St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

In today’s first reading, St. Peter gives us a vivid image of the end times—the heavens dissolving in flames and the elements melting with fire. These images can be quite frightening, but St. Peter isn't trying to scare us; he is reminding us that we always need to evaluate our lives and prioritize what truly matters.

St. Peter tells us to "consider the patience of our Lord as salvation." Despite all the failures of the human race, God still keeps this world in existence. This is not a sign of God’s absence but a sign of His patience and mercy. He is giving us time to repent, to heal, and to turn toward His grace.

As “we await the new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells", we should not do so passively.  Instead, St. Peter tells us to "hasten the coming of the day of God". We do this by constantly and honestly evaluating our lives and our relationships with God. Through prayer, the sacraments, scripture, and good works, we let the light of Christ shine through ourselves and all that we say and do, transforming our world with His love, compassion, mercy, justice, and peace.

In our first reading, St. Peter tells us something amazing: God has already given us everything we need for life and holiness. When we are baptized, we are not simply called to follow a set of rules; we become part of the life of the Trinity, which means we share in God’s life. Grace is God’s life inside us, and it is always active. We must choose to work with this grace.

St. Peter gives us a clear, step-by-step path to grow spiritually. He says we should add different good qualities, called virtues, to our faith.

• Virtue: Being a good person and doing the right thing.
• Knowledge: Learning more about Jesus and what He taught.
• Self-control: Controlling our feelings and actions, especially when it is difficult.
• Endurance: Not giving up, even when life is hard.
• Devotion: Living our lives in a way that shows respect and love for God.
• Mutual Affection: Caring for other people in our church community and the wider community as if they were family.

St. Peter says these virtues are most important when they lead to love, and love is the highest Christian quality. Without love, knowledge and self-control do not matter much. This love is not weak or selfish. It is the strong, self-giving love that Jesus showed by dying on the Cross for us.

St. Peter warns that if we lack these qualities, we will not grow well as Christians. We must work hard to become holy. Today, we should think about our spiritual lives. Which of these virtues are you good at? Which ones do you need to grow in?

We cannot develop these good qualities on our own. God gives us the grace to practice them, especially in our prayer and worship. When we listen to the Word of God and receive the Eucharist at Mass, Jesus gives us His own life. This helps us go out and live with strong virtues and real love for others.

Every year, when the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity comes around, I don’t quite know where to start with my homily preparation. We talk about the Trinity as a mystery, and the idea of the Trinity is truly awe-inspiring. We stand before the relationship of the three persons of our one God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

In many ways, I don’t have to say much because the beauty of the Trinity speaks for itself. No incredible descriptions are needed, no profound phrases or words, no degrees in theology or ministry. This Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity is about letting God be God and responding to His presence before us and within us.

I’d like you to participate in a short exercise with me. Make a list in your head of things you might share with someone you don’t know very well—maybe a coworker, neighbor, or classmate—someone whose name you know but whom you mostly just pass by in your daily routine. What do you and that person have in common? If you had a brief conversation, what would you share about yourself?

Now do the same thing with someone who is a close friend. What do you share with them? What do you tell them about yourself? Are there things you share with some friends that you don’t share with others? What determines whether you do or don’t?

Finally, what do you share or what do you tell your family—your spouse, your parents, your children, your siblings? What determines whether you tell or share something?

This Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity isn’t really about what we know; it’s about relationships.

In which of the three categories would you put God? Is God a stranger? Is God a friend? Or is God like family? We need to be honest with ourselves and with God about where God is in our lives. We have to ask ourselves: What needs to happen in our lives to deepen our relationship with God? How can we better prepare ourselves to encounter God in this celebration of the Mass today?

God is present in the Word we just heard and in this moment, as He speaks to our hearts and calls us to be with Him. Jesus is present to us in the Mass because of His desire to be with us.

God who created the universe, God who suffered and died for you and who rose to new life, God whose Spirit is the love that surrounds you—God is here, all because of His love for you.

And what is our response to all of this? How can we so often go through our lives with little or no prayer, without reading the Scriptures? Why is it that we can receive the Eucharist and sometimes not really put our hearts into what we’re doing? It happens because of the busyness we bring into our lives and the emphasis we put on externals. This is part of our human condition; we need to be aware of it and recognize the need to truly slow down so we can enter into and be transformed by our relationship with God.

Share your life—share your heart—share your dreams—share your challenges—share your sorrows and your joys. God is with you, wants to be with you, and wants you to be with Him at every moment of your life.

In our Gospel, Jesus returns to the Temple area after clearing it of the sellers, buyers, and money changers during His previous visit, and is confronted by the chief priests, scribes, and elders. They ask Him a direct question: "By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?"

These leaders aren’t seeking to learn the truth. They’re afraid. Having witnessed Jesus' actions, they sense that He disrupted their power. They want to trap Him. If He says His authority is from God, they can accuse Him of blasphemy. If He says it’s just human authority, they can dismiss Him as a false prophet.

Instead of playing along, Jesus asks them a question about John the Baptist: "Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin?" He knows this puts them in a bind. If they admit John’s baptism was from heaven, Jesus will rightly ask why they didn’t believe him. If they say it was just human, they risk the anger of the crowd, who see John as a real prophet.

Caught by their own political maneuvering and by fear of the crowd, the leaders choose self-preservation and give a neutral answer: "We do not know." Since they refuse to be honest, Jesus refuses to answer their question.

We, too, can fall into the same trap as those religious leaders. We may encounter the authoritative teachings of Christ and the Church, yet instead of humbly accepting them, we treat them as something to debate, question, or negotiate.

Let us pray that we will always be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we follow the teachings of Christ and the Church, recognizing that they guide us toward understanding and following God’s will rather than our own wills, perceptions, and opinions.

In our first reading, St. Peter says, "The end of all things is at hand." In our tradition, this doesn't necessarily point to an immediate end of the world, but to an eternal outlook which we are called to foster. Our time on earth is a priceless, limited gift, and so, we are called to be "serious and sober-minded" so we can pray and live well. We must pull ourselves from worldly distractions, worries, and sinful habits that skew our spiritual insight.

 

St. Peter tells us, "Above all, let your love for one another be intense, because love covers a multitude of sins." Sacrificial love is the trademark of the Christian community. Forgiving others and looking past minor faults heals and unites us as the Body of Christ on earth. He also tells us to be "hospitable without complaining." Welcoming the stranger, sharing our tables, and helping those in need—done from the heart and without a grudging sense of obligation—is a genuine living out of the Gospel.

 

Every Catholic receives specific gifts of the Holy Spirit at Baptism and Confirmation. Peter condenses these gifts into speaking and serving. Whether we are called to teach, counsel, cook, clean, or tend to the needs of the sick, we are called to be good stewards of God’s grace, which we do, not by our own power, but with the help and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

 

Finally, St. Peter raises the reality of suffering. He tells us not to be surprised by trials and tribulations, as if they should not happen. Following Christ in today’s world will naturally bring conflict. When we endure hardship for standing up for our faith, defending the vulnerable, or living by Christian morals, we share in Jesus’ sufferings. This unites us deeply with the Lord, allowing us to rejoice now amidst the joys and sorrows of life, and when His full glory is finally revealed.

 

Let us pray that our lives as Christians will be filled with prayer, love, service, and endurance in faith, that we may be confident in God’s love and in our role in bringing that love to others.

At the beginning of our Gospel story, the blind man is too far from Jesus to talk with Him. When he shouts, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me,” the followers of Jesus reprimand the man and tell him to keep quiet.

Jesus, on the other hand, rebuked those who hindered others from believing in Him. He held them accountable for stopping children from being brought to receive His blessing. He disregarded those who tried to stop blind Bartimaeus from approaching Him. Instead of closing doors in people's faces, He wants us to open the kingdom of heaven to others. We are meant to guide each other to the Lord, reveal the Lord to each other, and, in doing so, support each other on our journey towards God.

Well-meaning individuals obstructed this man's path to Jesus. Our calling is to do the opposite—to assist others in encountering Him and in walking with Him.

Today, we hear a story about a disagreement of sorts between Jesus and His disciples as they traveled to Jerusalem. The disciples seem to have different priorities from Jesus, as shown by the questions they ask each other.

 

James and John ask for glory, honor, and status, but Jesus asks whether they are willing to share in the rejection and suffering He will face. He asks them, “Can you drink the cup that I must drink, or be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” This refers to the suffering and challenges that Jesus knows are ahead.

 

While James and John seek recognition, Jesus emphasizes the importance of selflessness. He explains that true discipleship involves showing selfless love and serving others, even if it means enduring hardship. Jesus Himself lived this way, knowing that the path to glory involves sacrifice and putting others first.

 

James and John, as well as all of us, are called to follow Jesus' example. He came not to be served but to serve, and His life was about selfless love and sacrifice. Only by following this path can we truly share in Jesus' glory.

 

Today's Gospel recounts Peter's declaration to Jesus: "We have left everything and followed you." Peter and the others sacrificed a great deal to stay with Jesus, prompting them to wonder if their commitment was truly worth it. In a similar way, we have also answered His call, even if our sacrifices may not be as dramatic as those of the first disciples, who left behind their livelihoods and families for an uncertain future. During times of doubt, we may find ourselves asking, "Is this struggle to live by the Gospel every day really worth it?"

 

The clear answer is: "Yes, it is worth the effort." Jesus assures us that when we give of ourselves for His sake, we will receive far more than we give up. We gain a new sense of family that goes beyond our blood relatives. We discover ourselves journeying alongside others who, like us, strive to live the Christian life. We experience the warmth of the Church, the community of the Lord's followers. This community includes not only those of us still on our journey, but also all who have passed beyond this life, including the saints and the "great cloud of witnesses."

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

As the Church's Mother, Mary plays a vital role in our relationship with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. She answered God the Father's call during her encounter with the angel Gabriel. She gave birth to and raised Jesus, His Son, and was present at 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, Jesus declared her to be not only the Mother of His beloved disciple but also the Mother of all His disciples—essentially, the Mother of the Church.

As members of the Church, may we live out our faith as our Blessed Mother did. Let us be guided by her example and rely on her heavenly intercession.

Chicago priest Fr. Dominic Grassi tells the story of attending the wake of a priest who had died suddenly. He overheard those gathered, in their sadness, say they believed he had “walked the talk.”

That’s an interesting expression. Many of us can express our concerns with passion. We can articulate the needs and issues we face. But how many of us are willing to go beyond words and act on what we believe? That priest, Fr. Grassi says, was always there when someone needed to take a risk, to put himself on the line. So, with heavy hearts, people came from all over to pay their last respects.

After people lamented how much he would be missed, something happened that turned the wake into a true Pentecost experience. Seeing people from all over whose lives had been touched by this one priest—who was willing to act on what he believed—seemed to give those gathered to mourn encouragement and renewed faith.

Before the evening was over, people had committed themselves to picking up where he left off, to “walk the talk” as he did. The mood lightened. You could begin to sense and hear the joy, courage, and trust coming from everyone present. They had become one body in one Spirit, and this priest’s vision would live on in their actions.

When Jesus ascended into heaven, His disciples were left with a great deal of fear and a sense of abandonment. How could they possibly continue the work that Jesus came to do and, after His Ascension, called them to do? It seemed impossible. They didn’t trust in their own abilities and gifts.

But Jesus didn’t leave them alone; He gave them the gift of His Holy Spirit to guide them, to be with them, and to give them the ability to be the hands, the feet, and the voice of God in our world.

Those feelings of fear and abandonment are something the Church has struggled with since that first Ascension and Pentecost nearly 2,000 years ago. Despite Jesus’ promise to be with us always and the gift of His Spirit, we can still doubt our ability to be true messengers of God’s love and mercy, especially when our human faults and sinfulness get in the way.

But the message of Pentecost is that we do have the gifts to truly be the Church—the Body of Christ on earth. Jesus has entrusted us with this mission and, although we sometimes fail, it’s incredible to think that the Church has survived this long through wars, famines, disasters, and even our own sinfulness. We have survived precisely because we have been gifted with God’s Holy Spirit.

May this Solemnity of Pentecost, which we celebrate today, remind us of our responsibility and strengthen our confidence, knowing that God is with us every step of the way. May we wholeheartedly give ourselves to the mission of the Church, spreading the message of peace and love to everyone we meet.