Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church. Father Dave discusses today's reading in which Jesus refers to blaspheming the Holy Spirit as the unforgivable sin. With references to Pope John Paul II's encyclical, "The Lord and Giver of Life," Father Dave explains that Jesus' statement is mainly about our free will. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is a total rejection of both God and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives in a formal and permanent way. It is unforgivable because we reject the offer of God's mercy. Preached at Saint Paul the Apostle Church, New York City, on 1-28-19