Homily for Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

The readings for Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time may be found at:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/062126.cfm

This week, the evangelist Saint Matthew gives us part 

of what scholars call the "Missionary Discourse."

In it, Jesus is in Galilee speaking to the Twelve Apostles, 

preparing to send them out 

to preach, heal, and proclaim the Kingdom of God.

And three times, He says, "Do not be afraid."

Because He knows how easily fear can take hold of our hearts.

Many of us have waited for test results,

worried about a loved one,

or wondered what the future might bring.

And in those moments, fear can overwhelm us.

What’s remarkable 

is that Jesus doesn’t speak these words 

to people living comfortable lives.

He has just warned the Apostles 

that they will face opposition, rejection, and persecution.

Yet He tells them, "Do not be afraid."

Not because nothing bad will happen. (pause)

But because God is greater than whatever they will face.

And in today's Gospel,

Jesus gives us three reasons 

why we should not be afraid.

First, God sees us.

Jesus says, "Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed."

Sometimes, it may seem like our goodness, 

sacrifices, and burdens go unnoticed.

Yet, Jesus reminds us 

that nothing hidden remains hidden before God.

He sees the whole picture. 

He sees the sacrifices nobody notices. 

He sees the burdens we carry in silence.

Even when no one else sees - God sees.

Second, God loves us.

Jesus tells His disciples, 

"You are worth more than many sparrows." (pause)

He even knows the number of hairs on our head.

Think about that.

The God who created the universe 

knows each of us personally.

He knows our fears,

our disappointments,

and the prayers we’ve carried for years.

And still, He loves us.

Not because we’ve earned it or are perfect,

but because He is our Father.

Third, God is with us.

Faith is not simply believing that God exists. 

It’s knowing that God walks with us 

through every joy, every sorrow, and every uncertainty.

Jesus says, "Do not be afraid of those 

who kill the body but cannot kill the Soul."

Reminding us that everything else will pass away -

our careers, possessions, even our earthly lives.

But our souls are eternal.

And that should change how we look at everything else.

That’s why prayer matters.

Confession matters.

Mass matters.

Receiving the Eucharist without mortal sin matters.

And why time spent before Jesus 

in the Blessed Sacrament matters.

Because our God is not distant.

He walks with us, strengthens us, and shows us the way home.

Jesus also tells us,

"Everyone who acknowledges me before others 

I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father."

Most of us will never be asked to die for Christ.

But every one of us is called to live for Him.

And sometimes living for Christ 

can be harder than dying for Him.

And living for Him, means choosing Him every day.

In ordinary moments,

ordinary decisions.

and in ordinary acts of love.

We acknowledge God when we pray with our families,

forgive those who hurt us,

invite someone back to Mass,

or step out in faith instead of letting fear hold us back.

But if that seems like a lot, 

there are some simple steps we can all take this coming week

Maybe we can think about one fear that’s been weighing on

our heart and place it before God every day in prayer.

Maybe we can spend a few moments each day thanking God for

His blessings, instead of making our worries or what we want the

main focus of our prayer life.

Maybe, we can make our faith more visible to others.

Praying before a meal in a restaurant or at work.

Spending time before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.

Reaching out in person to someone who is struggling.

Inviting someone who doesn’t come regularly, to join us at Mass.

Because whether we realize it or not,

for some people we meet this week,

the closest thing they may see to Christ

is the reflection of Christ 

they encounter 

in us.

And that may be exactly 

why God is placing them in our path.

Jesus knew the fears of His disciples - 

and He knows ours.

Whatever burden we are carrying, God sees us.

Whatever regret we are feeling, God loves us.

Whatever uncertainty lies ahead, God is with us.

And because God sees us, loves us, and walks with us,

we too can be sent out

to preach, heal, and proclaim the Kingdom of God.

with the reassurance Jesus spoke to the Apostles -

Just as clearly as he does to us today -

"Do not be afraid."

Homily for Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity - Year A

The readings for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity may be found at:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/053126.cfm

This week, 

on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity,

the Church invites us 

to reflect on the deepest mystery of our faith.

One God.

Three Divine Persons.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

For many of us, 

the Trinity can seem abstract. 

Something scholars discuss in really thick books. 

But at its heart, the Trinity is not a math problem,

of how three can be one or one can be three.

The Trinity is the revelation that God is love.

Today, the evangelist St. John writes:

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

Everything begins there.

In just one verse, 

Jesus reveals all three Persons of the Trinity, 

the Father who sends, 

the Son who is given, 

and the Holy Spirit 

who brings that saving love into our hearts.

The Father loves the world so completely 

that He gives His only Son.

The Son 

who gives His life on the Cross for our salvation.

And the Holy Spirit 

is poured into our hearts 

so that we can share in the very life of God.

That is the Trinity.

The Father loving,

the Son revealing that love, and

the Holy Spirit drawing us into that love.

And we learn about the Trinity best 

not from a book, but through Jesus.

Because Jesus does more than teach us about God. 

Jesus reveals God.

He says:

“Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.”

If we want to know what God is like, we look at Jesus.

We look at His compassion.

His mercy.

His forgiveness.

His humility.

His Cross.

Because ultimately, 

God is self-giving love.

And that matters -

because many of us sometimes wonder 

where God is in the world today.

Did He leave us?

Is He angry with us?

But Jesus reveals the Father, 

as the One who comes toward us, 

not to condemn, but to save.

As we hear clearly in today's Gospel:

“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Now the Holy Spirit.

can often seem like the Person of the Trinity 

we know the least about.

Yet the Holy Spirit 

is God dwelling within us.

The Spirit is the reason 

faith comes alive in our hearts.

Through every prayer,

every conversion,

every desire for holiness,

the Holy Spirit is quietly at work.

Teaching,

strengthening, 

guiding, 

and slowly transforming us 

into the likeness of Christ.

So through this Solemnity, 

this week, 

the Church is inviting us through the Trinity 

to become a little more aware 

of God's presence in our daily lives.

When we make the Sign of the Cross, 

which we often do so quickly and automatically, 

maybe we can slow down this week

and really focus on what we are saying - 

In the name of the Father,

and of the Son,

and of the Holy Spirit.

Taking a moment 

to place our entire day into the life of the Trinity.

Remembering the Father's love,

trusting in the grace of Jesus, and

opening our hearts to the communion of the Holy Spirit.

Maybe then 

we can thank the Father 

for His love 

and speak honestly to Jesus 

about our struggles.

Perhaps before an important conversation, 

a difficult decision, 

or a moment of frustration, 

we can simply pray:

“Come, Holy Spirit.”

Because the Trinity, 

is not merely a mystery,

but a relationship to be lived.

Every time we make the Sign of the Cross, 

we are not simply beginning a prayer.

We are placing ourselves 

into the very life of God.

Into the love of the Father,

the grace of Jesus.

and the communion of the Holy Spirit.

For the God 

who so loved the world 

continues to draw us into His love today.

May the Most Holy Trinity 

help us live in that love this week, 

reflect that love to everyone we meet, 

and help others discover the God 

who first loved us.

In the name of the Father, 

and of the Son, 

and of the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

Homily for Seventh Sunday of Easter - Year A

 The readings for the Seventh Sunday of Easter may be found at:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/051726-Sunday

This week, the evangelist St. John 

invites us into one of the most intimate moments 

in all of Sacred Scripture.

Into the longest prayer of Jesus 

recorded in the Gospels.

What the Church traditionally calls 

His High Priestly Prayer.

And He prays it 

on Holy Thursday, 

at the very moment when His “hour” has come.

An hour 

that will mean His suffering and His death.

But in John’s Gospel, 

the Cross is also the place of glory.

Because on the Cross, 

Jesus shows us the depth of God’s love for us.

He says,

“Father, the hour has come. 

Glorify your Son, 

so that the Son may glorify you.”

Jesus is not asking for glory 

the way the world understands it.

He is not asking for recognition.

He is not asking for power.

He is not asking to escape the Cross.

He is asking 

to complete the mission His Father gave Him.

And then Jesus does something beautiful.

He prays for His disciples.

He says, 

“I pray for them - for the ones you have given me.”

Think about that.

On the night before He dies, 

knowing what is coming, 

Jesus is praying for His friends.

For Peter, who will deny Him.

For Thomas, who will doubt.

For the others, who will run away.

And still, 

He loves them.

Still, 

He prays for them.

Still, 

He entrusts them to the Father.

And that -

that should give us all hope.

Because Jesus knows our weakness, too.

He knows our fears.

He knows the ways we fall short.

He knows our doubts.

He knows how we drift.

And still - He prays for us.

The heart of this Gospel is not that we are perfect, 

not that we are deserving 

because of what we do or don’t do,

The heart of this Gospel is that we belong to Him.

Jesus says to the Father, 

“They belonged to you, and you gave them to me”

That is who we are.

Broken, sure.

Blessed, absolutely.

Just like the bread on this altar 

that will be transformed into the Eucharist in a few minutes time.

Broken and blessed.

We belong to the Father.

We belong to Jesus.

And because we belong to Him, 

we are never alone.

That is His prayer for us.

Not that life will be easy.

Not that we will never suffer.

But that the Father will protect us, 

keep us faithful, 

and hold us together as one.

So today, let us take this Gospel - personally.

Let us internalize its message.

Jesus is praying for His Church.

Jesus is praying for His disciples.

Jesus is praying for us.

So that we may live as people who truly belong to Him,

so that in our words,

in our choices,

in our love,

and in our unity,

the world may see the glory of God.

But how do we do this?

How do we actually live this Gospel 

after we leave this church today?

How do we do it this week?

To live this Gospel in a very simple way,

maybe we can start our days with a simple prayer, 

“Jesus, thank You for praying for me. 

Help me stay close to You today.”

During the day, maybe we try to do one thing that reflects God’s love,

• be patient, 

• forgive someone, 

• help someone quietly.

• pray before reacting in anger

• encourage someone who is struggling

Maybe spend a few minutes in prayer, even for just 5 minutes,

• before the Blessed Sacrament,

• after Mass,

• in silence at home or in the car

• speak to Jesus honestly, like a friend, about our fears, struggles, and hopes.

If we feel weak or things are just too hard, 

we can remember that

Jesus prayed for Peter 

even knowing Peter would fail.

So when we struggle this week, let us not give up.

Let us, turn back to Him.

Because the heart of today’s Gospel is simple -

Jesus is praying for us.

And because of that, 

No matter how hard life becomes,

we are never alone.

Because Christ 

is praying 

To His Father,

To Our Father,

for us.