Homilies

Homily for Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2025

While it is true that the Lord appreciates and counts on our contribution, symbolized by our Sunday collection and by the bread and wine we bring to the altar, what the Lord welcomes most of all is that part of our heart which can be dubbed “Doubting Thomas.”  He wants our “Doubting Thomas” to reshape it according to the Father’s plan.  This transformation is meant for all of God’s children, including those who have messed up as badly as Peter, Thomas, James, John, Paul or any of the others.  The readings of the Sundays after Easter cover the r

Homilies

Homily for Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025

This year’s Jubilee is called the Jubilee of Hope for a very specific reason. Pope Francis realizes that our world is in desperate need of apostles of Hope, called to rekindle in people’s hearts hope in a future worth longing for and looking forward to. Today, we have gathered in our beloved church because we know the only Person who can confirm that this future exists and that he has made it so desirable that those who believe in his victory over all evils, darkness, emptiness and indifference are willing to endure many trials and continue undaunted to sacrifice t

Homilies

Homily for Palm Sunday, April 13, 2025

While, historically, Jesus endured one horrific passion and death on a cross, we are blessed with four narratives of that same passion and death: Matthew’s, Mark’s, Luke’s and John’s.  Today, on Palm Sunday, let me share with you six points of reflection which are Luke’s gift to us for our edification and for our spiritual growth.  Holy Communion is a call to joyous service of each other. As, at the Last Supper, he was serving us his flesh and blood for our spiritual nourishment and as a pledge of life eternal, he reminded us that we, too, are calle

Homilies

Homily for the 5th Sunday in Lent, April 6, 2025

…since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12  What a wonderful statement uttered by St. Paul! It should become the template of our relationship with Christ.  There are two basic ways of becoming somebody else’s possession: by being purchased as slaves or as the result of being smitten by love.  Today, St. Paul tells us how he fell in love with Christ. (Philippians 3:8-14)  Two people smitten by love desire intensely to be possessed by their beloved. It is as if they forfeit their own will to be always

Homilies

Homily for the 4th Sunday in Lent, March 30, 2025

While it is comforting and reassuring to know from the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32) that God’s love for us is such that we are guaranteed a safety net of grace were we to stray and become “big time sinners,” it begs the question: “Why is Jesus, today, retelling us the story that we know so very well?”   He knows that we are quite familiar with it … unless he feels that we really need to take another look at this parable and see if there is something of vital importance in it, we urgently need to consider.   Right away, we

Homilies

Homily for the 3rd Sunday in Lent, March 23, 2025

Time is a very valuable gift given to us by the Lord.  He is the owner of the vineyard where our “fig tree” is growing. It would be absurd to expect the fig tree to determine when its time is up. (Luke 13:1-9) That right belongs to the owner of the vineyard.  Similarly, we don’t decide when our time on earth is up.  Regardless of our bearing good fruit or of our sterility; regardless of our preparedness, age, health condition, goodness or lack thereof, the Lord reserves the right to call us to himself whenever he sees fit.  Besides old age,

Homilies

Homily for the 2nd Sunday in Lent, March 16, 2025

Already bruised by the skirmishes of life, we grown-ups let kids take refuge in a world of dreams, make-believes and incredible feats made easy by super-heroes. We do not want them to be scarred and traumatized by an early brush with the real world in which we must live.  Alas, the world of grown-ups reserves many unpleasant surprises.  At times, unceremoniously, we can be thrusted into surreal situations in which we would feel numb, disoriented, enveloped in darkness, trudging hesitantly through thick clouds.  This is what happened to Abram (Genesi

Homilies

Homily for the 1st Sunday in Lent, March 9, 2025

We all sense that Lent is a special time of grace from God…but we might think that giving up a few little things for 40 days or so, is all that it takes to get in spiritual shape and ready for Easter.  Lent is perhaps the most intensely spiritual time of the year but must be so for a more comprehensive and radical reason; one that covers all aspects of life.  It is our fundamental choice to be unconditionally faithful to God and trusting in him alone as our Father.  Knowing well our weakened human nature, God has always tested the mettle of his pe

Homilies

Homily for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 23, 2025

Are these orders from Jesus (Luke 6: 27-37) a string of exaggerations designed to shock us?    NO!  We all know very well that Jesus means every single one of these statements, shocking and nearly impossible to implement as they truly are.    We know him well enough to realize that these teachings are so “Christ-like,” so incredibly different from conventional wisdom, so radical that they must be divine; they must be filled with Life and designed to fill us with Life too.  Love your enemies and do good to those who hate you

Homilies

Homily for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time, February 16, 2025

Cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh…Jeremiah 17:5  This divine message is somber and blunt, but we shall thank God for it even so.  How accurate is this warning? Let us begin by asking ourselves: “who keeps failing us?”   Many would say that the Government, at the local, or at the state or at the federal level, fails them. Even some of those whom we elected to look after our interests and rights do fail us.   However, let us start, instead, by listing those closest to us, those whom we