Homilies

Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Ordinal Time, January 15th, 2023

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” What images does this familiar phrase evoke in our minds and hearts? Maybe we just feel some of the contained solemnity that is in the air around Holy Communion time. But, instead, we might just allow these words of John the Baptist to float by us without striking any chord of our heart. It might fall in the same category of our familiarity with the Crucifix: the horror, the tragic, excruciating death fading away due to extended or repeated exposure to our gaze. But can we really afford to be de

Homilies

Homily for the Epiphany, January 8th, 2023

The story of the three kings from the East, bringing gifts to baby Jesus in Bethlehem, is one that we all remember from childhood. Even now it conjures up exotic images of courage, open mindedness, and faith. But, for a moment, let us strip it of its glamor and romanticism. This we ought to do to change from being mere spectators which we become whenever we are reluctant to get in the thick of things, to become active participants as the Word of God is actualized and lived by us in this liturgy of the Epiphany. Those three kings represent both the new influx of b

Homilies

Homily for the Solemnity of Mary the Holy Mother of God, January 1st, 2023

The Lord bless you and keep you! The Lord let His face shine upon you and be gracious to you! The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace! Numbers 6:24-25 We have heard these beautiful words at the beginning of each New Year, yet we quickly forgot the source of this solemn blessing. The Lord God blesses in a unique, awesome way.  All other blessings pale by comparison; they are no blessings at all. When people bless us, they are wishing something very good for us in the future.   When we bless each other, we rely on hope that something good, beyon

Homilies

Homily for Christmas Midnight Mass, December 25th, 2022

We are more than familiar with the gospel passage I just read to you (Luke 2:1-14). Thus, it is so easy for us to picture this scene in our mind. Since I am a purist and I love doing research to get to the bottom of things, allow me to help us bring into focus this setting. The inn where Joseph had hoped to find some room for his very pregnant wife Mary to deliver her divine Baby was a shed or a cave with a fenced stall annexed to it in which travelers would keep their animals.  At the edge of the shed facing the fenced stall, there was a feeding trough. S

Homilies

Homily for the Fourth Week of Advent, December 18th, 2022

As people of faith, we should say often and with conviction: “Our God is in heaven; whatever God wills is done.” Psalm 115:3 This is what the prophet Isaiah knows; that’s what King Ahaz knows; that’s what Paul knows; that’s what Joseph, too, knows. There is no stopping our God. No one can resist our God without self-destructing! The Prophet Isaiah, familiar as he is with God and his ways, urges King Ahaz to remain tranquil while facing imminent and very serious danger, and to trust in the power of God. King Ahaz’ reaction is baffling. Despite knowing God a

Homilies

Homily for the Third Week of Advent, December 11th, 2022

Today, the 3rd Sunday of Advent, we light the pink candle and the priest wears pink vestments because it is supposed to be a solemn invitation to cheerfulness and celebration. Of course, it is unreasonable to expect that we, or anyone else for that matter, feel cheerful and festive on cue. Therefore, we are to find out the conditions and the inner attitude we need to develop to attain that elusive joy which can flow only from a heart that is trusting and resting in the Lord. The 1st reading (Isaiah 35: 1-6, 10) talks about blooming deserts, heartfelt singing, e

Homilies

Homily for the Second Week of Advent, December 4th, 2022

Is John the Baptist, with his blunt and searing message, to be the one to whom we should pay attention as we try to find a way to celebrate Christmas as we think it deserves to be celebrated? Inflation, threats of crippling strikes, political instability in many countries, global crises make our hearts quite insecure. Well, while it is obvious that we are far from living through ideal conditions, we should consider the Church’s wisdom and focus our attention and our energies on the much higher plateau suggested by John. First, the significance of the DESERT. The

Homilies

Homily for the First Week of Advent, November 27th, 2022

As a Community of faith, we begin this new liturgical year by embracing the vision that was first revealed through the prophet Isaiah: This is what Isaiah, son of Amoz, saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:1 At first it was the vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem. From the advent of God among us in the flesh of his Son Jesus, that vision is now the Vision of the New Jerusalem, the New Chosen People, the Church. Critics can easily point out that the Church has shown fatigue; undergone severe crisis; made many mistakes over the centuries. We should never

Homilies

Homily for the Solemnity of Christ the King, November 20th, 2022

Our eyes are getting used to the most harrowing images coming out of tormented and/or war-stricken places of this world. Our hearts are getting numb and desensitized before all the horror and helplessness of which we become aware. Yet, the Church challenges us to keep those disturbing images before our eyes a little longer and see if we can entertain the thought that we might find Christ’s Kingdom where there is so much pain, desolation, and helplessness. Is Christ’s Kingdom to be found in hospitals where tender children fight cancer and look old without their hai

Homilies

Homily for the 33rd Sunday in Ordinal Time, November 13th, 2022

Last Sunday we found out that people like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who have been dead for thousands of years, are alive and well in God’s endless embrace. Likewise, we were overjoyed to learn that all our loved ones are alive to God for he is the God not of the dead but of the living. In other words, death, our worst and most feared enemy, has no power to snatch anyone from God’s loving hand. Quite the contrary, death places the names of all those who have died marked with the sign of faith, into God’s book of Life. And today, Jesus urges us to persevere so tha