Homilies (Page 57)

Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19; 1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 Luke 4:21-30 Be a Prophet, be a Lover: Who says that God hasn’t got our backs? From those who wish to hurl us down the heights, like Jesus, deliver us oh Lord! But is this a Christian prayer, seeking deliverance from our persecutors? How does a Christian survive the age of ISIL and Boko Haram? At least, nobody doubts that these are dangerous days for the Christian Faith, even among other Christians: just attempt telling your neighbors that their dress code is not Christian or that they need to go to church on Sunday; or, again, tell someone that badRead More →

Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-30 Say ‘NO’ to Injustice, Say ‘YES’ to Happiness: How Christians can Transform the World It suffices to turn on our TV sets or read print media to notice that our times has more than enough wars going on for political, religious and economic reasons. On the one hand, Boko Haram, ISIL, Al-Shabab, Al-Qaeda, etc. wish to enthrone Islamic laws in the name of Allah, and people have no say in how that gets done, so people are killed willy-nilly; their argument: God alone is free, human beings are in chains, Allah’s chains. On the other hand, the globalRead More →

Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11 Being Ordinary in “Ordinary Time” of the Church The partying and festivities are over, it’s time to start working again, no wonder it is called the “Ordinary Time”: it will take a while before (Extra-Ordinary Time or Festive Time) Easter and Christmas come around again and, then, we can party and celebrate. Even at that, my favorite part of partying and celebration is not the clean-up after the party, like the shoveling of snow, after a white-Christmas, not to talk of dealing with slush, after winter days. I would rather live in condominium than own a private house,Read More →

(Those in a hurry should scroll to the bottom for a simplified reflection) Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7; Acts 10:34-38; Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 Pay Attention to my Life, not Only my Words: I am a Christian! “Have you not heard of that madman who lit a lantern,” writes Friedrich Nietzsche, “in the bright morning hours, ran to the market-place, and cried incessantly: ‘I am looking for God! I am looking for God!’ As many of those who did not believe in God were standing together there, he excited considerable laughter. Have you lost him, then? said one. Did he lose his way like a child? said another. OrRead More →

Isaiah 60:1-6; Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6; Matthew 2:1-12 The searchlight is on us: Christians, this is our time to shine! The searchlight is on us, fellow Christians, this is the time to make a difference in the world! Why? Look at the Christian legacies of our times – advancements in education, science, and technology. The freedom of the sons and daughters of God, and God’s command to us, in Genesis 1, to be guardians and custodians of creation, are the catalysts for our progress so far. Where there is freedom, there is creativity, and there are dreams to realize. Creativity and dreams underlie the human progressRead More →

1 Samuel 1:20-22, 24-28; 1 John 3:1-2, 21-24; Luke 2:41-52 Not Human Will, but God’s: Vocation to Family Life The celebration of Christmas, the birth of baby Jesus, serves as a prelude to today’s celebration – Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Ideally, a family is incomplete without, at least, these three of its members (male-father [Joseph], female mother [Mary] and a child [Jesus]), if the Holy Family be our model, and not a legal family – family defined by human law. An added element to the composition of the Holy Family is divine will or role: a family that is founded by and onRead More →

Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18 Rise up and Proclaim Peace and Joy: You are God’s messenger, who counts his blessings! One day, a man was sitting between two ladies in a taxi. The lady to his right was very beautiful, the one to his left very ugly. Each time the taxi driver negotiates a bend and this man tilts towards the beautiful lady to his right, he yells out: oh Lord, do not lead us into temptation; but when the taxi tilts him towards the ugly lady, he cries: oh Lord, deliver us from evil! Christmas brings a good tiding – everybody is aRead More →

Isaiah 9:1-6; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-14 “A Son is given to us . . . Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6) At last, the day has come; another Christmas is here! We who hoped and prepared for Christmas this Advent; the arrival of Christmas manifests the fulfilment of hope: “a Son is given.” For those who hoped for Christmas 2015, and who have gone to the Father’s house, their hope is fulfilled because they are in the Father’s house, where they see Immanuel face to face. “A Son is given to us” is unlike any other child: he is God among us – Immanuel! The distanceRead More →

Micah 5:2-5a; Hebrews 5:5-10; Luke 1:39-45 When God visits, there is salvation, there is Happiness There was a family of five, mother, father, two sons and a daughter. This family does its best to remain a loving and caring family. Every Christmas, everybody returns home for a family celebration. As time went on, all three children went to college far away from home, but Christmas remains a home-coming event for them. One Christmas vacation, however, each of the children called their Dad to announce that they were not coming home for Christmas. You can imagine the sadness of their parents. So, a week before Christmas,Read More →