Homilies

Homily for the 5th Sunday in Ordinal Time, February 5, 2023

Today’s gospel passage offers two vivid images that Jesus must have picked up from his Mom, as well as from the simple, daily life of his village of Nazareth. Salt and light. In ancient time, salt made life better, more livable, and oil lamps extended activities otherwise hindered at sundown. Mary, together with the other housewives of Nazareth used salt to preserve dried fish, sheep and goat meat, and olives. Naturally, they put salt in many of their dishes and in the dough, they were kneading. As they prepared the bread, the young girls from the village were se

Homilies

Homily for the 4th Sunday in Ordinal Time, January 29th, 2023

Do we want to be on the team Jesus is coaching? Before we answer that question, which seems a no-brainer, let us pause to see if we have what it takes to make his team. Jesus picks exclusively those with the highest spiritual IQ. What is it? Well, let us see, first, what it is not. We are heading for Super Bowl Sunday. Lots of teams started out, back in August of last year, dreaming of coming up with the right combination of skillful players on offence, defense, and special team to win it all. However, to make it on Jesus’ team we must not be the most skilled

Homilies

Homily for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinal Time, January 22nd, 2023

Today’s readings are clearly about light: The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone. Isaiah 9:1 The people who sit in darkness have seen a great light, on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death light has arisen." Matthew 4:16 The passage from Isaiah refers to the solemn promise made by God to King David that his kingdom will be established forever; and the second one refers to the keeping of that promise in Jesus Christ, the “Son of God” but also the “Son of David” as, historical

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