1. Feast of the Holy Family
    Sir 3:2-6, 12-14

    Ps 128:1-2, 3, 4-5

    Col 3:12-21

    Mt 2:13-15, 19-23

     

    How has life been for us as a family in 2013?

    How can we become a better family in 2014?

     

    My dear People of God, today we give thanks to God for the gift of the Holy Family, the family of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. We celebrate this feast today not only to give thanks to God and admire Joseph, Mary, and Jesus; rather we celebrate this feast in order to imitate them and build our families in such a way that God’s plan for each member of the family will come true. Today’s feast is an opportunity for us to reflect on our lives as a family. The question we need to ask is “How has life been for us, as a family, in 2013 and how can we become a better family in 2014?” Our Scriptural readings today are meant to help us answer that question. The readings remind us of the qualities of a holy family and I strongly recommend that we find time to read these readings again at home and have an open dialogue about them, as a family.

     

    Our first reading from Sirach reminds us that a holy family is a family in which children fulfill their duties towards their parents: respecting them, loving them, obeying them, being patient with them, and caring for them in their old age. Is this happening in your family? Children: can we do a better job with the way we show respect to our parents and the way we love and obey them?

     

    In his letter to the Colossians, St Paul reminds husbands and wives, and children of their duties towards one another. He calls on members of the family to treat each other with “heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience”. He goes on to advice the family: “And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.” And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him”. … not provoke your children, so they may not become discouraged. Husbands, wives, siblings: How did you live this Scripture in 2013? Can you do a better job in 2014?

    In our gospel today we hear about how the Holy Family, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, become refugees in Egypt: “Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt”. One may think that if a family is holy then that family should not go through any problems, right?  However, Beloved in Christ, our gospel reading tells us that a holy family is not a problem-free family. Rather, it is a family that does not rely only on human wisdom to solve their problems, but turns to God for solutions. They look up to God for solutions. They do not turn their backs on God when things get though. They always keep Christ as the centre of their lives and he is the reason for all they do. Parents and children: As a family, how did you solve your problems in 2013? Was Christ the center and reason for all you did? Can you do a better job in 2014?


    Finally, Beloved in Christ, your families will become holier and better in 2014 if you make more room for Jesus; not only a spiritual room in your hearts, but also a physical room. If you do not already have one, please find a small table and make an altar, a physical space for Christ in your house where everybody in the house can meet and pray as a family. If we do this, we can stand and rejoice, as a family, no matter what problems we face in 2014. May God bless your family and continue to make you a blessing onto the world! Amen!
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  2. Christmas Day
    Is 52:7-10

    Ps 98:1, 2-3, 3-4, 5-6

    Heb 1:1-6

    Jn 1:1-18

     

     

     

     

    Allow Jesus to Restore Your Life

     

    Beloved in Christ: Merry Christmas to you! Glory to God in the highest and Peace on earth to people of good will! Today, as we gather to celebrate the mystery of the Incarnation, our Scriptural readings remind us of why God came to be born. Why Christmas? The Prophet Isaiah reminds us that God came to the world in order to restore our lives. All the earth will see the restoration of Zion. Our second reading from the letter to the Hebrews tells us this restoration is achieved through the person of Jesus Christ, the Word of God who has become flesh and saved the world through his ministry (offering of every minute of his life to the Father; his teachings, and actions).

     

    The gospel reading reminds us that the restoration is a gift which can be accepted or rejected and the realization of God’s promises to restore our lives occurs only when we accept Christ and his teachings into our lives. John tells us that his own people did not accept him; but to those who did accept him, Jesus gave the power to become the sons and daughters of God. In the days of Jesus, some accepted him because he fed them and beyond the food they did not want anything else to do with Jesus. Others wanted him just because of healing; and still others wanted him because they thought he would fight and liberate them from the Romans. This can happen today in our lives. If we do not take care, we may accept Jesus only into some aspects of our lives and keep other areas from him. This will mean just going through the motion and living a “utilitarian” relationship with him, which is using Jesus only as a provider, a healer, defender etc but not seeing and living for him as a God who has come to save us from ourselves, our sinful ways, and restore us to the dignity of the children of God.

     

    Beloved, if Jesus is not ashamed to become like us, let us not be ashamed to strive become more like him.  Let Him be King over every aspect of your Life. I pray that our Christmas celebration will be a true offering of our hearts, minds, body, and soul to Christ so that we may not remain the same. May our lives testify to the world that God is in our midst! Amen!

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  3. 4th Sunday of Advent-Year A

    Is 7:10-14

    Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

    Rom 1:1-7

    Mt 1:18-24

       
    Dare to give somebody the benefit of the doubts this Christmas
    Beloved in Christ, wont it be awesome if all troubles in life ceased once a person is baptized into a covenant relationship with God? You and I know that Life is not like that. Our relationship with God does not take away problems, but it teaches us how to respond to the problems in life and overcome them. In our first reading from the Prophet Isaiah the people of God are in trouble. Their enemies are attacking them. King Ahaz did not trust God to save his people from this trouble. He wanted to find his own solutions to the problems, and history shows that his personal solutions failed. It was at this point that God promised he would come as the Messiah, born of a virgin to live among his people as the Emmanuel, the God who always walks with his people and sustains them until they are saved. The second reading and the gospel tell us that promise is fulfilled in the birth, the passion, and suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

    In the gospel, we have the story of the Annunciation as recorded by Matthew. If you pay attention you will see that in the Gospel of Matthew, the Annunciation is not between the angel and Mary, but rather, between Joseph and the Angel. It was important for the Angel to come to Joseph for a number of reasons but in this homily I will dwell on just one of those reasons: Joseph was going through a rough time in his life. His wife, a woman he held in a very high esteem, was pregnant, but Joseph knew he was not responsible for this pregnancy. He is disappointed and is struggling with whether to divorce this woman and end the relationship or give her the benefit of the doubt.  It was at this time that the Angel appeared to him and told him, Joe, don’t divorce her.  Don’t be afraid to give her the benefit of the doubt. God is up to something here! This is what the Angel meant when he called Joseph “Son of David”. He was telling him, Joe, remember the promises of God that he made to your ancestors to save the world through your family. As strange as this seems, God is working through this. If you don’t give up on her, you will see what God is doing. If you don’t give up on her, something great will happen because you will be helping God to save the world.

    Beloved in Christ, maybe you are also facing some problems in your relationship. Maybe, as a husband or wife, you are disappointed and you are thinking about divorce. Like the angel, I want to plead with you: Please don’t do it. Whatever doubts or disappointments you have about your spouse, don’t give up on him/her. If don’t give up, you will see great things. When you don’t give up on somebody you help God to save the person. Or maybe you have some conflict with a friend, a sibling, your children or your parents and you are tempted to give up on that relationship. St Matthew is telling you don’t give up even if you feel disappointed. At times, people find themselves in situations where they make choices that might hurt us but their real intention is not to hurt you. That is why you need to give them the benefit of the doubt. The story of Joseph teaches us that, at times that God’s ways of fulfilling his promises might seem scandalous and difficult for us to take, but the only way we can allow God’s promises to come true in our lives and in the world is to give God the benefit of the doubt and continue to love even when it does not make sense to us. If we can give people the befit of the doubt, and not give up on them, if we can continue to love them no matter what, then the world will know peace at this Christmas, then we can bring joy to the world!
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  4. Second Sunday of Advent-Year A

    Is 11:1-10

    Ps 72:1-2, 7-8, 12-13, 17

    Rom 15:4-9

    Mt 3:1-12

     

    Let’s climb the mountain of the Lord with endurance, courage and hope and we shall find the strength to transform our lives, families, communities, and the world


    Beloved in Christ, there are times when you look at all the problems in your life, the problems in your family, problems in the country, problems in the world, and may be tempted to lose hope and ask will life ever get better? Will the world ever get better? The readings today tell us the answer to that question is “Yes, life can get better”. The first reading tells us that God has invited all of us to come once again to His mountain and He promises a world in which violence is no more, a world of reconciliation, peace and joy; a world where enemies can be friends. That is the world Jesus inaugurated through his preaching, suffering, death, and resurrection. He inaugurated it and called on each of us to work towards the realization of that Kingdom here on earth. That is why, brothers and sisters, we cannot give up on ourselves or give up hope in people, or give up hope in the world. God is not calling us to flee from this world but to engage the world and make it a better place. He calls on us to make sure his will is done right here, right now, on earth, as it is done in heaven. So our call, as Christians, is to transform the world to become like heaven, to establish heaven on earth.
    The second reading reminds us that the task of transforming the world does not happen overnight. It takes time and it calls for endurance, courage, and hope. This, week, one of the headlines in the news is the death of Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa. When you reflect on his life you come to see the truth in our readings today. That the world can get better if we don’t give up, but endure and confront problems in our lives with courage and hope. These were the virtues that helped Mandela fight to end division in the South Africa of his day and build a more united and peaceful country. We can do it too in our own small ways. We can help make life better.
    But, Beloved, as the readings remind us, life gets better only when human beings accept God’s invitation to come to his mountain, a place where human beings develop authentic relationship with God. It is only love, which flows from a relationship with God and is directed towards God and neighbor that saves. That is why our readings today invite us to turn to our God, repent and tell God “I need you”. That is the voice of John the Baptist in our gospel today. It is the same voice that the Holy Father, Pope Francis, echoes when he writes in his Apostolic Exultation The Joy of the Gospel:
    “…whenever we take a step towards Jesus, we come to realize that he is already there, waiting for us with open arms. Now is the time to say to Jesus: “Lord, I have let myself be deceived; in a    thousand ways I have shunned your love, yet here I am once more, to renew my covenant with you. I need you. Save me once again, Lord, take me once more into your redeeming embrace”.

    Beloved, Advent is the time to turn to the Lord again and tell him “ Lord, I need you”. One of the surest ways of doing this is through the Sacrament of Penance. Please make some time to get to confession and tell Jesus, “Lord, I need you”, I cannot live this life without you. He is waiting to embrace you once again, and give you the strength you need to face tomorrow in a way that will help you transform your life, your family, your community, and the world!
      
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  5. First Sunday of Advent-Year A

    Is 2:1-5

    Ps 122: 1-2, 3-4, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9

    Rom 13:11-14

    Mt 24:37-44

     

    Stay Awake: Dare to Observe and Inform





    Beloved in Christ, as part of our preparation for the coming of Christ at Christmas and the end of time, our readings today invite us to stay wake. In the ancient world, almost every city had a watchman whose vocation was to critically observe what was happening within the city and beyond the city gates in order to inform the citizens of any danger that might threaten the their lives. For example, if an enemy is approaching the city, the watchman should be able to observe the reality of the impending danger, describe it as it is, and inform the people so that they take measures to ward off the attack in order that their city is not destroyed. Thus, a good watchman does not only learn form events of the past, but also pays attention to the present in order to secure the future.

    That is what our Lord Jesus Christ, in the readings today, calls on us to do during this Advent season: Stay wake! To observe (meditate) on what is going on in our personal lives, in our families, communities, and the world at large and be bold and truthful enough to inform ourselves and others about what threatens our life (relationship with God and neighbor) and take measures to prevent out lives from heading into destruction. Can you imagine a watchman who lies to himself and others?

    As we preparing for Christmas, Let’s not Celebrate Christmas only as a past event! Let’s celebrate it as a now and future event. Stay Awake! Dare to observe and inform yourself, your family, and your community with the lens of the Gospel!


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  6. 32nd Sunday-Year C

     2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14

    It happened that seven brothers with their mother were arrested
    and tortured with whips and scourges by the king,
    to force them to eat pork in violation of God's law.
    One of the brothers, speaking for the others, said:
    "What do you expect to achieve by questioning us?
    We are ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors."

    At the point of death he said:
    "You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life,
    but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.
    It is for his laws that we are dying."

    After him the third suffered their cruel sport.
    He put out his tongue at once when told to do so,
    and bravely held out his hands, as he spoke these noble words:
    "It was from Heaven that I received these;
    for the sake of his laws I disdain them;
    from him I hope to receive them again."
    Even the king and his attendants marveled at the young man's courage,
    because he regarded his sufferings as nothing.

    After he had died,
    they tortured and maltreated the fourth brother in the same way.
    When he was near death, he said,
    "It is my choice to die at the hands of men
    with the hope God gives of being raised up by him;
    but for you, there will be no resurrection to life."



    Question for Reflection:

    If the seven brothers and their mother came to you for an advice what will you tell them?
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  7. 31St Sunday-Year C 

    Wis 11:22-12:2
    Ps 145:1-2, 8-9, 10-11, 13, 14
    2 Thes 1:11-2:2
    Lk 19:1-10

    Am I taking God’s love and Mercy for granted?

    Beloved in Christ, what do you do when you offend somebody you really love and care deeply about? I am sure you will be sorry and apologize, right? And if that person forgives you and you keep doing that same thing, over and over again, what do you communicate to the person? I suppose the person will feel you don’t really love or care about him/her, right? It is logical that if you really care deeply about that person, you will stop doing what hurts him.

    Our first reading today tells us that God is love and merciful; and he never wants to destroy his people. That is why he always forgives us. That loving and merciful God is Christ Jesus, who stops for a sinner, searches for him, and stays in a sinner’s house just to bring him mercy and love. It is important to note that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem where he was going to die. Yet he did not allow the horror of the cross to come between him and his love for Zacchaeus. He stopped for him; and stayed with him.

    What touched my heart in the gospel was Zacchaeus’ response to the love and mercy of God. He did not take God’s love and mercy for granted. He did not just say I am sorry for what I have done; but he actually took practical steps to change his life. He stopped hurting God; and by that he showed that he really cared about God.

    The story of Zacchaeus teaches us what our response to God’s mercy should be.
    True repentance is more than saying “I am sorry”. It calls for a change of life. It calls for putting an end to what hurts your lover. If you say I am sorry a million times and keep doing the same thing, you need to ask yourself: Do I really love this God, do I really care about him? Do I really care about how he feels? AM I grateful that he forgave me? This does not mean we become perfect overnight or never sin again after confession. No, it rather means that we love God so much that we seek to avoid the occasion of a sin we have confessed in such a way that we don’t commit the same sin in the same way. Beloved in Christ, today we need to ask ourselves an important question: Am I taking God’s love and mercy for granted? 
    Today God will come and stay in our hearts again as you come for Communion. Are we going to change your lives because of that? Or are we going to remain the same? The choice is yours, the choice is mine!
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  8. 30th Sunday Year C
    Sir 35:12-14, 16-18
     Ps 34:2-3, 17-18, 19, 23
    2 Tm 4:6-8, 16-18
    Lk 18:9-14


    Question for reflection:
    Does my holiness make me draw a line between others and me? 
    Or does it make me give my life to be poured out like libation for the good of others and glory of God?

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  9. 29th Sunday-Year C
    Ex 17:8-13

    Ps 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

    2 Tm 3:14-4:2

    Lk 18:1-8

     

    Remembering what God has done for you in the past as a reason to persevere

    Beloved in Christ, no matter how good you are at prayer there comes a time when you just don’t want to pray. You may lose the motivation to pray due to prayers that are not answered or some difficulties in waiting on God. There are times that we might even be tempted to quit praying all together. However, no matter how difficult our prayer life gets, Jesus tells us in our gospel today that we cannot quit because prayer is a partnership with God. It is a spiritual union through which we learn to align our will with God’s will, and receive the grace to nurture our relationships with God and neighbor. Giving up prayer is giving up on this spiritual union.

    Our first and second readings today tell us how we can persevere in prayer at all times. St. Paul tells Timothy to remember what he had learned and experienced and as a way of deriving new strength and joy to go on in his ministry. The first reading is a story about how Moses had to fight different battles to protect the People of God from their enemies and keep them moving towards the Promised Land. In today’s reading, the people are in war and their enemies seem stronger then them. However, instead of giving up hope, Moses makes the decision to persevere.

    He took the staff and raised his hands all day; and as long as he kept doing that the Israelites won the battle. There is some symbolism in this reading that speaks to us. Why did Moses go for the staff? That was his way of recalling what God had done for him and his people in the past. Moses remembered that when he raised the staff before Pharaoh, some snakes where swallowed (Do you recall that story?). He remembered that when he thought all hope was gone at the red sea, raising the staff divided the sea and brought salvation to the people. Moses also remembered that when the people were dying out of thirst in the desert, he raised this staff and God gave water that kept the people alive. Remembering what God had done for him in the past brought Moses new hope in a hopeless situation and gave him the strength to persevere.

    It is also important to note that, Moses did not just remember these past blessings cognitively; but he also celebrated what he remembered as symbolized by the raising of his hands, which was both a sign of prayer and celebration.  That is what you and I need to do when we get stuck in our prayer life. When we don’t feel like praying again, or when we are tempted to loose faith in prayer we need to recall what God has done for us in the past. Each of us can tell some story of a time in our life when we thought it was over but God came through for us. When we remember God’s blessings and celebrate them we will receive new strength to persevere in prayer.




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  10. But the word of God is not chained.

     2 Tm 2:8
     
    St. Paul says he will not allow even imprisonment to 
    chain the Word of God that he must obey and proclaim. 
    Does any situation in your life makes you chain 
    the Word of God? Do not be afraid to put your faith 
    in the Word of God even when "humanly speaking" 
    it does not make sense to you.
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