St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Homily for Friday of the 26th Week in Ordinary Time

The people of Chorazin and Bethsaida did not understand the importance of Jesus when He was with them. They ignored His ability to heal and didn’t take him seriously. We can be like them because sometimes we miss how God is working in our lives. His presence often shows up in simple, everyday moments. It could be an unexpected kindness from a stranger, a surprise invitation, a kind word when we need encouragement, or someone being generous when we ask for help.

Jesus is with us through other people. He says, “Whoever listens to you listens to me.” But we don’t always see His presence, even though He is with us in many ways. 

At the end of each day, it can be helpful to reflect on our day and acknowledge how God has been present to us. Taking a moment to say thank you for these experiences can keep us aware of and grateful for His constant and unending presence.

Homily for the Memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels

The questions people ask often reveal their values and priorities. When Jesus' disciples asked Him, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" [Matthew 18:1] it revealed their interest in personal standing and prominence. In His reply, Jesus did something and said something. First, He placed the child in front of them. He said they needed to become like children simply to enter the kingdom of heaven, never mind becoming the greatest in the kingdom.

Jesus' disciples are to become child-like but not childish. There's a significant difference. They will be child-like in the sense of completely trusting the love of God the Father and demanding nothing else, including status and standing. Greatness comes to those who make themselves as dependent on God as children are dependent on adults for their care and well-being. 

Let us pray for a true spirit of humility, recognizing our dependence on God and turning our will over to His divine wisdom and care. 

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus

In today's Gospel passage, three men expressed a desire to join Jesus and accompany Him in His work without considering the implications of such a commitment. When Jesus invited them to follow Him immediately, two of them wanted to postpone their decision, citing important responsibilities they needed to attend to first. They felt burying a father and bidding farewell to family were significant matters. However, Jesus emphasized the urgency of following Him, asking them to leave everything else behind.

It can be difficult to grasp why Jesus' call felt so urgent. Choosing to follow Him is always a challenging decision, as He demands a level of commitment and loyalty that surpasses what we owe to our family members. Striving to live according to the Gospel can sometimes put us at odds with those we are closest to. Like other challenging passages in the Bible, today's reading must be understood in the broader context of Jesus' teachings, which emphasize loving our neighbors as ourselves and prioritizing our relationship with God above all else.

Homily for the Memorial of St. Jerome

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, had a different perspective from that of Jesus. On one occasion, their mother asked Him for the two best seats in His kingdom for her sons—one on His right and one on His left. In response, He grounded them in reality by asking if they were willing to drink from the cup of suffering that He must drink.

In today's Gospel, James and John's reaction to the Samaritan villagers' refusal of hospitality was one of anger. In their outrage, they sought vengeance. However, Jesus, in His wisdom, rebuked them for their misguided anger and quietly left the village—a powerful demonstration of His teachings in action.

St. Luke emphasizes Jesus' mercy towards all, even those who rejected Him. He embodies His own teaching about loving our enemies and doing good to those who hate us.

Following the Gospel story we just heard, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan, a figure who exemplifies Christlike generosity by helping his traditional enemy in his hour of need. The hero of this parable comes from the same group that refused hospitality to Jesus, highlighting the call for everyone to embrace a spirit of generosity, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Homily for the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels

In today's Gospel, Jesus explains the two-fold action of angels: "ascending and descending on the Son of Man." They "ascend" to serve God and "descend" to serve us on God’s behalf. This activity was referred to in today's Collect Prayer as we asked God to "graciously grant that our life on earth may be defended by those who watch over us [descending] as they minister perpetually to you in heaven [ascending]." As we contemplate their purpose and activity, we should also allow them to help us learn how to ascend and descend in praising God and serving others.

The Archangels' foremost activity is ascending to praise God. Their second activity is descending to us to bestow on us God's help. The Archangel Gabriel brought our Blessed Mother and Zechariah the Word of God, Raphael brought Tobias God's healing and guidance, and Michael defends and protects us.

 

Let us pray to God, asking for the help of the archangels:

 

Heavenly King, You have given us archangels to assist us

during our pilgrimage on earth.

Saint Michael is our protector;

[We] ask him to come to [our] aid,

fight for all [our] loved ones,

and protect us from danger.

Saint Gabriel is a messenger of the Good News;

[we] ask him to help [us] clearly hear Your voice

and to teach [us] the truth.

Saint Raphael is the healing angel;

[we] ask him to take [our] need for healing

and that of everyone [we] know,

lift it up to Your throne of grace and

deliver us back to the gift of recovery.

Help us, O Lord, to realize more fully

the reality of archangels and their desire to serve us.

Holy angels, pray for us.

Amen.[1]

 

[1] From the website for the Diocese of St. Petersburg

 

Homily for the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time

One thing that makes me feel uncomfortable is when a poor person I meet on the street or at an intersection asks me for money. I think most of us struggle with the issue of whether we are really helping the person or supporting an addiction. I’ve heard all the reasons why we either should or shouldn’t help them, and so I often waffle in what to do. 

Some time ago, a friend of mine, Fr. Jim, was in downtown St. Louis, Missouri for dinner. He was dressed in casual clothes, and a homeless person, who was lying on a park bench, sat up and asked him for some change. Fr. Jim had a little extra time and a few singles in his pocket, so he stopped and asked him what his name was. The man was silent and just stared at him. Fr. Jim wondered if he had offended him. Then the man asked, “Who are you?! I’ve been living in this park for over a week; a few people have given me some money, but no one has asked me who I am; I didn’t think I mattered.” Then he said with a smile, “My name is Tom.”

Usually, the poor of the world go nameless to those who have the comforts of food and shelter. We pray for the poor… in general, we read about poverty statistics…in general, and we see photos of ‘them’ in the news. But when we actually learn the name of a poor person and a little about them, we think of them differently; we have a certain kind of ‘relationship’ with the person. Fr. Jim says that, while that short conversation with Tom didn’t convert him enough to now give his money away to every homeless person he encounters, Tom’s face and name have given him much more to reflect on each time he hears another message from Jesus about helping the poor.

It’s no coincidence that in the parable Jesus gives us the name of the poor person, but not the name of the rich man. Jesus gives importance and dignity to the poor person in the story by telling us that his name is Lazarus. 

Before we ‘write off’ the parable as one more story about God’s love for the poor and a warning about the risks of material wealth, note that the parable is not a condemnation of wealth per se. Rather, the parable is asking those who have what they need (and more) whether or not they are sharing what they have. Have we helped in any way to lessen the gap between we who have, and those who have little?

We learn that while possessions are not evil in themselves, they must not turn our minds and hearts away from those people in the world who have so little. In the parable, the rich man uses his wealth only for himself, and so it is his complacency that is condemned. We may not think of ourselves as wealthy, but we can still become indifferent toward the poor. The whole story begs the question of whether or not we are even aware of the poor around us and among us. 

The parable is left without an ending in that we never find out if the five brothers ever got the message about the consequences of ignoring the poor. And so, we get to write our own ending of what we will do with our lives in light of what just learned about the differences between the short-term riches of this world and the eternal riches of God’s world. 

As we prepare to receive Jesus’ Body and Blood, we are challenged by this Gospel to keep asking ourselves what else we might be doing to care for all members of Christ’s Body. 

Homily for the Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul

Today's Gospel recounts a moment when everyone was amazed by Jesus. He had just healed a boy who suffered from seizures, and the crowd was in awe of what God had accomplished through Him. However, Jesus understood that this support would not last. He knew that He would face the same fate as many prophets before Him. Even at the height of His popularity, He stated, "The Son of Man is to be handed over to men."

For Jesus, admiration held little value. His primary motivation was to fulfill God's will and complete His selfless mission. Despite the danger, He felt compelled to go to Jerusalem because He believed that the people needed to hear His message, even if it meant His own death.

Our faith calls us to adopt Jesus' priorities as our own, to engage in God's work, and to pursue His will with the opportunities we have. This commitment brings not just the fleeting pleasure of applause but the more profound joy that comes from living out the true purpose of our lives.

Homily for Friday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel, after praying, Jesus asked His disciples two questions: "Who do the crowds say that I am?" and "Who do you say that I am?"

The first question was broad and straightforward, while the second was both deeply personal and profoundly challenging. 

When faced with this second question, we are invited to reflect on who Jesus is to each of us individually. It is easier to consider what He means to people in general, but it requires much deeper introspection to articulate what He means to me personally. Ultimately, it is our answer to this second question that holds the most significance. Jesus desires us to express our personal faith in Him. He asks us, "What do you believe?" and then sends us out to share our faith with others.

Homily for Thursday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time

Herod exercised power in Galilee on behalf of Rome. Saint Luke portrayed his attitude toward Jesus as somewhat dismissive. When Herod learned about Jesus' activities and the intense interest people had in Him, he became curious and sought to meet Him. Their encounter would finally occur during Jesus' Passion, when Pilate sent Jesus to Herod to confirm His guilt. Herod questioned Jesus but ultimately treated Him with contempt. His curiosity about Jesus was superficial and did not lead to any faith.

While some people were led to faith by their interest in Jesus, even those with faith have much to contemplate regarding His life and teachings. Herod's question, "Who then is this?" is not just for him but for all of us to ponder. We must remain constant seekers in our pursuit of knowing Jesus.

Let us pray that we will always strive to understand Jesus and His role in our redemption, deepening our relationship with Him and our hope for salvation.

Homily for Wednesday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time

In today's Gospel, Jesus sends His Apostles on a mission and instructs them to travel lightly. He emphasizes the importance of trusting in the hospitality of those to whom they will preach the Gospel. Instead of being self-reliant, He wants them to rely on others and have faith in God, who will actively support them through the kindness of others.

Many of us prefer to be self-sufficient, but the truth is we are only partially so. In our early lives, we depend on our parents and others for support. As we approach the later stages of life, we will again need assistance from those around us. Between these two periods of complete dependence, we continue to rely on others for things we may not possess ourselves, while others depend on us for what they may lack.

The Lord encourages us to embrace the generous service of others and to share what we can. Each of us has much to give and much to receive. The joy of giving and the fulfillment of receiving are both gifts from God. It is in serving one another that we all experience God's love and providence.