St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for the 1st Sunday of Lent

Our faith tells us that Jesus is divine and human, like us in all things but sin. We know that He experienced love for people, sometimes grew frustrated with the silly arguments of the Pharisees and even His disciples, and even experienced righteous anger, as demonstrated by His response to the merchants in the Temple. So, it makes sense that Jesus would also experience temptation, as He did in today's Gospel passage when He was directly approached by the devil, making Him promises in the desert. He understands our temptations and the struggle to say no to them.

Of course, Jesus experienced these things without sinning. He relied on His divine nature and strength from His Father and the Holy Spirit to resist the temptations to put things and power above God.

In today's Gospel, Jesus doesn't just give us the ideal of resisting temptations; He leads us by His example because He experienced real temptation but did not fall prey to it.

Let us pray that Jesus' example and the power, strength, and resolve that we get from God may help us in our times of temptation and keep our focus on God's kingdom, which is to come.

Homily for Saturday After ash Wednesday

In today's Gospel passage, the Scribes and Pharisees questioned Jesus' disciples about why they were eating with tax collectors and sinners. They believed that associating with such people posed a risk, as it could lead to moral contamination and deterioration of their own integrity. They thought it was better to distance themselves from those deemed sinful.

However, Jesus was not worried about being tainted by others' sins. He understood that His goodness, which reflects the goodness of the Father within Him, would instead transform and uplift those He encountered. The Lord is never diminished by our failings; instead, we are enriched by His holiness.

This is why the Lord does not separate Himself from us, even when we may distance ourselves from Him due to our actions or inactions. He is always ready to sit with us, share a meal with us, and engage in communion with us. In our moments of weakness, we can draw strength from Him, and in our many failings, we can find His goodness and love.

Homily for Friday After Ash Wednesday

Many people, both children and adults, often express fear when discussing the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This fear can stem from various sources, but it typically relates to concerns about rejection or harsh judgment. Individuals may worry that the priest will think less of them or that God is angry with them. Some may even fear their own self-judgment.

However, it’s important to understand that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is about mercy, not anger. It focuses on God's mercy and His desire for us to be close to Him. When we distance ourselves from God through sin, all we need to do is turn to Him with genuine remorse. God will always welcome us back into His embrace.

As we enter Lent, let us strive to be humble of heart and open ourselves to the ever-present and loving mercy of God.

Homily for Thursday After Ash Wednesday

In our reading from the Book of Deuteronomy, we receive a message to "Choose life" by loving and following God. Our life on this earth involves a constant struggle to balance our needs for a good life, our temporal needs, and our growth in our relationship with God. Finding balance is essential.

Today's readings encourage us to seek the good things of the Lord above all else. It is in these pursuits that we discover true happiness and life. While meeting our needs in this life is important, we must prioritize God and our need for Him in everything we do.

Let us pray during this Lenten season to always put God first in our lives and to allow our love for God to guide our thoughts and actions.

Homily for Ash Wednesday

Today we begin the season of Lent by gathering together and placing on our foreheads a mark made from ashes. It’s a pretty unusual thing for people do but it is also something that has a deep significance and a long history for the people of God.

Ashes remind us of our helplessness and our dependence on God who alone is our help and salvation. The church traces the use of ashes from ancient traditions to outwardly remind us of the need to turn away from sin and turn toward God in whom alone there is forgiveness. It is by turning to God that we can move forward from darkness and sin into new light and new life.[1]

Lent is often a time when people give something up. Often, at the end of Lent, people resume whatever it is that they gave up. There is a certain value to sacrificing these things. Lent, however, is much more than giving something up for a few weeks.

The word Lent comes form an old English word for springtime, referring to the time when the earth is released from the cold grip of winter. Lent is the time for revival and renewal; it’s the springtime of the spirit.

As we get older, we realize that we won’t be completely transformed in a few weeks, regardless the dedication and fervor we put into this holy season. Such total conversion is something that takes place throughout our lifetime. But each little step that we take is very important to the whole process of transformation. Lent is a time when we can take a look at one or two areas of our lives that need some work and to, hopefully, have some renewal during this time of focused prayer.

Each one of us has some part of our life that needs healing or reworking. Each one of us is called during this season of Lent to do more than give something up for a few weeks. Lent is far deeper and far more important than that. Lent is a time for us to make lasting change; change that will make us better persons and change that will bring us closer to what God has called us to be.[2]

Let us pray for the wisdom we need to determine what area of our lives is most in need of change, and may we have the humility and courage to seek the help we need.

 

[1] Collins, Kenneth W., 2000

[2] Krempa, Rev. S. Joseph, Daily Homilies, Seasonal and Sanctoral Cycle, Volume 3, Alba House, New York, NY, 1985. Pp. 59-60.

Homily for Tuesday of the 4th Week in Ordinary Time

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, leading them to question whether their commitment was truly worth it. Similarly, we have also answered His call, although our sacrifices may not be as drastic as those of the first disciples who abandoned their livelihoods and families for an uncertain future. In moments of uncertainty, we may find ourselves asking, "Is this struggle to live by the Gospel every day worth the effort?"

The clear answer is, "Yes, it is worth the effort." Jesus assures us that when we give of ourselves for His sake, we will gain much more than we give up. We will experience a new sense of family that extends beyond our blood relatives. We will find ourselves journeying alongside others who, like us, strive to live the Christian way. We will feel the warmth of the Church, which is 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."

Homily for Monday of the 8th Week in Ordinary Time

Sometimes when we ask a question, we find the answer isn't exactly what we had hoped for. This was the case for the rich man who asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” When Jesus instructed him to go beyond the traditional standards he had been following—specifically, to sell all that he owned and follow Him—the man could not accept this request and walked away sad.

While Jesus did not ask everyone to sell everything and journey with Him, He made this request of this particular young man. Like him, we may find ourselves called to do something that seems overwhelming. The temptation might be to walk away from such a calling, even though saying “yes” would be the better choice. Initially, we may feel unprepared for our calling. However, we must remember that “all things are possible for God.” 

Homily for the 8th Sunday in Ordinary Time

In today's world, finding a moment of peace and quiet to connect with ourselves and God is difficult. The constant barrage of calls and messages makes it hard to escape daily life's worries and hurried pace. Finding the tranquility to enjoy God's presence can be challenging, even in our homes filled with television and digital media.

Have we forgotten the importance of pausing, interrupting our rush, and freeing our minds for a few moments? It is often enough to stand still and be silent briefly to calm our spirits and regain clarity and peace. We need to seek the silence that allows us to connect with our true selves, helping us recover our freedom and rediscover our inner energy.

Being used to noise and busyness, we may not realize the wellness that can come from solitude and silence. In our eagerness for news, images, and information, we can easily forget to nurture and enrich the deepest parts of our being.

We cannot hear God or recognize His divine presence without inner silence. This lack of silence hinders our growth as human beings and as believers. According to Jesus, people draw goodness from the abundance in their hearts, but goodness does not flourish without cultivation. We must nurture it to let it grow within us. Our lives will truly blossom if we take the time to notice what God is stirring in our hearts.

Let us pray that during this coming season of Lent, we may find times to slow down, be aware of God's presence around us and within us, and allow His love to transform our lives.

Homily for Saturday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time

Parents who brought their children to Jesus are much like those who bring their children for baptism today. The contrast between the disciples’ harshness and Jesus’ response to this request is striking. While the disciples wanted to turn the children away, viewing them as a nuisance and distraction, Jesus welcomed them and encouraged His followers to do the same.

We must do all we can to nurture a relationship between children and Jesus. In addition to teaching children, we have much to learn from them. We need to learn to embrace the kingdom of God with the same openness that children do. Children are very receptive to positive things and gifts, including the gift of the kingdom of God and the Lord Himself. They are naturally open to these gifts, but as we grow older, we can easily lose that receptiveness and openness to the Lord. As adults, it’s important for us to continually recover that childlike spirit, so we can welcome the gift of the Lord with the same eagerness as children.

Homily for Friday of the 7th Week in Ordinary Time

The Book of Sirach offers beautiful insights about friendship, describing it as the elixir of life, emphasizing that those who fear the Lord will find true friends. When we cultivate a strong relationship with the Lord, we are better equipped to form meaningful human connections characterized by faithfulness and selflessness.

Jesus also speaks of a unique type of friendship found in a marriage relationship between a husband and wife. His vision of marriage aligns with Sirach’s understanding of friendship: a husband and wife, committed to each other for life, ultimately becoming one rather than two. Whether we are married or single, each of us is called to experience faithful friendships that enable us to witness the Lord’s unwavering love through others and, in turn, to reflect that faithful love to those around us.