Aquinas Institute Princeton

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek on Holy Thursday, April 2, 2026. Full homily text at fatherzack.com

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek on Palm Sunday - March 29, 2026. Full homily text: fatherzack.com

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek in the Princeton University Chapel on the 5th Sunday of Lent. Full homily text. Summary: Sunday’s Gospel of the raising of Lazarus invited us to reflect on the mystery of grief, suffering, and hope. Drawing from his own experience of losing his father, Fr. Zack shared how Christian faith does not remove our sorrow, but transforms it. We still grieve, but we grieve with hope. Jesus himself “wept,” revealing that God is not distant from our suffering, but enters into it with love. We can sometimes fall into false beliefs: that as Christians we shouldn’t feel sadness, that suffering means God has abandoned us, or that faith is simply an escape into wishful thinking about a future heaven. But Jesus shows us something deeper: that even our pain can become a place of transformation when united to him. And just as Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb, he calls each of us to step out of whatever binds us, especially through the grace of Confession. As we enter these final weeks of Lent, hear his voice calling you to “Come out.” 

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek on Sunday, March 15, 2026 -- Laetare Sunday (4th Sunday of Lent). Read full text.

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek on March 1, 2026, the Second Sunday of Lent. Homily Full Text.

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek on February 22, 2026 - the First Sunday of Lent. Homily Full Text. 

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek on Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Full Homily Text.

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek  on February 15, 2025. This is week 3 of 3 on the Sermon on the Mount. Today's topic: freedom from anger and lust. Full homily text. 

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek on February 8, 2026. This is week 2 of 3 on the Sermon on the Mount. Today's topic: Sanctifying the World from Within: Salt and Light. Full homily text.

Homily given by Fr. Zack Swantek on February 1, 2026. This was the first Sunday Mass on campus after Winter Break (campus was closed due to snow last Sunday). Today Fr. Zack began 3 weeks of preaching on the Sermon on the Mount. Today's topic: the Beatitudes. Full homily text.