Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
It is very tempting for me to delve right into the gospel reading and the curious yet amazing story of a despised mother, who within a matter of seconds, turns into a model of faith. But I shall resist that temptation. Because, even though there is a despised mother who shows exemplary faith and her daughter is miraculously healed, the story that is being narrated is a different story. “My house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples” (Is 56:7). This is the main plot of today’s story. The story of the woman who gains Jesus’ praise is a sub-plot that supports the main plot.
I have three points for you today. I am going to build this homily towards Isaiah very first statement in today's first reading, "Observe what is right, do what is just" (Is 56:1).
Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Do you think that Jesus ever felt frightened? Were there moments in his life where he was overcome with fear? The gospels have no recorded instance of Jesus being afraid. The only instance that we can assume that he was afraid was at the garden of Gethsemane, where Luke tells us that, “He was filled with such agony and prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood” (Lk 22:44). On the other hand, the gospels narrate numerous instances of Jesus urging his disciples not be afraid. Last Thursday, on the feast of the Transfiguration, we heard Jesus come to his frightened disciples and say, “Rise and do not be afraid!” (Mt 17:7). Today, yet again in the gospel reading Jesus came to the rescue of his terrified apostles and said, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!” (Mt 14:27).
Eighteenth Sunday In Ordinary Time
The multiplication of loaves and fish is the only miracle found in all the four gospels, and surprisingly, twice in the gospels of Matthew and Mark. On the peripheral level, it can be read as yet another miracle in Matthew’s string of miracles that reveal Jesus’s Messianic identity. Indeed, it is! On another level, the passage is so full of symbolism and deeper meaning that a peripheral reading does not do justice to this miraculous event. There is a miracle within the miracle. I would like to explore the deeper meaning of Matthew’s multiplication narrative in a way that could transform hearts!
Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
One of the dialogue lessons in my Spanish learning app is about a girl, who while looking around in the attic, accidentally discovers a lamp. As she cleaned it, suddenly, a genie appeared. The genie asked the girl to make three wishes. The girl’s first wish was that all the stray animals may find shelter. The genie was surprised that she did not ask for things that girls her age would wish. The genie obliged. “Do you not want to be famous?” the genie said to her. She replied, “No, but can you make sure that the river in the city is clean again?” He granted her second wish too and asked if she would like some brand-new outfits. Again, she refused to ask anything for herself, but rather wished that her uncle who is ill might be healed! Impressed at how selfless the girl was, the genie decided to give her a fourth bonus wish. She was thrilled, but to the great dismay of the genie, she asked that her fourth wish be that the genie grant her a thousand wishes. Her first wish of the thousand wishes was that he addresses her as “Your Highness!” Her second and third wishes were for a new car and that she might indeed be famous!”
It sounds like an improbable story. However, the story of God and Solomon in today’s first reading is very similar. God said to Solomon, “Ask something of me and I will give it to you.” The rest is history. We must recall, though, that Solomon’s story also has an ironic end.
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
I have received more DMs (direct messages) across my social media platforms about faith and spirituality these days than I have ever done before. I have had messages from people seeking spiritual directors, people wanting to come to the Sacrament of reconciliation after many years, people seeking to reconnect with the church, people wanting to rediscover their faith - people who are simply longing for a more tangible presence of God. I think there is a reason. The pandemic has severely restricted our family, social, community, and religious life. Not only are people feeling isolated from their loved ones, but they are also feeling alienated from themselves. As for faith, I think that people are missing the tangible things that nurture faith – holy water, a personal sign of peace, a hug, volunteering at the food pantry, liturgical ministries, and most of all, Holy Communion. Especially if faith and spirituality have been on the back burner, some people are even feeling distant from God. Now, more than ever, people are looking for meaning. If you are one of those people, today’s scripture reading come to our aid.
Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
If Jesus walked among us today, I wonder what parable he would preach? Amidst the pandemic, the social unrest, the racial inequalities, the dehumanization of the human person, the degradation of the environment, what parable would Jesus use? The use of parables to teach faith lessons was one of the most brilliant strategies that Jesus employed. He used imageries and analogies from daily life in these parables. Parables by nature are open ended. By this I mean that a hearer can draw multiple meanings from a single parable. For that matter, a parable never runs out of meanings. That is why, the two-thousand-year-old parable of the Sower and the Seed continues to be highly relevant even today.
Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
“All life comes from tenderness.” These are the words of the famous French poet, Charles Péguy. Tenderness - the word evokes strong emotions in me. In 2017, Pope Francis was invited to deliver a TED talk at the annual TED conference. The title of the conference was “The Future You.” TED is known for coaching its speakers to deliver the most effective and optimal performance. Pope Francis decided to prepare his message all by himself. I hope you are not surprised, but Pope Francis made three points in his talk. In his third point, Pope Francis called for a "revolution of tenderness." In today’s gospel reading, Jesus says to his hearers, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28). Jesus was calling for a revolution of tenderness.
Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s scripture readings begin with a delightful and heart-warming story. An influential Shunammite woman provides extraordinary welcome and hospitality to the prophet Elisha. At first, she invited him home for dinner. But as time goes by, she offers him a small room and furnishes it with a bed, a table, a chair and a lamp. No reward was expected. She only did this because Elisha was a man of God. However, she is not left without a reward. She and her husband had been childless, and Elisha promises them a child. The promise was fulfilled. In many ways, this story foreshadows Jesus’ words in today’s gospel, “Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward” (Mt 10:41). Jesus goes further. Even a cup of cold water does not go unrewarded! (Mt 10:42).
Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
To access today's homily, please click on this YouTube link:
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
There are times in history when a person, a people, a community, or a nation stands in the in-between time; a time when our past and a future confront us, all at the same time. It is a crucial time. It is a critical time. It is a blessed time. In between time - that is where the people of Israel found themselves in today’s first reading (Deut 8:2-3, 14a-16b). They had completed the forty-year wandering in the desert and were about the enter the Promised Land. Today’s reading begins with Moses recalling the past – freedom from slavery, the wandering in the desert, the Lord’s direction on their journey, the people’s constant infidelity, their struggles, and the Lord’s enduring fidelity. Now as the people stand in-between their challenging and checkered past and the cusp of a new begining, Moses speaks to them. He asks them to never forget the past and yet move forward as a people of faith. On the Feast of Corpus Christi, we too stand in the in-between times. Whether it is COVID-19 or the struggle for racial equality, we stand in hope between our past and the future. Like Moses to his people, today, I too am suggesting that we do not forget the past. But having learnt from our past, that we move forward as a people of faith.
The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity
We are celebrating the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity against the background of immense sadness in our nation. This week, not only did we cross the 110k mark for deaths from the coronavirus, but we also saw the struggle for racial equality, justice, and peace reach a critical phase. Most often tragedies unite a nation. That does not seem to be the USA of 2020. Both the pandemic and the struggle for equality and justice have only divided us further. I wish I could say that in the midst of these tragedies the Church stands as a beacon of hope. But alas! Whether it is about the means to contain the pandemic, wearing masks, social distancing, racial equality, police brutality, or large scale protests, the nation and the Church are deeply divided.
Today homily is a song I wrote in light of the Pandemic.
Find it HERE
The Ascension of the Lord
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Ascension. The danger of a feast like the Ascension is precisely this – that with Christ’s ascension into heaven we may think of God being up there, unconnected to the world here below. After all, didn’t the disciples stand there looking into the sky? (Act 1:11) Especially as we experience pandemic, it is easy to be overwhelmed by anxiety and grief and lose sight of Christ.
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Every crisis brings out the best or the worst in people. Every crisis also brings out the best people and the worst people. And we are getting to see both these kinds during these days of the pandemic. Here is how I see it: if this pandemic has not made us a more loving people, then perhaps we have missed a great opportunity.
Fifth Sunday of Easter
There are no better words with which I could begin this reflection with than Jesus’ words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me” (Jn 14:1). In this generation, we have never been “troubled” like this before. We remember September 11, 2019. It changed the world. We remember the economic disaster of 2008. We were troubled then. But this feels different. The sense of the unknown, the uncertainty, the insecurity – our generation has never seen anything like this before. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus says. What do these words mean in these times in times of a pandemic?
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Scripture Readings
I have nothing exotic to preach today. In fact, in this time of a global pandemic, an attempt to write a reflection itself is an exercise in faith. Once again, there have been stories that brought joy and peace, and stories that brought sadness and grief. On the happy side, yesterday, I celebrated my first baptism of the Easter and COVID season. I looked like I was ready to perform a surgery, but the delightful two-year-old Callum made up for all that. There is a family in the parish that split their stimulus checks between St. Vincent, House of Bread, the immigrant families in the parish. How can it not warm your heart? And then, the weather has been helpful and spring flowers have been gorgeous. Easing of some restrictions is also making many people feel a little hopeful. I am glad for all that. On the other hand, the long-term effects of the pandemic are beginning to set in, causing great hardships. Furloughs and unemployment are becoming rampant. At least four people from our parish were part of the 500 people furloughed at the University of Dayton. These are just the ones I know. Some of them will not return to work there. The need for assistance with food, rent, bills, and payments are sky rocketing. Despite every effort, children have lost invaluable time in school. We have parishioners recovering from COVID-19 in local hospitals. Wedding plans have to be changed, vacations have to be cancelled, bills have to be paid. And then, the uncertainty, the inability to plan, the stress, and simply the lack of human touch – these are having devastating effect on our mental and physical health.
Third Sunday of Easter
How is each one of you doing? I miss seeing you, being with you, and celebrating the Eucharist with you! How am I? I am as well as I can be during these times. Like many of you, I too am in shock at the state of the world. I am particularly saddened by the more than two hundred thousand deaths from COVID-19, of which, more than 50,000 are from own nation. I believe my role as pastor these days is to nurture faith and hope. In return, I have experienced many of you nurturing my own faith and hope. There are so many sad stories to hear and tell these days. But there are also so many faith-filled, hope-filled, and love-filled stories to hear and tell these days. These are days when sadness and hope fill our days in ways it has not done in our generation.
Second Sunday of Easter - Sunday of Divine Mercy
I remember the first live-streamed holy hour and adoration we had after the stay-at-home order came into effect. I remember kneeling right here. I had not thought out how I would spend the hour, except that I wanted to spent time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. However, my prayer instinctively was, “Mercy Lord, mercy! Have mercy on us and on the whole world!” My focus that entire hour was on mercy! More than anything else, these are days for mercy. These days, when uncertainty, despair, fear, and grief rule the world, are also the days of mercy. Today is Divine Mercy Sunday – the day we revel in the mercy of God. This is the day we seek God’s mercy, receive God’s mercy, are sent forth to bear witness to God’s mercy, and commit ourselves to a mission of mercy.
Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
For the Easter Sunday homily please click on the link below:
Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion
This is probably one of the most difficult homilies that I have written in recent times. My focus in this reflection is on 'meaning.' How can we give meaning to our experience of the coronavirus pandemic? I hope that in finding meaning, we will also find comfort. I am choosing to focus on today second reading. I believe that 'meaning' comes from uniting ourselves to Christ - the Christ described in these words:
Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
“Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.”
(Philippians 2:6-8)
Here are three points for meaning: