Fr. Nivin's Homily Blog

 “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...

“Yet I hold this against you: you have lost the love you had at first.” Love is the greatest Christian virtue. Without love, Christianity is meaningless. Without love, salvation is pointless. Without love, our life is aimless. We are created by a God who is love, saved by His Son out of love and called to imitate Him in love. He created us to accept His love, to love Him, and to love others. Therefore, a life without love is empty. The greatest love ever is Jesus giving his own life completely to us. Our response to this is to love Him back all our mind, heart and soul. In today’s first reading from the Book of Revelation, God’s angel rebukes the church in Ephesus for having lost the love for Jesus they had when they first embraced the faith. The Ephesians fell passionately in love with Jesus at the beginning. They surrendered totally to Him, obeying His teachings fully. They left all their old ways to follow Him. But now God’s  is warning and reminding them, because they have beco...

 “And those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever.” I remember in my childhood years, especially during the hot Indian summer nights, my siblings and I would go up to the rooftop of our family house, lie down on the cool concrete floor and look up into the sky. Everywhere was dark because we did not have streetlamps and electric lights in the village houses were weak. But the night sky was filled full with thousands and thousands of gently flickering stars. We would try to count them or spot constellations. I remember being very mesmerized by the stars. Now I live in this modern city with bright lights and fully lit-up houses everywhere, I could hardly see any stars at night. Just two weeks ago, I had my retreat in a monastery in Oklahoma. It was a simple and peaceful place, far away from the city and set within the great nature. Nights were calm and quiet, with only a gentle glow of dim lights in the retreat house. And yes, there, the night sky was filled wi...

 But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”  Just a few days ago on Monday, we saw the disciples pleading with Jesus, and ourselves too praying for the same, “Lord, increase our faith.” So, has your faith increased since then? Because today our Lord is checking in with us, when He comes again, will He find faith on earth, will He find faith in us? I am sure we are able to answer ‘yes’! I see many of you coming regularly for daily Mass, serving passionately in the ministries, and doing your best to live a holy life. Very often, I would look back and am so thankful that I have faith in God. I think you would understand and agree too, because we know we would not have come this far in life if we didn’t know God, if we didn’t know prayer. But of course, there is still much to do in terms of spreading the good news. Just within Des Moines, I guess there are still thousands of people who live without faith. I really wonder how they will manage life, especially in i...

 And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." Do you think your faith needs to be increased too? In which area of our faith do we need our Lord’s help to increase or strengthen? If we read today’s Gospel again, we will notice that Jesus is teaching about forgiveness. The forgiveness He is teaching is not so simple, it is not superficial, it is not condescending, it is true forgiveness. Have you forgiven somebody before – someone who has hurt you deeply, betrayed you, caused you harm or even almost destroyed your life? It is not easy, it is tough. For some of us, it is possibly impossible to even forgive once, and here our Lord is telling us to forgive repeatedly, every time, if someone offends us seven times a day and says sorry again and again. Can you do it? I don’t think I can. Not with my own strength, wisdom or patience. But with the grace of God, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I believe I can, I believe you can. The Christian life is after all a call to l...

 In the 2,000-year history of the Church, monastic orders like the Cistercians and Trappists have existed, and the monks dedicate themselves to a life of deep contemplation and penance. Some of these monks take a vow of perpetual silence, speaking only in an emergency. When they pass each other in the monastery, their silent greeting is "memento mori" - "remember death." They remind each other daily to consider the reality of death and to always be prepared for it. Today, November 2, we commemorate All Souls' Day, remembering all the departed souls in purgatory who long to see God face-to-face. Like the consecrated monks, this commemoration invites us to pause and reflect on our own mortality. Memento mori. Remember death. We probably have said goodbye to many people in our lives: family, friends, relatives, famous people and people who have done great deeds that impacted society. Some of their names may have already faded from our memories. Perhaps we’ve even s...

 “The souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them.” This beautiful passage from today’s first reading is one we often hear at funeral Masses. It comforts and consoles us deeply, assuring us of God’s merciful love and protection for those who have passed from this life. Today, as we commemorate All Souls’ Day, we remember the souls of all the faithful departed, those in purgatory awaiting the fullness of union with God. Their souls are in the hands of God, and while we need not worry for them, we can still assist them with our prayers. During the first week of November, the Church offers us the special grace of a plenary indulgence for our deceased loved ones. But what exactly is a plenary indulgence? It is a special grace that removes the temporal punishments due to sin. While the Sacrament of Reconciliation forgives sins and removes the eternal punishment of hell, temporal punishments may remain. Temporal punishments are the natural consequences arisi...

 Did you hear this question in the first reading? "Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?" St. John the Apostle had a vision of heaven and asked the angel regarding the many people he saw who were praising and worshipping God. I think you might know some of those people. Let’s see. Do you know who this is? Yes, Saint Teresa of Calcutta, we affectionately call her Mother Teresa.  Do you know where she was born in? She was born in Skopje, where it is now Albania. And where did she spend most of her life? She spent her life in India, taking care of the very poor, sick and dying. Who’s this man? Yes, he is Saint Joseph. Where was he born? In Nazareth. What was his job? He was a carpenter. And he was chosen by God to be the foster father of Jesus. St. Joseph cared for and protected Jesus and Mary as a family, serving God in his own humble way. Who is this woman? That’s right, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha. Do you know where she was born? She was born in New Yor...

 "Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord." I chose this phrase to preach, knowing it might meet with some resistance, even rejection from some of you. When this same passage appears in Sunday readings, there’s even an option to use a shorter form that would avoid these verses. Why? Because the teaching of subordination is hard to accept, and the preaching of it is even harder. Being obedient or subordinate to someone is challenging, even if under authority. And to expect a woman, especially a modern, independent and self-assured American woman, to be subordinate to her husband, is like declaring war. This resistance is not just in spousal relationships. Sometimes, it seems like the only “person” who obeys my commands perfectly is my phone – Google Assistant. ‘She’ is most obedient, ever ready to satisfy and please, always responds politely and would do whatever I ask, and without delay. Google As...

"Through him, the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord." In this letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul described the community of believers like a physical sacred temple, thus the people are the church. The structure of the church, which refers to the faith of the believers, are held together by Christ, and grows in holiness with the Lord. Christ is the cornerstone, the apostles are the foundation and we, the believers, are the different parts of the temple. We look to the time of the apostles as the "golden age" of the Church — a period when it was growing fast and flourishing. But even then, the Church faced external persecutions and internal divisions arising from cultural, social, historical and personal differences. Today’s church is not much better, if not worse. In the first 300 years, there was only one Church. Then the first division separated into the Catholic and the Orthodox Christianity. Then came the Reformation which...

 "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." Bartimaeus was blind and a beggar, someone whom society had ignored, forgotten and cast aside. Bartimaeus had no status, no rights, nothing. But Bartimaeus had faith.  He believed that this Jesus whom he had heard so much about, could do for him what others could not do. He was so sure thus he did not hesitate to call out to Jesus who was walking by. Not once, but repeatedly. Even when others told him to stop, to keep silent, he cried out louder. Jesus heard his cry, his desperate plea for mercy. Jesus saw his sincere persistence and responded to him. "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." And what Bartimaeus do? “He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.” Bartimaeus was spontaneous and immediate in his response. His cloak was the only thing he had, which gave him protection and security. But at the call of Jesus, he threw it aside and came to Jesus, he did not hesitate at all to detach from his one...

 "…that you…may have strength to comprehend with all the holy ones what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." I love this passage very much. In my native language, it is expressed even more beautifully, and I have cherished it in my heart since young. Can we ever fully comprehend the love of God? I don’t think we can ever grasp even a fraction of it. His love is immensely wide, long, high and deep, it surpasses all knowledge and understanding, beyond our imagination. How do we even begin to understand something so vast?  Let’s look at how today’s first reading started: "I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named." To kneel before God is probably one of the first and best way to start to know Him. It is said that St. Thomas Aquinas learned more theology on his knees than from books. And Blessed Archbishop F...

 “Brothers and sisters: You were at that time without Christ, alienated from the community of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, without hope and without God in the world.” What does it mean to be ‘without Christ’? St. Paul says it means to be ‘alienated’, a ‘stranger’, ‘without hope and without God’. To me, that means being lost, no goal, no direction, no purpose, no reason to exist. Have you ever experienced being lost? When I was in third grade, my family went on a Marian pilgrimage to Tamil Nadu, which is quite far away from our home. Some families from our neighborhood went also. There were thousands of other pilgrims at the site, all of us on the same path were moving along, packed against one another, like a giant river of people. My parents gave strict orders to hold on to each other’s hands tight and not to let go nor stray away from each other.  I was holding on to my papa’s hand, but the crowd was pushing so much that at one point, I lost my grip and ...

 He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ The rich man in Jesus’ parable had a wonderful problem. His harvest is so abundant that his existing storehouse was not big enough for it. It was time for expansion! He will get wealthier! Thus, he thought to himself, “…you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!”’ Isn’t that what most of us plan for ourselves? To earn as much as possible as soon as possible, so that we can retire early and enjoy the rest of our lives. Many people believe that having enough wealth will bring them happiness, so they focus on accumulating and protecting their possessions and wealth. The problem with this rich man is not his wealth, nor about the abundant harvest he was having, but about what was dominating his life. The problem was not what he possessed, but what was possessing him. Greed possessed him, and determined his decisions, plans and actions. There was no room for thanksg...

 “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.” This verse from today’s second reading is both beautiful and powerful. It tells us profoundly of the deep compassion of God for His people through the sacrificial priesthood of Christ. Someone who has gone through suffering can surely better understand and empathize with the sufferings of others. When I minister to parishioners whose family members have passed on, I can feel their pain because I too have lost my beloved parents. I know a couple who lost their beloved son unexpectedly while he was in college. It took them a long time to overcome the pain and sorrow of loss. Eventually, they started a ministry in their parish to help others who were also grieving the loss of loved ones. Their suffering enabled them to offer comfort, consolation and companionship to others in similar situations. Our high priest Jesus Christ is not on...