Homily for Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

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

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/072626.cfm

The gospel asks us one simple question today.

What do we treasure most?

Because whatever we treasure most 

is what we're willing to sacrifice for.

For some - it's our family. 

For others - it might be our home, our career, 

financial security or personal achievements.

And there is nothing wrong with any of those things, by the way. 

They are all gifts from God.

But today, 

Jesus invites us to go deeper, asking,

What is so valuable 

that it is worth giving everything for?

In today's Gospel, 

Jesus tells us about a man 

who finds a treasure hidden in a field. 

A merchant who discovers a pearl 

unlike any he has ever seen.

When they recognize the great treasure in front of them, 

they sell what they own to get it.

Not because someone forces them to.

They do it with great joy.

They know that what they are getting 

is worth far more 

than what they are giving up.

Jesus is teaching us something very important. 

The Kingdom isn't valuable 

because it costs us everything. 

It's worth everything because of what we receive.

He's teaching us 

about discovering something so valuable 

that everything else 

becomes secondary.

The treasure is Jesus Himself, 

who invites us into the Kingdom He came to establish.

Because when we truly discover Jesus, 

our whole way of looking at life changes.

Sometimes people think being Catholic 

is mostly about giving things up,

following rules,

carrying crosses,

and yes, being Catholic does involve sacrifice.

Jesus never promised life would be easy.

But sacrifice itself is never the goal.

Jesus Himself is the treasure, 

and through Him we enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Think about a bride and groom 

standing before God on their wedding day.

They aren't thinking about what they're giving up.

They're thinking about the life they're beginning together.

Love changes the way we look at sacrifice.

The same is true with Jesus.

He doesn't ask us to let go of things 

just to make life harder.

He asks us to let go of whatever keeps us from Him 

because He wants to give us 

something infinitely greater.

That's why the saints lived with such joy.

They discovered that nothing 

compared to knowing Christ.

So, the question for us today is -

What do we treasure most?

Because whatever we treasure most 

shapes the way we live.

If Christ is really our treasure, 

everything begins to change.

Prayer becomes a conversation instead of an obligation.

Talking to Him in the car, while walking the dog, 

or before making a difficult decision.

Mass becomes the place we want to be.

We seek His mercy in Confession.

We hunger to receive Him in the Eucharist.

Loving and forgiving others becomes possible.

Serving others becomes a privilege.

Everything begins to change 

because our hearts have changed.

But if prayer feels like a burden,

if Mass feels like just another item on the checklist,

if we only follow Jesus when it's convenient,

maybe the problem isn't that Jesus asks too much.

Maybe the problem is 

that we've forgotten the value of the treasure.

The beautiful thing is that Jesus’ love for us is relentless.

Every day He asks us to trust Him a little more,

to love Him a little more,

and to place Him a little closer to the center of our lives.

To remind us to live each day with eternity in mind.

To help us choose what lasts over what passes away.

To choose Him over everything else.

In just a few moments, 

the treasure will be here on this altar.

The Pearl of Great Price will no longer be hidden.

In the Holy Eucharist, 

Jesus doesn't simply teach us about the Kingdom.

He gives us the Kingdom's King.

He gives us the greatest treasure - Himself.

Now He invites us to place Him first, 

not because He wants to take something from us, 

but because He wants to give us everything.

May we have the wisdom 

to recognize the treasure before us.

May we receive Him today 

with joyful hearts.

May we leave here knowing 

that there is nothing in this world 

more valuable than Him.

And may He give us the strength 

to live lives 

centered on Him 

and what He wants for us.

When Jesus becomes our treasure, 

everything else finally finds its proper place.

May we recognize Him.

May we receive Him with joy.

And may we leave this church today 

willing to give Him our whole heart, 

because nothing we surrender to Christ 

can ever compare 

with everything He gives 

to us.

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.