St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Monday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel reading presents an unsettling story about a man possessed by demons. He was out of control, perhaps feeling detached from himself and others. Living among the tombs, he was more dead than alive and was considered an absolute outsider. However, Jesus engaged with him, and as a result of their encounter, the man was healed, and his relationship with his community was restored. 

Having just calmed a storm at sea, Jesus also calmed the storm within this man's mind and spirit and sent him out as a messenger of good news to his community.

While we may never experience such extreme turmoil as this man did, there are times when we can all feel out of sorts—disconnected from ourselves and others, feeling only half alive and tossed about by life's challenges. In those moments, we need to come before the Lord, just as the man in the Gospel did. His initial approach to Jesus was quite aggressive, filled with anger: "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God" This can be a similar starting point for us when we are distressed and pray to the Lord.

Yet, Jesus is never put off by our inner turmoil. If we allow Him, He will fill our hearts with His peace and calm us, just as He calmed the storm. Once we find that peace, He will send us out to share His mercy and tranquility with others, just as He sent out the man in the Gospel.

Homily for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

In our Gospel reading today, St. Luke shares a joyful moment in Jerusalem. A young couple and their infant son meet two elderly people named Simeon and Anna. When Simeon encounters Jesus, he prays aloud, cradling the child in his arms and praising God. His prayer has become part of Compline, the Church's official Night Prayer. 

Anna's response is to tell everyone about Jesus, especially those awaiting a sign of God's favor. Despite their advanced age, these two devout Jewish people exemplify two essential qualities of recognizing God's presence. Simeon raised his heart in prayer while Anna spoke out about Jesus to others. 

Simeon's encounter with the Holy Family led him to God through prayer, and Anna's meeting inspired her to share the Good News. Each teaches us valuable lessons on welcoming the Lord into our lives. We should thank the Lord in prayer, as Simeon did, for the gift of His Son, the Light that illuminates our lives. Like Anna, we are called to proclaim God's gift to others through our words and actions. 

The Lord, who entered His temple as the Light of the World, has also entered our lives. Simeon and Anna guide us on how to respond to His gracious coming.

Homily for Saturday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

The words Jesus spoke to the sea—"Quiet! Be still!"—represent not just a historical event but also a timeless truth that can transform our lives. In the midst of our often hectic routines, it is essential to carve out time and space for quiet and stillness. This transformative stillness enables us to hear the voice of the Spirit, guiding us to reset our direction as we navigate life's "stormy seas." These moments of stillness are not merely pauses; they are powerful tools that allow us to check our bearings and ensure that we live in the hope and joy for which God created us.

We need these moments of stillness to regain control of our lives and to surrender ourselves to God—the Giver of life, the Author of love, and the Father of all that is good. In these moments, we are not alone; we are deeply connected to the Source of all life and love, which can fill us with a profound sense of peace and security.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint John Bosco

Today, once again, we hear Jesus conveying an important message through parables—using simple words and familiar metaphors that lead us to a deeper understanding of God's truth. 

In today's message, He compares the kingdom of God to a tiny seed that grows into the largest of plants, providing ample space and shade for numerous birds. This familiar aspect of life illustrates the nature of God's kingdom.

As the Church, the Body of Christ on earth, we are all called—both collectively and individually—to help build up the kingdom of God. We are encouraged to take our seeds—our gifts, talents, and skills—regardless of how small they may seem—and plant them in our world. By allowing God's grace to strengthen our efforts, we can contribute to the realization of the kingdom of God.

Homily for Thursday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

We must pay close attention to what Jesus says: “Take care what you hear.” There are countless things we hear daily, yet we do not always focus on or truly notice what is being said. Just as a person can have depths beyond what is seen, the same can be true for their words—there can be more meaning beneath the surface that a distracted listener might miss.

This principle of attentive listening is even more crucial when it comes to the words of the Lord. The message of the Lord contains layers of meaning that aren’t always immediately obvious. Jesus teaches us in the gospel that the more carefully we listen, the more we will receive: “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.” 

The wealth found within the Lord’s words is abundant, and He generously shares it. However, it is our willingness to listen attentively and generously that enables us to unlock those riches in our lives.

Homily for Wednesday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

Today's parable offers encouragement to Jesus' followers. During His public ministry, Jesus and His disciples faced many challenges. Religious leaders accused them of breaking the Sabbath and claimed that Jesus healed people with Satan's power. Even Jesus' family wanted to confine Him because they thought He was out of control. This was the situation when He told the parable about the farmer sowing seeds in a field.

The farmers in Galilee faced many problems. Many of the seeds they planted never grew. However, despite the challenges, they had abundant harvests in the end.

Jesus' message is clear: "Look past the challenges, setbacks, and disappointments; God is working in my ministry, and in the end, the harvest will be great."

We often focus on what goes wrong—on our failures and losses. This parable encourages us to stay hopeful despite loss and failure because the Lord constantly works to bring life, even when we only see failure and loss around us.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas

In today's Gospel passage, Jesus teaches that obeying God connects us as a family with Him. He defines a true disciple not by rank, talents, or wealth but by their faithfulness to God's will in daily life. Jesus encourages us to treat everything we do as if we are part of a big family, seeing our neighbors as brothers, sisters, mothers, or fathers.

This story shows that Jesus values the bonds within His spiritual family more than traditional family ties. When His mother and relatives want to see Him, we might expect Him to stop everything for them. However, there are times when we should be with our biological families and times when we should share our love with others. Jesus shows both of these moments.

In this story, He focuses more on His extended family. Later, in the Gospel of John, while He is dying on the Cross, He makes sure His mother will be taken care of. This final concern for His mother also relates to His connection with the whole Church. In these Gospel stories, Mary represents the Church at the heart of a praying community.

Children can teach adults a lot about what it means to be part of the Church. Children often love being with their close family and can easily connect with new people. These children show what Jesus means when He looks around at those with Him and says, "Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

Homily for Monday of the 3rd Week in Ordinary Time

The passages surrounding today’s Gospel reveal the mixed reactions to Jesus’ activities in Capernaum. Enormous crowds gathered around Him on the seashore, while His family believed He was out of His mind and wanted to intervene. In today’s passage, the religious authorities—the scribes from Jerusalem—attributed His actions to evil sources, an attitude that ultimately contributed to His death.

Jesus pointed out the inconsistency in their opinion, which suggested that He was operating under two conflicting plans simultaneously. He accused them of committing an unforgivable sin: blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. While they claimed He was possessed by an unclean or demonic spirit, it was, in fact, the Holy Spirit that guided Jesus' words and actions throughout His life and ministry.

Like Jesus, when we follow the Holy Spirit, we may find ourselves at odds with the world around us and even with those who are closest to us. 

Let us pray that in our quest to follow God’s will, we may be most influenced by the promptings of God’s Spirit dwelling in our hearts, minds, and souls.

Homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Gospel lays out Jesus's mission. The Spirit that descended upon Him in the Jordan River led Him to proclaim a message and a way of life for those eager to be friends with God. He had moved away from home but made such an impression that news about Him reached His hometown of Nazareth. We are told that He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, as was His custom, and announced the beginning of a new age.

His sermon was straightforward for anyone familiar with the words of the prophets. Jesus read a remarkable passage from Isaiah that clearly described what would happen when the Messiah came. After reading, He rolled up the scroll and declared, "Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing." By announcing that He had come to replace the old Jewish emphasis on law with a new law of love, He caused quite a stir. Initially, everyone was pleased with His basic message; however, in next Sunday's Gospel, we will learn how this encounter ended — not very well.

"To let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Our human nature can make us a bit resistant to God's will. This resistance manifests as a refusal to listen and an insistence on following our own path. Some basic rebelliousness and pride lead to the blindness and oppression mentioned in today's Gospel. We cannot resolve this alone; we need help from outside ourselves. But Jesus has come to join us, to lead us, and to save us, and this is the powerful good news announced in the Nazareth synagogue: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor."

Homily for the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul

Today, we celebrate the conversion of St. Paul, a Pharisee known as Saul, who became an Apostle of Jesus and is known as Paul. 

As a Pharisee, Saul was well-versed in the events of Jesus' life and death. He understood that Jesus' followers recognized Him as the Messiah and that the Mosaic Law was no longer considered the ultimate authority. Instead, people came to believe that Jesus' life, death, and Resurrection were now part of the final truth. This was deeply troubling for Saul, who focused entirely on the Law.

However, on the road to Damascus, Saul experienced a profound transformation. Instead of viewing Jesus through the eyes of a Pharisee, he began to see Him through the eyes of faith, which completely changed his perspective.

This new understanding allowed him to move past his strict adherence to the Law and recognize Jesus as the Messiah, leading him to become His follower. Additionally, it opened his eyes to the call to preach not only to the Jewish people but also to the Gentiles, who some early Jewish Christians believed should be excluded.

Let us pray that we, too, will recognize Jesus' presence in our lives and respond to the call to share our knowledge and love of God with others.