Fr. Cassian Derbes, O.P., of the Dominican Friars, served as principal celebrant and homilist during the August Young Adult Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He is director of the Catholic Center at NYU, and he held administrative positions in Rome under Pope Francis and with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Fr. Derbes earned his Doctorate in Sacred Theology (STD) from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. He has a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) from the Dominican House of Studies in Washington, D.C., a bachelor’s degree (BA) from New York University (NYU), and he is a graduate of Jesuit High School in New Orleans, La.
Gospel from Matthew
“Today’s Gospel from Matthew is a teaching of how to beg; we’re all beggars for heaven. And Jesus, in his display, to this poor woman, is teaching the rest of us, his disciples included, how to beg,” Fr. Derbes told the faithful at the start of his homily at the Wednesday, Aug. 5, evening Mass.
He noted, “Most of us don’t like to beg. We find it uncomfortable, sometimes begging comes from great need, hunger, starving in fact. We have needs; begging by its very nature is uncomfortable…It seems that the whole heart of prayer is the life of begging…Jesus gives the secret today, when he quizzically, in the middle of the passage, talks about great faith and compliments the woman: great is your faith.”
In citing St. Thomas Aquinas, the priest added, “The theological virtues, the virtue of faith, the virtue of hope, and the virtue of love. Those divine virtues that speak of Godly life placed within us at baptism. He (Aquinas) says this, ‘You only have those virtues of faith, hope and charity in the needing of them.'” Fr. Derbes, still citing Aquinas, noted that these virtues are “potentialities.” He said, “Faith, your faith is a potentiality that God has given you at baptism. You can be pure potency and little act, but the whole life of which God has called us to is to bring that potentiality to life, and that’s your responsibility, by sharing in the life of grace. That’s the excitement of the Christian life.”
Fr. Derbes also noted, “The lesson here…is do not be afraid of that neediness but be excited about it. There are many ways in which we, in life, approach risk or uncertainty. And God, in Jesus Christ, teaches you to approach that risk with trust, with hope, with excitement, with a sense of adventure, with a sense that God has given you capability…The life of begging is the life of prayer. Ask the Lord for what you want; ask the Lord for what you need…God gives us our salvation, and Jesus is our loving Savior.”
Words of the Young
Adrian Paulino, 21, and Elia Martinez, 26, were among the faithful at the Young Adult Mass. Both are parishioners of St. Elizabeth Church in Washington Heights.
“The homily message was beautiful. I really do see myself there as someone who’s discerning (the priesthood) for the archdiocese currently. I find myself at the root, the core of my discernment is begging for Jesus’s love, and seeing what he wants me to do with that love,” Paulino told The Good Newsroom after Mass.
Martinez said she also appreciated the words of the homily, noting, “Faith, hope and love, they are three virtues that we often seek in our darkest moments. And it often takes moments of suffering to really gauge and understand what that means in our lives.” She said the monthly Young Adult Mass certainly helps “keep this faith alive…It’s a great opportunity to come here with our friends after work, to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist together.”
A Holy Hour prayer service preceded the Mass. A social gathering followed the liturgy at nearby Connolly’s Pub and Restaurant. More than 200 people attended the liturgy, including members of the general public. Singer-guitarist Chris Matthews provided inspirational praise and worship music.
The New York archdiocesan Office of Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, and the University Apostolate organize the monthly Young Adult Mass at the cathedral. For more information: https://www.archny.org/young-catholics.