Referring to Matthew 14:13-21, Fr. Jonas talks about approaching the Mass better at the 4:30 p.m. Vigila Mass at the St. Anthony of Padua in South Ozone Park, NY on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026.

The second recording is from the 9 a.m. Mass at the St. Teresa of Avila in South Ozone Park, NY on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2026. I offered to give the homily, but I had forgotten my text at St. Anthony’s so this version is ex temporaneous .

Text of the homily

      “[Jesus] withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.”

The beginning of today’s Gospel suggests the best way to approach every Mass. In desiring Jesus, we go away from our homes to a church, a place set apart, a deserted place.

Fr. Pio Bruno Lanteri, the founder of my congregation, the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, suggested that we should approach the altar (i.e., the Mass) with the sentiments of Simeon, the old man who sought the Child Jesus in Temple. The Holy Spirit told him that he would find the Messiah that day. He trusted Him and found the Holy Family.

Before we leave the house for Mass or before we enter the church, we should pause and say, “I seek the Lord, whom my heart desires.”

How much that tip can change our appreciation for the Mass! Our attitude and mindset can maximize or minimize our reception of Jesus, especially in the liturgy.

A danger in the Christian life is taking the Mass and the Eucharist for granted. Liturgical gestures and words become hollow and meaningless. We lose sight of who Jesus is (Lord and Savior) and who we are (sinners redeemed and loved, called to participate in the Trinity’s divine life). We risk being guests bored in the largest, coolest and most fun party.

However, Jesus reminds us in Revelations: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.”

Just as Jesus had pity for the crowd and cured the sick, he loves us and desires to shower us with all his gifts. Our responsibility is to fully receive them. He said, “My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.”

But most of us fell into the faulty thinking that we are good enough, insisting that we are not doing anything bad right now. In the end, we wear the mask of self-sufficiency, deceiving ourselves and covering up many sins.

The enormous barrier to receive Jesus in the Eucharist is mortal sin, which kills sanctifying grace, the divine life in us. Jesus in the Eucharist cannot feed what is dead. He must come to us in another sacrament, Confession, to revive or resurrect the divine life in us.

Please prepare your souls for Jesus with regular Confession, at least monthly, because his mercy is always available as Paul writes: “[No] creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Thus, with clean minds and hearts, we can heed God’s call in Isaiah, “Come to me heedfully, listen, that you may have life.” Today, we seek the Lord, whom we desire.