Fr. Nivin's Homily Blog

"Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." Jesus called out to Simon and Andrew. Without hesitation, they left their nets and followed Him. Just a few moments later and a short distance further, Jesus called out the same to James and John, and they, too, left their father and workers to follow Him. Did they know what was required to be fishers of men? What commitment did they have to make? What would it cost them to give up their familiar trade? What if the invitation turned out bad? What if it was a scam? What if Jesus was a false prophet? There are many considerations before making a major life changing decision, right? Yes, right, and that is what I would usually do when faced with a major decision. Very often I would think of the many options and alternatives, I worry about making mistakes, I worry about consequences, to the point where I would not be able to decide, I cannot move on, I feel overwhelmed. I would respond, “Let me pray about it.” Yes, I would pray...

 "He must increase; I must decrease." From this very simple statement, we can very clearly see the attitude of John the Baptist towards his mission - humility. John was a fearless man, he was not at all afraid of the Jewish authorities and preached courageously what he believed he was sent to do, he stood resolutely for truth and justice, not at all bothered about the cost or consequence. Nothing could stop him from speaking the truth. Yet, this aggressive preacher from the wilderness was humble, modest and meek when he acknowledges the presence of the Messiah. He recognized that his work, his purpose, his existence was done and must give way to the Lord. Tradition tells us that John the Baptist lived an ascetic life before his public ministry — a life of pure simplicity and total detachment, right down to the food he ate. Such a life demands complete abandonment of self and dedication to the mission. He lived with only one purpose – to accomplish the mission he was born for ...

Holy family school Homily Did you listen carefully to today’s first reading and the Gospel? There are two phrases that really struck me. From the Gospel, Jesus says, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!” And from the first reading: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…" Let me ask you: is there anyone here who has no fear, who does not fear anything at all? Do you think I have any fears? Oh yes, I do! I do not fear death, illness, wild animals, reptiles, or insects. But I am fearful of dark places and confined spaces. I do not fear crowds of people, but believe it or not, I fear preaching! Yes, every time I walk up to the ambo to preach, my heart starts beating heavily. Thankfully, I’m getting better at managing that fear. While I do not fear death for myself, I am afraid of losing my loved ones. When I was in 4th grade, one of my best friends lost his dad suddenly. From that time, I started fearing that I might lose my own parents too. Eventually,...

 "They all ate and were satisfied." We all need to eat, but we are not always satisfied. As a pastor, I often visit families and meet up with people, and having food always helps to break the ice and ease the conversation. Thankfully, one of my pastoral strengths is that I enjoy food, all kinds of food! In this parish, I’ve been blessed with invitations to many homes, and I get to enjoy a variety of cuisine. There is Sudanese goat and fried fish, Burmese rice porridge and beef, Eritrean injera and chicken stew called Dorowat, Laotian sticky rice and fish soups, and of course, American, Italian, and Irish dishes. I enjoy all these different foods, but what really satisfies me are the conversations, the life stories, the small talks with the hosts, the communities that surround these meals.  Imagine if I were to eat all these delicious foods alone every day, I would be fed but I would not be filled. What makes a meal truly satisfying is not just the food — it is the love that c...

 "We receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him." At one point in my life, I was enjoying listening to prosperity gospel preachers like Joel Osteen. What they preached was not theologically profound nor sound, but their messages were so uplifting and impactful. They made having faith in God look very attractive and materially rewarding. “Believe in Jesus and you will be saved, you will be rich, you will be successful, you will be powerful! Pray for anything and God will give you everything!” Such wonderful promises sure sound good. But is it the truth of our faith? As I matured in life and in faith, I realized that such messages lack authenticity and do not at all align with Jesus’ teachings. Looking simply at the way Jesus Himself lived while on earth would show up the contradictions and reveal the lies. So, does God give us whatever we ask? The condition stated in today’s reading is that if we keep His commandments and do what...

 "They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage." The 12 days of Christmas bring us to the feast of the Epiphany, the revelation of our Lord to all the nations. The Christmas season will continue until next week, leading to the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. What struck me most is the image of the Magi, who were non-Jewish foreigners, prostrating before the infant Jesus. From both Scripture and tradition, we know the Magi were extraordinary people. They were likely scholars, wise men, astrologers, perhaps even kings or high-ranking officials from distant lands. They traveled hundreds of miles, driven by their search for a special newborn king, led by a most unusual, brilliant star. And here they are, finally finding Him - not in a palace, not even in a grand mansion but in a simple, humble house. His parents were visibly not of royal lineage, and His circumstances ga...

 “He said to them, 'Come, and you will see.' So they went and saw where he was staying.” “Come and See” is often an invitation to take an personal exploration and not just hear about something from others.  Many religious congregations use similar programs for those who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, because often it is better to have an experience than simply reading or hearing about it before making a decision with regards the consecrated life. I participated in one such program before. At that time, I had absolutely no interest in joining the priesthood. I went because one of my best friends had asked me to accompany him to that three-day event. And guess what? Later that same year, I entered the seminary. The disciples in today’s Gospel wanted to know where Jesus was staying, instead of telling them, Jesus invited them to ‘Come and you will see.” Whatever it was that they saw, it was convincing enough for them to want to stay with Him, to fo...

 "Because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." Once recently, I was with a group of Catholic friends, having a casual conversation and one topic that came up was about modern behavioral trends and attitudes, particularly referring to LGBTQ trends and gender identity. One friend among us spoke up strongly supporting the ideology of LGBTQ and questioning the natural law of God. Since it was a group setting, I was simply listening to the exchanges, but as the conversation progressed, I finally felt the need to speak up. Firmly, I said, “If you believe this, then you are saying the Holy Bible is wrong.” My friend kept quiet after that. I believe everything in the Bible is true and inspired by the Holy Spirit. I believe in God’s law. Thus, I do not agree with anything that opposes the Bible or compromises God’s law. A true believer in Jesus Christ accepts His teachings entirely. We cannot be half-baked believers or be selective in what...

"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you." Just three days ago, we celebrated Christmas - a joyful commemoration of the day God came to live among us in our world, it is a when divine light entered human darkness, it is a day for rejoicing. The Christmas season continues for the Church up until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. However, if we read and reflect on the details of Christ’s birth and events surrounding this season of joy, we see poverty, simplicity and suffering. Just before our Lord was born into this world, His earthly parents went through hardship just to find a place to rest, He was then welcomed into physical and material poverty, the day after His birth, we celebrated the death of the first martyr, St. Stephen, followed by the feast of St. John the Evangelist who suffered persecution and isolation till a ripe old age. And now today, we observe the feast of the Holy Innocents — a sorrowful event when hundreds of...

"She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger..." This Gospel scene brings me back to one special day when I was in grade eight. My eldest sister was back at home from college for summer vacation. The rest of my family were out of the house for a parish event, and so it was just the two of us at home. Before leaving the house, my mother had pre-empted us that one of our she-goats on the farm was ready to give birth, although she did think it might happen in a few more days. However, shortly after my parents and other siblings left the house, the she-goat or doe went into labor and gave birth to three babies: two males, one female. The baby doeling was very weak and looked unhealthy, my sister and I did not know what to do. So we called our grandmother on the phone, and she explained to us how to take care of the newborn kids. Following her instructions, we used iodine to treat the navel cords to prevent infection, cleaned up the birth site, made a nice bed of...

 "He will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold or like silver, that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD." There are usually five steps to refine gold or silver. The very first step is to melt it in a hot furnace, then the molten gold is cast into molds to separate it from base metals and other impurities. It is further refined through electrolysis and other refining processes. Today’s first reading tells us God will purify His people like refining gold. Isn’t it a lot of hard work for God the refiner and such painful process for us, the refined? Yes, but it is so that we will all shine bright and flawless. Yesterday, after Sunday Mass, I was standing near the baptismal font, talking to a parishioner who informed me that Afaf Bakal, a Sudanese parishioner, had just passed away. Two years ago, I baptized her at that very same font and administered her Confirmation and First Communion. I remember her baptism vividly because she was already very weak at the time....

 "His greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace." The prophecy of Micah proclaimed 700 years before the birth of Jesus, had already foretold the extent and essence of our Lord’s greatness – it shall reach to the ends of the earth, and He shall be peace. Now 2,700 years later, Christianity has indeed spread to every corner of the world and for everyone who truly knows and follows Christ, will experience His peace. Here we are, celebrating the Fourth Sunday of Advent, just days away from Christmas, are you at peace? Almost every society throughout the world is celebrating Christmas, albeit with commercial overtones, but is there peace around the world? During this holiday season, in the confessionals and from conversations, I hear the same issues brought up - stress, worries, anxieties about the preparations, the family gatherings, the expectations. Shopping, cleaning the house, buying and wrapping gifts, writing cards, getting new clothes - all these ta...

 "Though the grass withers and the flower wilts, the word of our God stands forever." On Sunday, I taught the confirmation class about the Bible and shared how it was written and compiled. The word ‘Bible’ in Ancient Greek means ‘book’. It contains 73 books, and thus is often referred to as ‘The Book of books’.  These sacred scriptures were penned by 40 different authors over a span of 1,500 years. Every single word in the Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit, because every author wrote, not for any other reason but what they believed was what God wanted them to write. You may have heard of the Dead Sea Scrolls or Qumran Scrolls. In 1947, near the north-eastern part of the Dead Sea, a teenage shepherd lost his sheep and went searching for it in a cave. Incidentally, he found ancient jars stuffed with scrolls in the cave.  At first, he tried to sell them at the market, and those who bought them eventually re-sold them to scholars. That led to Archaeologists getting interes...

 “As he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him." We heard this phrase in today’s second reading. It is such a wonderful affirmation for us! God planned for us to belong to Him even before the world began. Imagine that! Billions of years before today, God already had you in mind, your existence was in His plan. You did not exist by chance, you were not an accident and definitely not a mistake. You are God’s dream, God’s desire, God’s wish, God’s plan. Isn’t that amazing? Today, we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Just as God knew us before the foundation of the world, He also knew the Blessed Virgin Mary before she was born. He chose her for a special mission, to be the mother of His Son from the very beginning. This is truly wonderful! But what does "Immaculate Conception" mean? ‘Conception’ refers to the moment when a new life is conceived in the womb, the moment a human ...

"Up, Jerusalem! Stand upon the heights; look to the east and see your children gathered from the east and the west at the word of the Holy One." This phrase struck me very much, it is simple, relatable, assuring, and very comforting. It describes a beautiful relationship between the Church and God’s people. Today’s first reading is from the Book of Baruch. It is a small book, and the second Sunday of Advent is possibly the only time in the liturgical year when we take a reading from this book. Easter Vigil would also have a reading taken from this book, but Easter Vigil readings are often skipped in favor of the Easter Sunday readings. Baruch was a companion of prophet Jeremiah. He wrote this book during the later part of the Babylonian exile. The Israelites were living in exile, they knew they had offended God, and they were feeling punished, abandoned, and forgotten by God, but Baruch had a different message for them. Baruch describes Jerusalem as a loving mother, a mother ...

 "Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it." Compared to my grandparents, I feel incredibly blessed to have seen, used and experienced things and events that they could never even have imagined it - mobile phones, the internet, zoom calls, online Mass, immediate transfer of money and so many other amazing functions made possible by advanced technology. However, there is one blessing my grandfather had, which I sometimes wish I could have (This wish was before discerning my vocation to priesthood) – that he married my grandmother, a beautiful and capable woman, when he was 16 and she was only 15 years old. Together they had ten children in their 70+ years of marriage! Thanks be to God. Indeed, compared to previous generations, we are blessed in so many ways. This is also true with regards our faith. We now have a better understanding of G...

 "I say to you, many will come from the east and the west, and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob at the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven." Do you have a favorite saint who inspires you? How would you feel if you got to meet this saint in real, and had a meal together? In today’s Gospel text, Jesus describes the banquet in heaven. Imagine that glorious day when we will all recline at the heavenly banquet together with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and your favorite saint! All the saints, the martyrs, the prophets we have read about in the Old Testament and the apostles of Jesus will all be present too. How wonderful that will be! At the head of the banquet table we see Jesus, gloriously radiant, with the Father and the Holy Spirit united as one, and Mother Mary right beside them! That is just the heavenly banquet we can describe; I am sure the real thing will be much more wonderful. Every time we celebrate Holy Mass, we get a tiny glimpse, a foretaste of that heavenly b...

Today we begin a new liturgical year. I vividly remember preaching the First Sunday of Advent last year, feels like it was just yesterday. Time really flies, and here we are now, welcoming a new year again. How has your life changed since last Advent? This year is Year C. The Gospel readings this year will be taken from the Gospel of Luke. Luke was a physician by profession, a painter by hobby, and a Gospel writer by mission. He wrote his Gospel for everyone, including the Gentiles, with special attention to the poor, the marginalized, and the outcasts of society. In Luke chapter 1:3, he introduced the background of his writing, “after investigating everything accurately anew”, thus we can see that Luke’s Gospel is considered the most informative of the four. Luke weaved the Good News of Jesus with love and compassion for the oppressed and lost, but with stern warning for the self-righteous and arrogant. The parables of the Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, the Lost Coin, the Rich Man ...

 "Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." Today’s first reading is one of my favorite Bible passages. It is filled with beautiful, encouraging, and uplifting words. What makes it even more remarkable is that it was written by St. Paul while he was imprisoned, awaiting his trial which he knew would very likely be a death sentence. Yet, there was no sign of desperation, frustration, or lamentation about his situation in his writing, only positivity and great hope in his words. This is the power of the Good News. How happy are the feet chained for the sake of the Gospel. How joyful are the hands imprisoned yet proclaiming true freedom. Recently, when I went for a house visit, I saw Bible verses written on a long whiteboard which also served as a door. I was deeply moved by this. The parents of that house were sharing the Gospel in creative ways not just with their children, but with everyone who comes to their door. They were clear...

“For those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood.” How much do you love God? How grateful are you to God who has given you everything you need, including His own life? When we love someone deeply, we would be more than willing to give everything we have for the good of the person we love, right? And if we are truly grateful to someone, we would show appreciation in the most sincere and respectful way, wouldn’t we? Recently, a friend told me what one priest shared in his homily: “Don’t give to God as you would give to a homeless beggar.” That struck me. God does not need our sympathy, He does not need our money, He wants our love and gratitude. But church needs money to function, to accomplish God’s mission, so when we give to church, we are giving to God. So how much does the church need, how much do we give? Some general statistics look alarming. Typically, only about 30% of parishioners are supporting a p...

 "Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, "My kingdom does not belong to this world." Our Lord Jesus Christ is King. His kingdom does not belong to this world, but this world belongs to His kingdom. Beyond this world, in truth, all the worlds in the whole Universe belong to Him. Jesus Christ is not just King of this earth or of heaven, but He is King of all creation, the entire universe, as far and wide as you can imagine, and beyond. To better understand His Kingship, the Church has chosen readings that tell us the essence of our Lord and King. In the first reading, we read, "His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed." From this we understand that Christ’s Kingship is forever and ever, it is authentic and true, and he holds the authority and power, so it can never be taken away nor destroyed. In the second reading, we read, “"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, ...

“Then they heard a loud voice from heaven say to them, ‘Come up here.’ So they went up to heaven in a cloud as their enemies looked on.” In this scene, we can identify three parties: the loud voice from heaven, which we know is God; the two prophets who died, but later received the breath of life from God and went up to heaven in a cloud; and finally, their enemies who could only look on as the two were taken up to heaven. Are we people who reject Church teachings and persecute Jesus’ way of life? Or are we people who live by the teachings of the Church and give witness to the Gospel of Christ? We can be called Christians and be baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity, but are we living the life as witnesses or anti-witnesses? This vision from the book of Revelations gives us hope and reinforces our belief in resurrection, it also is a warning to those who are believers only in name but not in practice. This vision will become a reality at the end of time. Will we be the ones taken up...

 “I, John, had a vision of an open door to heaven.” Do you know what is the difference between a dream and a vision?  Dreams happen usually when we are asleep. On average we would dream four to six times in one night. Do you remember any of your dreams when you wake up? Sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t, right? Dreams are often influenced by our deeper emotions, subconscious thoughts, or unresolved issues. Recently I’ve been talking to a friend about my home country India, just before going to bed. So, most of my dreams have been about India or the people I know there. A vision, on the other hand, happens when we are awake. It is vivid, intense, and feels as though it’s truly happening. It does not fade from memory, is never forgotten. A divine vision is sent by God and carries a clear message. For example, before St. Paul became a Christ believer, when he was persecuting the Christian communities, he had a vision of a bright light and heard the voice of Jesus calling out to...