Esteemed brothers and sisters in Christ,

This Sunday's gospel offers us a valuable lesson on humility. The context of this lesson is a Jewish meal, an event of significant social importance in the Jewish tradition, with a much deeper meaning than the coffee and donuts typically served after our Sunday morning Masses here in our parish. Jesus took note of how the guests were vying for esteemed positions at the banquet, and He seized the opportunity to impart ethical exhortations and wise counsel.

In the Gospel reading for this Sunday [Luke 13:22-30], we encounter a cultural norm of the ancient Middle East that does not exist in the Western World. It's called an "honor challenge," and the Gospels are full of honor challenges. "Honor" was regarded as the highest virtue in the ancient Middle East; it was held above all else. But "honor" in the ancient Middle East did not have to do with one's personal integrity; rather it was the esteem others held you in. In the ancient Middle East, and to some extent today, personal identity was group-centered; one's worth was defined by the "witness" of those around them, not by one's character or deeds.

My Dearly Beloved in Christ;

The words of Jesus in today's gospel reading can be a bit unsettling. He said to His disciples: "I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing..." (Luke 12:49) Then again, He speaks of causing division and struggle within families (verse 51). These pronouncements from Jesus seem to run contrary to one of his messianic titles as "Prince of Peace."What does Jesus really mean?

It is not uncommon to prepare yourself when you expect an important guest to visit your home. You may need to organize your living room, arrange the sofas properly, and remove any lingering pet hair if your furry friends tend to shed. Additionally, you might prepare a bedroom for your guest and plan a meal that is more impressive than your usual menu. Some hosts even go a step further and visit a barber shop or beauty salon to enhance their appearance.

Today, August 3, 2025, marks the 17th anniversary of my priesthood-a profound gift from God that I accepted with humility and without merit. Therefore, this weekend, I kindly request the opportunity to depart from the tradition of reflecting on the Sunday Gospel. Instead, I would like to share an excerpt from the homily delivered by His Excellency, the late Bishop Nestor Timanywa, Bishop Emeritus of Bukoba, on the day of my ordination.

"Esteemed brothers and sisters in the Lord,

As we continue reading Luke's account of Jesus' last journey to Jerusalem, Luke tells us that Jesus and his disciples stopped to visit Lazarus, Martha and Mary in the village of Bethany. Bethany was on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. The name Bethany means "house of the afflicted." The village was a center for accommodating the sick and the destitute that came as pilgrims to Jerusalem, for Passover.' On this occasion, they remained in Bethany until it was time to head on to Jerusalem for Hanukkah, the Feast of Dedication.

One of my close friends is a hermit priest who lives on a desert mountain. Recently I found myself in a group conversation about him. One vehemently objected, “What does he do up there all day? Nothing! Priests are down here working, running parishes, making a difference, and he…he is doing nothing! What a waste.” The words dripped with indignation and resentment. Most of the group quietly nodded in silent agreement. Were they correct?

What can I do to inherit eternal life?

Every Sunday, our Mother Church offers us the Liturgy of the Word, which serves as a guide—“a lamp to our feet and a light to our path” (Psalm 119:105)—for the week ahead. The readings for daily Masses, too, are inspired by the Sunday Liturgy of the Word. Thus, in alignment with the traditions established by our predecessors, Fr. Samuel and I shall present a series of thoughtful reflections on the Sunday’s Liturgy of the Word in our weekly bulletins. These insights aim to serve as a guiding framework as we navigate our journey toward holiness.

Fellow parishioners,

I sincerely greet you in the name of the Most Holy Trinity!

Following Fr. Kilian’s devoted service to our parish, His Excellency Bishop John Dolan has appointed me to serve as your pastor. Initially, I considered declining this appointment; however, I soon realized that such a decision would be akin to refusing to embrace God’s love.

Fr. Thomas Kagumisa was ordained as a priest on August 3, 2008, for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bukoba in Tanzania. After six years of dedicated service within his local diocese, he moved to the United States and became affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix in 2014.

During his time in the Diocese of Phoenix, Fr. Kagumisa has held several roles: he served as Parochial Administrator at St. John Vianney Parish in Sedona from 2014 to 2015, before transitioning to the position of Parochial Vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish and School from 2015 to 2018.

My Dearly Beloved in Christ;

It is with great delight that we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi this Sunday. (the full name of the feast is Corpus et Sanguis Christi or The Body and Blood of Christ.) It is also a special day for us as a Parish community, given that our beloved Parish is named after this great gift of God – The Blessed Sacrament Parish!

My Dearly Beloved in Christ;

You may have heard the famous story of St. Augustine and his efforts to fully comprehend the mystery of the Blessed Trinity. He was trying to understand the mystery of the Trinity; “a Tri-unity” which states that God is both one and three; one essence, three persons. How can there be three persons in one God?... So, Augustine went to the bank of the river and was contemplating this mystery. As he walked along the bank of the river, he saw a small boy who was trying to empty the river into a small hole he had dug.

My Dearly Beloved in Christ;

It is the birthday of the Church! So, I guess it’s safe to say Happy Birthday to you all!

Today’s celebration of Pentecost Sunday reminds us of a historical event that occurred almost two thousand years ago. Before then, Pentecost in the Old Testament was a Jewish harvest festival known as the Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Harvest (Exodus 34:22). It is celebrated 50 days (seven weeks) after Passover, hence the name “Pentekoste” in Greek which means “Fiftieth”.