part of our everyday lives.

Saying thank you is very important. When we show gratitude as a group or family, we remember all the good things and people that God has given us. We realize that we have blessings and acknowledge that there is a greater purpose beyond ourselves, reminding us of our need for God and His goodness.

However, it can be easy to forget God and think that we alone are responsible for our successes, forgetting that our abilities are also gifts from Him. This is why it is important to live a life full of gratitude. We really start to "live thanks" when we open our hearts to God and make Him our first priority.

When we choose to live with gratitude, humbling ourselves before God and recognizing Him as the source of all good things, we start to notice our blessings more. Our joy becomes greater, and we experience a sense of grace.

Our ongoing gratitude can turn into a lifelong commitment to sharing our blessings, as we come to understand that God is the giver of everything.

As you give thanks this Thanksgiving Day, remember your calling to always be joyful, to pray at all times, and to give thanks in every situation. This is what God wants for you. By adopting this attitude, you will find the fullness of what God has planned for you.

Homily for Wednesday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus tells us that through our perseverance, we will save our lives. His emphasis on perseverance reflects the harsh realities the Church faced, especially in the first century. Witnessing to Jesus and His values under the oppressive rule of imperial Rome often meant risking imprisonment or even death. A believer's faith could be betrayed by a family member or a friend. Being recognized as a Christian could cost someone their life. While it was possible to keep one's faith a secret and live quietly, the danger was always present. The risks of following Jesus were very real.

Our relationship with Jesus today should not be hidden; it is not meant to be a private matter of no concern to anyone. If our friendship with Jesus is the most essential relationship in our lives, it will influence our other relationships and guide what we say and do. We are called to live our faith openly rather than keeping it to ourselves. In today's culture, that can be challenging. However, we can trust that God provides us with the resources we need to live as Jesus' disciples and witnesses to our faith. His enduring presence inspires us to truly embrace our identity as His followers.

Homily for Tuesday of the 34th Week in Ordinary Time

As we approach the end of the liturgical year, the readings shift their focus to the darker aspects of human experience, such as destruction, loss, conflict, and deception. This aligns with the darkness of these late November days. 

This coming weekend, we will begin a new liturgical year by celebrating the first Sunday of Advent. Although the days will still be dark, the liturgical readings will adopt a much brighter tone, inviting us to anticipate the arrival of the light. 

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus speaks about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and other sobering events. No one seeing the Temple during Jesus' time could have foreseen its destruction. It had taken nearly fifty years to build and was still unfinished. However, even the most substantial and magnificent buildings are temporary. 

Today's Gospel reminds us not to become overly attached to fleeting things. Instead, we should connect ourselves to the One who declares in Matthew's Gospel, "Something greater than the Temple is here." When everything else fails, disappears, and returns to dust, He endures. Through our relationship with Him, we too can endure.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Andrew Dŭng-Lạc, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs

The phrase "widow's mite" finds its beginnings in the Gospel passage we just heard. This expression highlights a paradox: sometimes those who give the least are actually giving a significant amount, while those who give more may not be sacrificing as much.

In terms of money, the widow contributed less than anyone else to the temple treasury. However, her offering was substantial because it represented everything she had.

This paradox applies to our own lives as well. There are times when we might seem to be giving very little, but in reality, we are giving a great deal because we are offering all that we can. For instance, our health might be poor, or we may have low energy due to personal struggles, limiting what we feel we can contribute. Even in these challenging situations, giving a little of ourselves can be equivalent to giving a great deal.

The widow in today's Gospel reminds us that even when we have little to offer, we can still be exceptionally generous.

Homily for the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

There is a tale about a group of nuns living in a monastery. Satan wanted to lead them into darkness, but he couldn't overpower them. So, he decided to trick them. He disguised himself as the Risen Jesus, and his demons pretended to be angels of light.

One night, while the nuns were waiting for Jesus to return, a bright light lit up the darkness outside. Satan and his group approached, chanting a psalm: "O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the King of Glory!" Excitedly, the nuns opened the church door and sang back, "Who is the King of Glory?"

With arms wide open, Satan shouted, "I am the King of Glory!" and all the demons pretending to be angels repeated, "He is the King of Glory!" But when the nuns saw Satan, they quickly shut the door. They wouldn't let him in because he had no nail marks on his hands; he showed no wounds of love.

Kings are typically recognized by their crowns and elaborate attire. But Jesus, when He suffered, didn't look like a king. His place of pain was a hill called Golgotha; His throne was a wooden cross; His crown was made of sharp thorns. The only people around Him were two thieves, and soldiers were casting lots for His clothes, while others mocked Him. He did not appear royal at all.

The Bible tells us that at first, both thieves insulted Jesus. These men had done many bad things and had ended up hanging on their crosses as punishment. They were at their lowest point, crying out in pain. But while Jesus was dying, He did not complain. Instead, He prayed for those who were hurting Him, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

It's strange how two people can hear the same words but react in different ways. One thief kept mocking Jesus, while the other spoke differently. He said, "We are getting what we deserve, but this man has done nothing wrong. Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Just moments earlier, he had mocked Jesus, but now he was asking to be part of Jesus's kingdom. He wasn't thinking of an earthly kingdom because Jesus would soon die. He must have been imagining a kingdom that lasts forever, a special place that only the King of kings can offer.

This was an amazing moment! The thief was the first to see that Jesus's wounds were wounds of love. He looked at Jesus and recognized the real King of Glory. Jesus must have felt joy when this lost man finally turned to Him just before dying.

Max Lucado, a writer, describes this moment beautifully. He says, "At this point, Jesus performs the greatest miracle of the Cross. Greater than the earthquake. Greater than the tearing of the temple curtain. Greater than the darkness covering the earth. He performs the miracle of forgiveness. A sin-soaked criminal is received by a blood-stained Savior," and he is made clean by Jesus's wounds of love.

When the King of Glory comes, with love shining through all His wounds, will He see His reflection in us? Will He find our wounds changed by His love, just like the good thief?

Let us pray that, like the good thief, we will turn to Jesus Christ, see His glory, and be changed by His loving care.

Homily for th Memorial of Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr

Today's Gospel passage takes place when the Sadducees, Pharisees, and chief priests had grown frustrated with Jesus and His message. They wanted to kill Him, but they hesitated because they knew He had the support of the people.

The questions they asked Jesus were meant to trap Him and provoke Him into blasphemy, giving them a reason to put Him to death. Their intentions were self-serving, hidden beneath what might have appeared to be innocent questioning.

In a similar way, we often come to Jesus with our own agendas. We typically seek specific outcomes, a desired change, or help with struggles in our lives or faith that we find challenging. Sometimes, without even realizing it, our agendas can contradict Jesus' message.

Whatever we pray for, we must do so with a genuinely open heart, mind, and soul. We should strive to set aside our own desires to align more closely with God's will.

Homily for the Memorial of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary

Today, the Church celebrates the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who devoted herself to following God's plan for her life from an early age. Her unwavering faith and commitment led God to choose her as a living temple—a vessel through which He could uniquely embody Himself. Mary's openness to divine inspiration enabled her to become a dwelling place for God's Son, Jesus, in a real, physical sense.

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus speaks of those who "do the will of [His] Father in heaven." Mary perfectly exemplifies this as the first and most complete response to God's call. Her lifelong dedication to His will made her a fitting vessel through which the Son of God entered the world.

We, too, are called to fulfill God's will, becoming temples of the Lord and carrying His presence to others. As St. Paul wrote, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"

On this day, we ask for Mary's intercession, praying that we may continually strive to do the Father's will. In doing so, we, too, can become living temples of the living God, with His Spirit dwelling within us.

Homily for Thursday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary TIme

In today's Gospel passage, we find Jesus deeply saddened because Jerusalem did not welcome Him and failed to recognize the work of God the Father through Him. As a consequence, the Holy City will suffer for denying Him. In His pain of rejection, Jesus sheds real tears. His mission was to reveal God's welcoming love for all people, but many rejected the Good News He was eager to share with them.

In this particular passage, Jesus appears helpless in the face of such rejection. He weeps over the consequences of human stubbornness. Although He came to Jerusalem to seek and save the lost, He did not impose His hope on the people.

May we recognize the work of God in the ministry of Jesus and in those around us. May we answer His call to continue His mission with our lives.

Homily for Wednesday of the 33rd Week in Ordinary Time

Today's parable addresses the expectation that God's kingdom would soon arrive. Jesus' followers were often distracted by thoughts about the future. In response, Jesus shared this parable to redirect their attention back to the present.

Worrying excessively about the future can distract us from what is essential in the present. What truly matters is how we generously and courageously utilize the gifts and resources that the Lord has given us to help those around us right now. This is the perspective that the Lord encourages us to adopt. The servant who hid his gold coin in a handkerchief out of fear of losing it did not embrace this approach to life. While using our gifts and resources may lead to mistakes or failures, it's essential to remember that it's better to fail than to be paralyzed by fear and inaction.