St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Saturday of the 4th Week of Lent

We often think we want the truth, but when Jesus proclaimed the Gospel, it was more than people expected. The reign of God that Jesus spoke of was based on a kind of justice and reconciliation that could be intimidating. It threatened the isolated cocoons people created for themselves and shattered their self-centered approach to the world.

To those who understood Jesus, His teachings were not comforting or joyful. They saw Him as a dangerous firebrand, an idealistic radical with no grasp of reality or the world's complexities.

The Gospel of Jesus is not one of comfort, at least not to those who are comfortable. It is not a Gospel of peace for those at war with themselves or those around them, nor a Gospel of love for those concerned only with themselves.

Jesus taught us to love our enemies, pray for them, invite people experiencing poverty to our table, forgive seventy times seven, seek the lowest place, take up our cross, and follow Him. These radical teachings undermine comfortable and complacent lifestyles and threaten what the world often holds dear.

Let us have the courage to look deep within our hearts and souls, understand Jesus's Gospel message, and turn to Him for the support, help, and guidance we need to follow in His ways.

Homily for Friday of the 4th Week of Lent

In today’s Gospel, we are reminded that sometimes we become so preoccupied with searching for God in places where He is not present that we fail to see Him where He actually is. We may think that God only reveals Himself to us during specific times, situations, and religious practices, and we become disillusioned when we fail to see Him when tragedy strikes.

However, the truth is that God is with us all the time, even in the mundane aspects of our lives. He is present in the kindness and love that we show to others and that others show to us, in the daily events that we experience, and in the blessings that sustain our lives.

Let us pray that we may become aware of God's presence in every moment, circumstance, and action of our lives, and that our lives may reflect that presence.

Homily for Thursday of the 4th Week of Lent

Today's readings remind us that God never gives up on us, even when we fail to follow His will. Instead, God always tries to show us the true path towards His kingdom.

While we may focus on the idea of God's wrath, the reality is that God wants us to be a part of His kingdom and play an active role in His plan for Earth. Unfortunately, we don't always heed His call.

Let us pray for an open heart and mind to hear God's call and live out our purpose with faith and wisdom. May we become the people that God has intended us to be.

Homily for Wednesday of the 4th Week of Lent

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus proclaims that His aim is not to do His own will, but the will of the One who sent Him - the Father. Jesus' entire life was shaped by the will of His Father, which is for all people to find life through faith in Jesus. As John says in Chapter 3 of his Gospel, "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." God desires life, which is why Jesus says, "I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."

This same image of God is portrayed in today's first reading from the prophet Isaiah. Just as a mother cherishes the child in her womb and gives life to her child, so does God cherish us and work to bring us to the fullness of life.

God leads us to springs of living water. When we pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy will be done," we are praying that a culture of life will prevail over a culture of death. We are also committing ourselves to do God's will by protecting life, bringing life to others, and helping others to live fully human lives that are shaped by the Holy Spirit and lead to eternal life in heaven.

Homily for Tuesday of the 4th Week of Lent

In today's Gospel reading, we see Jesus being criticized for performing a miracle on the Sabbath by people who were hypocritical. It's not the only instance where people questioned the goodness and faithfulness of Jesus while being too rigid in their interpretation of the law. They were so caught up in the literal interpretation of the law that they failed to see the greatness and goodness of Jesus' actions.

Sometimes, we also tend to focus too much on the letter of the law and forget the most important parts of God's law, which are to love God and love our neighbor. We often neglect these two crucial commandments.

Let us pray that we can always be filled with the spirit of God's law and strive to be messengers of God's love and kindness in our world.

Homily for Monday of the 4th Week of Lent

In our Gospel passage, we learned about a court official who approached Jesus for help to cure his seriously ill son. Many people had already approached Jesus for help in the villages he visited. Initially, Jesus seemed to refuse the official's request, but the official persisted and said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus granted his request, but not in the way the man wanted. He simply said, "Your son will live." The man believed Jesus' words and returned home. On the way, he discovered that his prayer had been answered.

When we pray to the LORD for help, we may feel that our prayers are unanswered. We may not receive the answer we were hoping for, but we must persevere in prayer, like the royal official in the Gospel. We must trust in the LORD's promises and journey with them in our hearts. Like the royal official, we will discover that the LORD will answer our prayers, even if not in the way we expected.

Homily for the 4th Sunday of Lent

A painting of great worth by the renowned artist Caravaggio hung in the dining room of a Jesuit house in Dublin for years, unnoticed by its inhabitants. One day, an art expert recognized its value, and upon closer examination, confirmed that it was indeed a masterpiece by the great Roman painter. The painting is now displayed at the National Art Gallery in Ireland as one of its most precious treasures. 

In today's second reading, St. Paul speaks of how we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead a good life. Similar to the Caravaggio painting, our worth may go unnoticed, even to ourselves. Though we may not see ourselves as works of art, God sees and values us as such. Through the words of Isaiah, God reminds us that we are precious in His sight and that He loves us. 

When we recognize our worth to God, it strengthens our hope. We can also view others as works of art and treasure them, valuing them for who they are. When someone is precious to us, we do everything we can to show our love and devotion to them. In doing so, we catch a glimpse of how the Lord relates to us. We are loved in a way that transcends all cost, as the gospel reminds us: "God so loved the world that He gave His only Son." 

While the Cross is not a symbol of glorifying suffering, it is a symbol of how far God is willing to go to show His love for us. The Cross is a reminder of how valued we are to God, so much so that He gave up His only Son to save us all.

Homily for Saturday of the 3rd Week of Lent

In the Gospel reading, Jesus tells a parable about a Pharisee who takes pride in his dutiful life. He brags about his fasting and tithing while looking down on the humble tax collector. However, no matter how well we live, we never have a special claim on God.

We all struggle with excessive self-worth and pride from time to time. Jesus warns us to guard against pride, even when we have done a great job at something. He said, "When you have done all you have been commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

The good news is that we don't need to earn God's favor through our accomplishments. God has already blessed us by giving us His Son. In response, we serve God by humbly doing His will. Our service to the LORD pales compared to the LORD's faithful service to us.

Homily for Friday of the 3rd Week of Lent

The Scribes are generally portrayed as arguing against Jesus. But in today's encounter, Jesus and the Scribe are on the same page. Jesus tells him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." They agreed about the two great commandments of the Law. The first commandment calls us to love God, and the second to love our neighbor. The highest love is given to God.

The two commandments differ in the vigor of the love demanded. God is to be loved with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is only God who is deserving of our absolute love. To love God in this way is to be caught up in God's love for humanity, which is where the second commandment comes in. Love of neighbor is where God's pure and total love unfailingly leads us.

Homily for Thursday of the 3rd Week of Lent

Some people who witnessed Jesus driving out a demon from a mute man thought that he did it through Satan's power instead of acknowledging that it was God's power at work in Jesus. This was a severe misjudgment. Jesus responded by proclaiming that it was through the power of God that he healed people. Sometimes, we are blind to the working of God among us, especially when he is working through those with whom we don't always agree.

God often graces us in many ways, but we fail to notice it. Instead of focusing on what we don't have or what's wrong in our lives, we should recognize and give thanks for the blessings that God has bestowed upon us.

We should pray for the gift of seeing as Jesus sees. Jesus saw the working of God in Creation, the sower, the vineyard, the flowers of the field, and the birds of the air. He saw God's presence in those others had written off because of their imperfections and faults. Jesus teaches us to see with eyes of generosity, hope, and mercy. When we do so, we will be inspired to give thanks in all circumstances, as St. Paul said.