Fr. Nivin's Homily Blog

 "Appear not before the LORD empty-handed, for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts."  One of our parish volunteers who gives rides to refugee families to bring them for Sunday Mass shared an incident with me. One day, she arrived at a house to pick up a family as usual, but they were reluctant to go to church. When she asked them why, the children responded, “We have no money to put in the collection basket.” Oh, my heart ached to hear that. The church needs money, but God does not. Yet the refugee families in our parish, who have barely enough for themselves, would refuse to come before the Lord empty-handed. They are so eager to give. Our parish is special, our Sunday collections always receive hundreds of one-dollar bills. I presume these are small offerings given with great love. Just like the poor widow who gave two small coins, she won Jesus’ praise for giving her all. Our Lord does not count the dollars, He weighs the sincerity. The first reading tells...

Did you listen attentively to the Gospel reading? Yes? Let me test you… What did Jesus say? Did He say, “Whoever eats my bread and drinks my wine?”  No! He said, “Whoever eats my FLESH and drinks my BLOOD remains in me and I in him.” Yes, when you receive Holy Communion, you are receiving the real flesh and blood of Jesus. I am sure Fr. Roy, your catechists, parents and the whole parish community have prepared you well for this day, so you know what you are receiving today. But what I want to focus on now is the last part where Jesus says, ‘remains in me and I in him’. 29 years ago in 1996, I received my First Holy Communion. I was eight years old, but I still remember that day vividly. I remember the preparations, my First Reconciliation, and the excitement I felt when I lined up to receive Jesus for the very first time. I remember seeing the priest dipping the Precious Body into the Precious Blood, and then that precious moment – Jesus’ body and blood rested on my tongue. So swee...

 “Study the generations long past and understand; has anyone hoped in the Lord and been disappointed?”  I have read this passage many times before, but it struck me differently this time. The message of hope resonates so deeply with me since this year is the Jubilee Year of Hope.  Romans 5:5: “Hope does not disappoint us.” We are pilgrims of hope, our pilgrimage is a journey of hope, and we are assured that when we place our hope in the Lord, we will not be disappointed. Have you ever been disappointed? Probably yes. And that could be because we were hoping the Lord will meet our expectations. We placed our desires in your own ambitions, and hoped the Lord would satisfy us and please us, He probably did or didn’t. Well, that is not the hope of faith we are talking about here. The answer becomes clear when we study the generations that came before us. If I think about my own parents and grandparents, they lived devout and pious lives. Their only hope was in the Lord and Hi...

 “Everything is possible to one who has faith.” There’s a story about a small town which endured a severe drought for many years. The whole town had not seen a drop of rain in years. Finally, in desperation, the townspeople asked their priest to lead a day of prayer for rain. On the appointed day, everyone gathered in the town square to pray. Hundreds of people came, but only one man brought an umbrella. We pray and we plead with God, but do we have faith in our prayer? Or do we not have faith in God? Jesus lamented in today’s Gospel text, “O faithless generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you?”  We can feel Jesus’ frustration, disappointment, and sadness. His disciples could not cast out a demonic spirit because they lacked faith, they lacked prayer, they were not connected with God. “He said to them, “This kind can only come out through prayer.”” So, the disciples did not pray, they did not call on the Lord’s name, they acted independently. In the G...

 “To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28) Love and hate are two very powerful human emotions that can heal or kill. Love can heal deep wounds and great divisions, while hatred can drive one to destroy lives and shatter peace. With love we can forgive, through hate we create fear. In the first reading, we see David and Abishai entering the camp of Saul’s 3,000 strong army, crept into where the king was sleeping soundly. David had good reason to hate Saul and the perfect opportunity to kill him, but he chose not to. David chose to love and honor God who anointed Saul.  26 years ago, Graham Staines, an Australian Christian missionary who took care of lepers in North India, was burnt alive by extremists, along with his two young sons. The attackers were fueled by hatred. Yet, just days after the deadly attack, Graham’s widow, Gladys Staines, publicly forgave the murderers, ...

 “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”  Our Lord founded the Church and handed over its growth and development into the future, to Peter. Note that the disciple is Simon, but the pope is Peter. Thus, this appointment to build the church, an appointment so solid like a rock, will be so strong and firm that not even hell could ever overcome it. Simon Peter was not perfect; he had his human weaknesses. It is written that he had cowardly denied Jesus three times, and at one point, Jesus even rebuked him, “Get behind me, Satan” (Matthew 16:23). Christian Tradition also tells that during the time of persecution in Rome, he had tried to escape and flee from Rome. The story continued that on his way along the road outside the city, he met our Lord Jesus where he asked, “Quo vadis, Domine?” - “Where are you going Lord?” To which our Lord replied, “Romam eo iterum crucifigī” – “I a...

 Jesus enjoined them, “Watch out, guard against the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” What is ‘the leaven of the Pharisees’ and ‘the leaven of Herod’? In this passage, Jesus must have been trying to teach His disciples something very important, but they were all thinking about food, specifically about bread, such that they didn’t understand what He was teaching. Who can blame them? Like all of us, they too had practical concerns, they were worried about the lack of food on the journey. But Jesus was trying to warn them of something more worrying, something which will not just keep them hungry, but will also destroy life. Recently, during my vacation with my sister, I listened to a Bible podcast she was following. Coincidentally, that episode was discussing the significance of the unleavened bread in the Old Testament. Why did God command the Israelites in Egypt to eat unleavened bread for their Passover feast? 1. Because they had to eat in haste, to finish their m...

"Where is your brother Abel?" We are now in the fourth chapter of Genesis. Before this, we read about the first sin of mankind – disobedience - when Adam and Eve did what they were told not to do. They lived in a perfect world and had dominance over everything, but they were discontented and were tempted by greed. Sin did not stop there; it was passed on to the next generation. In this chapter, we see Cain committing a grave sin - he killed his brother Abel. He was discontented with God’s favor on Abel and was tempted by pride. As we continue through Genesis, we see sin perpetuating and spreading through humanity. The Lord had warned Cain that “sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.” Eve, Adam, Cain and every one of us are tempted by sin, yet we can be its master. The moment we let it enter our heart, and leave it unchecked, it will deepen its hold on us and enslave us. Jesus says, “Everyone who sins is a slave of sin.” (John 8:...

 “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.” Today's responsorial psalm is deeply moving if we take the time to meditate on the words and meaning. God is our refuge, our hiding place, our safe haven. When I was little, every time my siblings and I made our mommy angry, we would always run into my grandpa’s room to escape from mommy. Because grandpa would always protect us, and mommy would not beat us in his presence. He was our best protection, our safest shield from punishment. But of course, when mommy cools down, grandpa would advise us to apologize to her and remind us not to upset her again. Our God is like that. He is the One who can protect us from all danger to our souls and shield us from evil. But we must run to Him. In the first reading, we hear about the moment when Adam and Eve sinned. For the first time in their life, they experienced shame, guilt, darkness, failure, sadness, and brokenness. Instead of taking refuge in God, they tried to hide from Him in shame. ...

 God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it." What do you think? Does God’s command to multiple and fill the earth with humans and more humans logical? Is the world’s resources sufficient for all to consume and enjoy? Honestly, I take pride that I come from India, it is the most populous country in the world. Its current population is four times the USA. The Western world has, in the past, often ridiculed India for its massive and growing population, considering such population a burden and its continued growth a crisis. International organizations have invested heavily in promoting products and schemes to help reduce India’s population. Government clinics and hospitals have pressured women to exercise birth control. Among indigenous and poor communities, sterilizations were often performed without the women’s consent. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has even spent millions to promote such practices, primarily targeting poorer ...

 "God Saw How Good It Was." I love to read the story of creation, to visualize how it all started, the see our origin, the source of our being. God, in His infinite love, created the world to express His goodness, and made humanity the crown of His creation, to reflect His perfection. His expression was good. His reflection was good. Everything He created was good because each of His creation had a purpose for existence, a place in the world, a special relationship with Him. There was unique beauty in each, and harmony as a whole. His grace was in everything. He could see it. It was truly good. We know that as the story continued, the beauty and perfection were shattered soon after, by the sin of man, God’s masterpiece of all His created beings. Superficially, we see that God’s creation was destroyed. However, if we look around the world today, we can still see glimpses of the original goodness. A newborn baby. A full bloom flower. A bright rising sun. We can see how good it ...

 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me has not been ineffective." St. Paul, the great apostle of Christ, speaks these words with profound humility, giving all credit and glory to God for the great work he is doing. His humility also expressed his full obedience which allowed God’s grace to work effectively through him. Yet if we look at St. Paul’s life, especially after he took up the apostolic ministry for Christ, it was full of hardships and sufferings. His life took a drastic turn from a powerful persecutor of Christians to a passionate preacher for Christ after Christ called him. He endured terrible persecutions and merciless torture thereafter. Through this painful fire in the furnace, God molded him into His most effective instrument of mercy and love, not only during his lifetime but for generations ahead. The church today is the beneficiary of God’s grace through St. Paul’s labor. Do you also encounter struggles and challenges in your work for G...

 "By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; he went out, not knowing where he was to go." When I first read this passage, I became curious about the person and life of Abraham. Who is he? Why was he so faithful to a God whom he had never seen? I opened my Bible and read Genesis 12, titled ‘The call of Abraham’. It was how the history of salvation began. Abram’s life, before he was renamed Abraham, was stable and comfortable. He probably had all that he needed and could just relax and enjoy his life into old age. But when he heard the call of God to leave his comfortable home, he trusted, packed up and left. The amazing fact is that he did not even know where he was to go. Thereafter, his life was full of challenges, yet he remained faithful to God. He heard God’s voice deep within his heart, lived with full confidence in God, trusting in His constant presence in his life. Faith is just that - a consistent and fir...

 “Then I said, As is written of me in the scroll, Behold, I come to do your will, O God.” When I was little and growing up on the farm, I didn’t know much about the world beyond my village and parish. I had imaginations about my future, but my dreams were simple and centered around my little village. I wanted to be a farmer, a successful one, to earn lots of money from my bountiful crops, I will buy more land, build a nice house, own a car, get married and live happily ever after. Yes, it was a fairy tale dream. It made me happy and hopeful every time I imagined this perfect life of my future. But one day, all my dreams were broken. God has another plan for me, He called, and I said yes. So no land, no farm, no house, no married life. But I believe this vocation will lead me to a happily-ever-after life after all. My vocation has taken me far away from the village and country where I thought I would live for the whole of my life. I’ve worked in and visited over 23 countries, taken ...

 “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” Jesus is a man of “today”. Throughout the Gospels, we hear Him emphasize the significance of the present moment: • “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” • “Today salvation has come to this house.” • “Today you will be with me in paradise.” Even in the prayer He taught us, He said, “Give us this day (today) our daily bread.” In Luke’s Gospel for this Sunday, Jesus is just beginning His public ministry and has not performed miracles of healing the blind and deaf etc, but He boldly declares that the Scripture passage which prophesied how things would be when the Messiah arrives is fulfilled in their presence, thus He is almost making an announcement that He is the Messiah, that He is the fulfillment of the prophesy. Indeed, our Messiah comes not to be crowned a worldly king, but to lower Himself down to heal and help us. And He is present and actively reaching out to us in our ‘todays’, every da...

 Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” Why did Jesus ask the man to do that? Dear Children, now I, Fr. Nivin, tell you the same, please stretch out your hands. Both hands. Wonderful! Ok, you can put your hands down now. Was it difficult for you to stretch out your hands? Not at all. How easy it is for us to stretch our hands, because our hands are working fine. But in the Gospel we read about a man with a withered hand. Do you know what it means to have a withered hand? It is a dying hand, the muscles and nerves are dead, so the hand is left with just skin and bones. It is totally useless, and the person can no longer control or move it at all.  It would be impossible for the man with the withered hand to stretch out his hand like we did. So why did Jesus ask him to do that?  Wasn’t Jesus asking him to do something he was unable to do? Indeed. But by asking the man to do something he was unable to do, Jesus could then show what God was able to do. That man can n...

 “In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence." In my younger days when I was preparing for my First Holy Communion, I learned something about prayer which struck deeply in my understanding: “Prayer is a loving conversation with God.” Just as everyone of us converse with others differently, according to our personalities, cultures and the types of relationship, each of us would also pray and converse differently with God. How do you pray and converse with God? One of my sisters prays by following all novena prayers and litanies. There isn’t any novena or litany she hasn’t prayed before. And she often asks me questions about prayers I’ve never even heard of! She also has a big collection of prayer books. Once, she asked me about my prayers, and I showed her the breviary, which contains the Liturgy of the Hours which we priests use for da...

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin." When someone is diagnosed with a major illness, they often turn to others who have gone through a similar experience. They seek advice about doctors, treatments, and coping strategies. Why? Because those who have been through the same struggles can empathize and possibly share insights about the situation, better than someone who has not been through it. They know the pain, the challenges, and the fears, the journey. Of course, not everyone’s experience will be the same, but the reference can be useful. I remember when my mummy was diagnosed with cancer, we asked many people who had cancer before which helped us understand some things about the condition.  In today’s first reading, we hear about Jesus, our High Priest, who sympathizes with our weaknesses and knows what we go through in life, because He has gone through it all...

"For it was fitting that he, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the leader to their salvation perfect through suffering." God is infinite, omnipotent, all-powerful. He has countless ways to save humanity and bring us back to glory. Yet, He chose the path of suffering. Why? Theologians have offered many profound explanations, but to be honest, I haven’t seen an answer that fully satisfies this mystery. However, simply by looking at the lives of the saints, I see glimpses of God’s wisdom and understand a bit more the mystery of grace amidst and through suffering. One of my favorite saints is St. Josephine Bakhita, the Sudanese saint. She was born in 1869, a daughter of the tribal chief, and her early childhood was comfortable, free and happy. But at the young age of 7, she was kidnapped by Muslim traders and lost forever, the carefree life she was born into. This little girl, who also lost the name given by her parents, w...

"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...