St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

Many different kinds of people encounter Jesus throughout the progression of John’s Gospel. In today’s passage, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, part of a group often hostile to Jesus, stands apart from his pe…

In his book titled Miracle on the River Kwai, Ernest Gordon recounts the story of British soldiers who were prisoners of war, forced by their captors to work on a jungle railroad. The suffering they …

The Sanhedrin, having rejected the idea that Jesus was the Messiah, also disputed His Resurrection from the dead. Accepting this fact would require them to reinterpret their long-held traditions.

How…

After a night of fishing, the disciples returned empty-handed and feeling discouraged. Early in the morning, Jesus appeared on the shore and met with them. He invited them to have breakfast with Him,…

As we just heard, Jesus’ followers had difficulty believing that the man standing before them was the same Jesus they had come to know and love. They thought they were seeing a ghost. 

They had been …

In today's Gospel passage, two of Jesus' disciples are walking away from Jerusalem on the first Easter night because they are haunted by negative memories of the city. It was there that Jesus, to who…

Yesterday, we listened to St. Matthew's account of Mary Magdalene's experience at the empty tomb on the first Easter morning. While St. Matthew briefly mentioned Mary's fear, he did not elaborate. In…

It has been said that the truth has a way of bringing out the stuff that people are really made of. Such is the case in our gospel passage this morning as we see two groups of people, each with a dif…

“Exult, let them exult! Let this holy building shake with joy, filled with the mighty voices of the peoples!”

With these words, the Church comes forth from its Lenten sacrifice to the joyous and exul…

In St. John's account of the Passion of Jesus, we hear it was the day before the Sabbath. This was a hectic day for the Jewish people because it was the preparation time for Passover. So everyone was…

The main sign or trait of a Christian should be selfless love. This is because Christ works through every Christian person, and His most important trait is love.

For Christ, love isn’t just about fee…

The early Church recognized that Jesus was betrayed by one of His closest associates. Although this was uncomfortable for them, they did not try to hide the fact that Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus' di…

In the final days of Jesus' life, people responded to Him in various ways. While Judas betrayed Him, the beloved disciple stayed close, even leaning on His chest. In the opening chapter of the Gospel…

In the last week of His life, Jesus faced hostility from many people. However, six days before Passover, a family He loved invited Him to dinner, showing Him kindness. One family member, Mary, anoint…

Crucifixion is regarded as one of the most horrific ways to die. Scourging, which often preceded crucifixion, was also a tormenting experience; it was not uncommon for a person to die during this sta…

In today's Gospel passage, the Sanhedrin conclude that Jesus' message of justice and compassion has become too much for them. To justify their actions, they create a "prophecy" to eliminate Jesus.

Th…

Jesus faced persecution for challenging those who prioritized rituals and rules over people. The individuals enforcing these rules were not inherently bad, but their rigid devotion to the laws distor…

The promises to Abraham look to the future, imagining a time when all nations come together as if they are family, like descendants of Abraham. This connection doesn't come from bloodlines but from s…

Jesus said, "The truth will set you free." Later in John's Gospel, He declared, "I am the truth." He is the source of genuine freedom for His followers. Jesus also stated, "If the Son frees you, then…

"O LORD, hear my prayer, and let my cry come to you."

Today's psalm response begins with a heartfelt plea for God to hear the psalmist's prayer and reminds us that the psalmists always listened to th…