Homilies

Homily for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 8th, 2026

On the feast of the Presentation of the Lord Jesus in the Temple, (February 2) we reflected upon our lofty call to be the light of the world; a light which is expected to shine amid the darkness all around it.  Today, we reflect also on the other lofty call: the call to be the salt of the earth, giving flavor to this world of ours.  Be sure of this, either we give taste and meaning to the world around us or we, too, become flat, aloof, thus, part of the

Homilies

Homily for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 1st, 2026

But I will leave as a remnant in your midst a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD. Zephaniah 3:12  Are we humble and lowly? Do we take refuge in the name of the Lord or not?  To answer these two questions, I like to share with you what Pope Benedict XVI teaches us in his book on Jesus of Nazareth about the Beatitudes.  For Pope Benedict XVI, the Beatitudes are a high-definition photograph of Jesus’ hea

Homilies

Homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 25th, 2026

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. (Matthew 4:16)  When will this miracle of light happen again and illumine our world?   We need it NOW!  Darkness is spreading everywhere. We knew that we could not trust politicians and preowned-cars salesmen. But now whom can we trust, so that we go on living?   Since our life and our mental sanity depend on the answer we give, let us take all the time we ne

Homilies

Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time, January 18th, 2026

Biblical scholars tell us that for Orientals, eyewitnesses had to report much more than simply what they saw about an event or a person.  They were expected not to be objective (the way we westerners are required to be) but rather partial to, and report also how they felt about someone and how that person affected their life.   All three readings offer us images of genuinely oriental, passionate witnessing a

Homilies

Homily for the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, January 11th, 2026

When I was a kid, I thought that nuns, priests, bishops and, naturally, the pope, were sinless. They did not need to go to confession.  Of course, now, as a priest ordained 53 years ago, I can assure you that we are as beset by miseries and sins as you are. We priests are not an elitist group when it comes to slavery to sin and all the devastation that even minor sins create.  There is, indeed, “sin solidarity.” We can pick the holiest person we can find and state with certainty: “there goes a sinner.” And b

Homilies

Homily for the Feast of the Epiphany, January 4th, 2026

Let me read to you a more complete text of today’s 2nd reading. I suppose, you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace that was given to me for your benefit, 3 namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation, …which was not made known to human beings in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit, 6 that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and copartners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. Ephesians 3:1-6 

Homilies

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family, December 28, 2025

Blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways. Psalm 128  We all want to be blessed by our Lord God, right?  Today, feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, we need to learn how to walk in his ways as we, assisted by his divine grace and guided by Holy Scripture, find out his plan for our own family.  In docility of heart, from the 1st reading (Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14) we learn that, from the dawn of humanity and into the end of time, the Lord God

Homilies

Homily for the 4th Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2025

Whenever our life is altered by the presence of a very important person in our home, by a significant event, or by something of considerable value, every aspect of our day is also affected.  "Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means "God is with us." Matthew 1:23  Speaking of significant presences that alter our lives, this one tops them all: God is with us, God is Emmanuel.  We can be a little or a lot nervous for as long as som

Homilies

Homily for the 3rd Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2025

The word “patient” is repeated several times in this very short reading from St. James’ letter, which is today’s 2nd reading. (James 5:7-10)  True patience is required while waiting for the “coming of the Lord.”  In our age of instant gratification, genuine patience has become a foreign, practically obsolete concept that we, as believers, ought to recover.  It is patience that is lived out with firmness of heart.  It is patience that is continuously tested

Homilies

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent, December 7, 2025

We shall try to pick up the relevance of today’s message for our daily life and personal situation.  In poetic form, the 1st reading describes for us God’s dream about creating a new world free of devastation, grief, divisions, strife, tears and death.  This dream is about a world better than the original one which he had created at the beginning of time, with the Garden of Eden in it, before sin ruined everything.  It is a picture practically flaunted before our ey