We Belong To God

 

Deacon Kevin Gingras

Oct 18th, 2026

Twenty-Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/101826.cfm

Isaiah 45:1, 4-6        Psalm 96:1, 3, 4-5, 7-8, 9-10 

1 Thessalonians 1:1-5b         Matthew 22:15-21      

The first thought that came to my mind after reading today’s Gospel was cattle branding and why ranchers brand their cattle. I know, kind of weird, but that’s how my mind works. Bear with me. The main reasons ranchers brand their cattle are for identification, ownership, and theft prevention.

Jesus said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?” They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

The Catechism tells us:

Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission

It is in our baptism that we have been branded for the One who owns us and has identified us, protecting us from the theft of the Evil one. We belong to God. Our entire self belongs to God. Not just our minds or just our hearts, both of them, the mind and the heart. It’s not enough to study Jesus and know everything there is to know about him, much like how we could study Abraham Lincoln or any other historical figure. Jesus also wants our hearts along with our minds and even our bodies. The old Baltimore Catechism told us our purpose in life is that :

God created humans to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in heaven.

To know God, we must study Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Read the Church Fathers. Study the lives of the saints who grew so close to Jesus that they are in Heaven with him for eternity! To love God we must worship Him. Spend time in adoration; follow God’s commandments. Go to confession, receive the Son of God in the Eucharist worthily. We are reciprocating God's love for us. God both loves us and he knows us from the very beginning. Our first reading from the prophet Isaiah tells us:

I have called you by your name, giving you a title, though you knew me not.

Even people who don’t want to know God still belong to God! From our first reading, we hear of Cyrus the Great of Persia, a pagan emperor who defeated the Babylonian empire around 527 BC and ended the Babylonian exile. Cyrus was unusually tolerant towards cultural and religious practices. He returned the people to their homelands, thus keeping them happy and more willing to pay the taxes! The Jews were able to return to Judah. Cyrus, whatever his motivation was, played an unintentional role in returning God’s chosen ones, the Jews, to their homeland! So how do we repay God what belongs to God? • Just as a coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his mark, you belong to God because you are made in His image. • Offer your body, mind, and spirit back to Him in daily gratitude. Begin and end each day in prayer, thanking God for all that went well and even for all that didn’t go exactly as planned. • Live righteously and use your actions as instruments of goodness and love for others. Remember to preach the Gospel at all times and, if necessary, use words. • Follow His commandments and honor Him above earthly systems. Offer God obedience and worship due to Him who is our creator. When it comes to issues on things like abortion, we must follow God and the Catholic church and not our society. We don’t need to do this on our own. We can get involved with ministries in our parish. Attend the Bible studies, prayer groups, and events they have. We also do this with the help of the Holy Spirit. Our reading from Thessalonians tells us that.

For our gospel did not come to you in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and [with] much conviction.

St. Augustine tells us:

If Caesar seeks his image on a coin, does not God seek His image in man? Render to Caesar the coin; render to God yourself.

But Only the Love

 

Deacon Kevin Gingras Sept. 20, 2026 Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092026.cfm

Isaiah 55:6-9       Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18

Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a       Matthew 20:1-16a    

When I don’t like something I read in Scripture, I have something to learn from it.  When I really don’t like something I read in Scripture, I REALLY have something to learn from it!  

When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.

Lesson #1 that I had to learn is given to us from the prophet Isiah in our first reading:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.

God’s thoughts are infinite and focus on Heavenly things.  My thoughts are finite and focus on Earthly things.  Since I think in a finite, linear way, on a timeline, and God does not, I cannot see everything and all outcomes; God can.

Lesson #2 was about fair pay and how to define it now versus 2000 plus years ago.  So today, if I worked 8 hours at $18.00 per hour and got paid $144, I’d be ok; that’s above minimum wage. However, when I see those who only worked one hour also get $144, I’m very angry!

'These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat.'

The issue here is that I’m taking something from over 2000 years ago and trying to apply it to today's standards, and that doesn’t always work perfectly.  The standard day's pay back then was a single denarius, and its value was enough so that a family could have bread, olive oil, and wine for a few days.  Of course I don’t want those families to go hungry, so in that light, my anger subsides a bit!

Lesson #3 is to remember that this is a parable; if my anger and jealousy blind me to the lessons that Jesus is trying to teach, then I’m really missing the mark.  If we break down the pieces of this parable, it becomes clearer.  The vineyard where folks are going to work is Israel, and Jesus, having twelve disciples like the twelve tribes of the old Israel, is here to establish a NEW Israel as God’s kingdom on earth.  The workers in the morning are the Jews who have labored throughout salvation history.  They suffered Exodus and Exile and rode the roller coaster that was their salvation history up to the time of Jesus.  The 5 o'clock workers are the Gentiles.    In the final hours of Jesus' life on earth, all of a sudden God’s chosen ones include these Gentiles. This includes us; we are part of the 5 o’clock workers in the story of salvation.

Peter asks Jesus a question in Scripture just before this parable:

Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?”

I think a lot like Peter, on earthly terms, on terms defined by what’s in it for me?  What’s in it for us?  I want fairness on my terms! God doesn’t think like that - thank heavens!

 

This parable, in this light, helps me better understand a few things.  It is a privilege to work in the vineyard of the Lord and not a burden.  God’s work, no matter how hot I get under these vestments I wear, is never a burden; it is something we are all blessed to be called to do in whatever capacity God has called us.

St. Paul writes to the Philippians:

I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better.  Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.

St. Paul worked in the vineyard of the Lord and suffered greatly while doing that work. He should be our example today.  All Paul wants is Christ. To live is Christ, and to depart this life means to be with Christ. So it’s all good. He’s not looking forward to some kind of material benefit or pleasure in heaven as a pay-off. No, Paul just wants communion with Christ. 

—-------

This week, instead of focusing on the amount of time we have worked in the vineyard for God, pray about the amount of love- love of God and love of neighbor we have labored in the vineyard with.

Saint Therese of Lisieux has my back here when she said:

Jesus, because He is Eternal, regards not the time but only the love.

Find Jesus in the Storms

Deacon Kevin Gingras

Aug 9th, 2026

Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/080926.cfm

1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a       Psalm 85:9, 10, 11-12, 13-14 

Romans 9:1-5      Matthew 14:22-33   

When I go too long without confession - I start to sink.  When I go too long without time in adoration - I start to sink.  When my prayer life is scattered and not focused - I start to sink. When I focus too much on the storms of the world around me instead of Jesus - I start to sink.  For a moment, think about what, in your life, takes your focus off of Christ and causes you to sink.

Remember, when you go to confession, the priest is in the person of Christ; in the confessional you are reaching out to Christ as Peter did and crying out “Lord, save me!”  That’s just what Jesus does through the priest as he says: “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  

Adoration is another life preserver that is at our disposal when we start to sink.  Remember how Elijah found the LORD.  The LORD was not in the strong and heavy wind.  The LORD was not in the earthquake.  The LORD was not in the fire; no, the LORD was in the tiny whispering sound. I find that the quiet of our adoration chapel is where I can hear that tiny whisper.  Where the noise of the world around me subsides in the true presence of Christ, even if just for an hour or so, so that I can hear the voice of the LORD speaking to me as I pray.

My prayer life always needs work; it’s another area that might cause me to sink.  There are times I feel I only give God the last few moments of my day when I’m tired and not really focused.  It’s something that I once confessed to a priest many years ago, and he knew, based on my confession, that I had a wife and kids and a full-time job.  He told me that those things are also my prayer life.  I must bring Jesus into those moments as well.  If all I did was to spend all day in prayer and adoration, I’d lose my job, my kids wouldn’t know me, and my wife would not be too pleased.  He told me to pray about ways to bring Jesus into all the areas of my life.  I needed this advice, especially when I went to work.  A month or so before this confession, a guy in the office was talking about his son getting Confirmed.  My boss said to ask Kevin; he’s “wicked” Catholic.  The man responded, “Oh, I didn’t even know he was religious!”  The words cut to my heart!  At the time, I thought I was very religious, teaching confirmation, helping with youth ministry and VBS and all that.  Clearly, I left Jesus in the car when I went into the office. I was sinking all day long! Fortunately, Jesus was my life preserver, and when I reached out to Him, He saved me.  Now I make sure that everyone in the office knows I’m “wicked religious”!

Correcting these little errors in our lives can make us spiritually strong for the big storms that will come. They will,  because life inevitably brings storms: storms of illness, grief, uncertainty, family struggles, and fear.  It is then that we really have to work hard to focus on Christ.  Back in 2015, just as I was starting the diaconate, I thought for sure it would be smooth sailing in my life as I was answering God’s call.  Alas, that wasn’t to be so!  There was a bad mental health crisis in my family, my father was dying, and my bank account was gasping for help; we were bordering on bankruptcy.  Each week as I went to put gas in my car, I pleaded with God to let my bank card work so I could fill up and drive to work.   There was even one night I went to angry adoration.  I was mad at God!  I was answering a clear calling to become a deacon; why wasn’t it smooth sailing?  I brought all those storms to some quiet time in adoration so I could hear what the Lord had to say. I went in angry with God but was soon at peace.  The peace of knowing that a sailor doesn’t learn how to sail with no wind on a calm lake.  My gaze focused back on Jesus, away from the storm for a while. Jesus calmed that storm inside of me, not the storm outside. It was exactly what I needed; I was assured all would be ok. 

A few days later, I had to pull my brothers aside to tell them why I wasn’t at the hospital by my mom’s side as much while my father was dying because of this other family crisis. They asked me how I was getting through all of this.  Jesus - that was my one-word answer.  Jesus was getting me through this storm.  

  When we hit the storms of life, we are in good company!  Saint Paul lamented to the Romans in our second reading that he had “great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart”.  Paul’s mission did not give him clear skies and calm seas!  Our storms aren’t always taken away, but with Christ and the Sacraments we can better navigate the storms, learn from them, and offer them up in prayer.  

This week, think about where we can focus our eyes better on Jesus in the storms.  Where can we find Him waiting to rescue us?  Confession?  Adoration?  Quiet prayer at home? Here at Mass? 

St Padre Pio reminds us:

The storms that are raging around you will turn out to be for God's glory, your own merit, and the good of many souls.

Christ Is Our Light

Deacon Kevin Gingras

June 14th, 2026

Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/061426.cfm

Exodus 19:2-6a     Psalm 100:1-2, 3, 5 

Romans 5:6-11     Matthew 9:36—10:8  

Jesus looked upon the crowds and: 

His heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.

Jesus does not look at the crowd with annoyance, judgment, or indifference. He looks at them with compassion. He sees their struggles, their fears, their wounds, and their longing for God. Jesus indeed loves us the same way and understands we all live in difficult times. He sees our struggles, our hurts, and our longings - His heart is still moved with pity for all of us.  

It’s good to have him on our side for sure because, oftentimes, we are too hard on ourselves.  For example, when I receive the Eucharist, I expect that warm feeling inside, to be overwhelmed that I just consumed My God and the God of my ancestors.  If we receive in good standing, without mortal sin, then why don’t we have those Jesus feelings, all warm inside and all that!  Why don’t we return to our pews weeping with joy for what we just consumed?  I know for me, I start to doubt my faith, and I begin to think I might be doing something wrong!  I’m not receiving Jesus correctly! We mustn’t be so hard on ourselves!  Remember who Jesus picked to be his closest followers while on Earth. They are listed in today’s Gospel. Jesus picked a tax collector, somebody who would betray him, another who denied Him 3 times, and who Jesus even called Satan, and two fella’s who fought over who was the greatest!  Ok, so that probably doesn’t make you feel much better thinking about how bad they might have been!  Maybe just remember that Jesus is indeed on our side!

One thing we must remember when we don’t have that magical feeling after receiving the Eucharist is that our spiritual DNA has been damaged by the sin of Adam and Eve at the very start of Sacred Scripture.  Today we must remember that:

God proves his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

We are sinners, yes, sin is darkness, yes. Satan tries to twist our thoughts to make us think that our sins define us.  Sin does not define us! Sin is darkness, and we are not meant to live in the dark; we are meant to live in the light, the light of Christ! Christ in the Eucharist! It’s confession that shines the light of God’s grace on sin so we can see sin for what it is and remove it from our lives and be brought back fully into the light of Christ.  The more we go to confession, the easier it becomes to see that sin and even the near occasions of sin, and avoid them!

Our first reading tells us that:

if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession … You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.”

Because of Adam and Eve, we were born into sin.  By our baptism, we are brought into the light of Christ and become priests, prophets, and kings!  That doesn’t sound so bad now, does it?

Jesus looks upon His church members, upon us, and sees people searching for meaning, he sees families facing challenges, young people seeking direction, and many who feel lost or forgotten. He sees us exactly where we are, and His response is not condemnation but mercy and love.

This week, through prayer and adoration, thank Jesus for bringing us out of darkness and into the light by our baptism, by our reception of the Eucharist, and by the sacrament of confession.

I’ll leave you with these words from St. Maximus of Turin

The light of Christ is eternally glowing with luminous radiance and can never be extinguished by the darkness of sin.” 

We Lift Them Up To The Lord

 

Deacon Kevin Gingras

April 19th, 2026

Seventh Sunday of Easter

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

Acts 1:12-14   Psalm 27:1, 4, 7-8

1 Peter 4:13-16    John 17:1-11a

I’ve been thinking about something a lot lately, and when I think of something a lot, you folks get to hear about it in a homily.  The thought is that I’ve been hearing words related to “up” a lot lately, especially in church.  Jesus ascended into Heaven, the apostles went to the upper room, and in today’s Gospel, “Jesus raised his eyes to Heaven”.  If the Son of God can raise His eyes to Heaven, then perhaps we should follow that example here at Mass, and not just lift our eyes, but all our senses, our minds, our bodies, our hearts, and our souls as well.  When the priest says, “Lift up our hearts,” and we reply, “We lift them up to the Lord,” let's do that!  The Catholic church, in all its wisdom, has given us many ways to involve all our senses in the Mass.  I want to focus on one of them, our vision, and to do that, let’s look at the sanctuary steps and the sanctuary itself.

I stand here before you now, a few feet higher but I am not on the altar!  No, I myself have been corrected for using that term - on the altar.  NOBODY should ever get up on the altar for any reason (except Jesus)! The area I’m standing in now is called the sanctuary.  All of this area up here is the sanctuary.  The altar is only that table next to me, where the true sacrifice takes place, and the bread and wine become the true body and blood of Jesus Christ. His body becomes true food, food to nourish our souls on the altar that is in the sanctuary area.  

When I was thinking about the sanctuary area, I noticed that a lot of churches, not all, but a lot, have three steps up to the sanctuary.  Our church has two immediate steps, but to get behind the altar, yet still in the sanctuary area, we have a third step.  You are all seated in what’s called the nave.  I did some searching, and apparently, there are a few reasons that churches have three steps in the sanctuary area.

First, the sanctuary steps separate this sacred space from the rest of the church. The sanctuary is the holiest part of the church building because it contains the altar, the tabernacle, and the place where the Mass is celebrated. The steps are a visible boundary between pews and the Holy of Holies, if you will.

Second, the steps symbolize ascending closer to God, even if only a few feet. Going up a step has always symbolized drawing nearer to God in scripture. In ancient times, people often went up to temples or holy places to worship. The sanctuary step continues this tradition, reminding us that approaching the altar is a sacred journey. It is a symbol of spiritual ascent.

Third, the steps help us focus attention on the altar. Raising the sanctuary slightly above the pews makes the altar more visible. This ensures that everyone can see the sacred actions taking place during Mass. It is both symbolic and practical.

Fourth, the step reflects the dignity and importance of the altar. The altar is the center of Catholic worship. Elevating it, even slightly, shows respect for its role in the celebration of the Eucharist. The step highlights the altar as the focal point of the church. It is a sign of honor.  

I also read that the steps are numbered as three to represent the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity.  All of these visual things and what they represent, hopefully, will make it easier to lift up our hearts to the Lord. You might be inclined to ask: “What does it mean to lift our hearts to the Lord”?  Well, I’ll tell you!  To turn one's heart, mind, and spirit toward God, in how we worship, show gratitude, and place our troubles at the foot of His sanctuary. It symbolizes the transition from daily worries to focusing on God’s presence and represents trust in His power.

Giving Mass Our Full Attention: It is a call to banish worldly distractions—such as work, stress, or financial worries—and focus entirely on God.

Offering Ourselves: By "lifting up" our hearts, we are symbolically placing our whole selves, including our joys and struggles, on the altar as a sacrifice of love and trust.

Heavenly Minded: Our worship is a heavenly experience. We are spiritually "leaving the earth" to stand before the throne of God.

Gratitude and Praise: It serves as a declaration of thanksgiving, recognizing that God alone deserves our ultimate honor and praise.

We should be present at Mass with all of our senses, hearing the bells, smelling the incense, seeing the steps leading up to the body and blood present on the altar. It’s a full experience, and when you are physically and spiritually present, the Mass truly comes alive!

Saint Augustine told us this so many years ago when he said:

But see that your praise comes from your whole being; in other words, see that you praise God not with your lips and voices alone, but with your minds, your lives, and all your actions.