Fr. Nivin's Homily Blog

 In today's Gospel, Jesus says, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.”  These words invite us to ask an important question: What is the will of our heavenly Father for us? Jesus gives the answer in other passages of the Gospel. He says, “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect,” and “Be holy, for your heavenly Father is holy.” God's will is not simply that we avoid sin, but more that we become holy. The Christian life is not merely about avoiding evil; it is really about growing in virtue and becoming more like our heavenly Father each day, in what we think, say and do. Today's readings point us to one of the most difficult yet most beautiful virtues of Christian discipleship - forgiveness. In the first reading we heard, “Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin... who does not persist in anger forever.” In the Responsorial Psalm we prayed, “You have for...

 "The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings." Today's readings remind us of two truths: first, that we are weak and do not even know how to pray for ourselves, and second, that God comes to help us in our weakness, interceding for us. These truths are so comforting and assuring, we really have nothing to worry. Even St. Paul - the great apostle and missionary - admitted that he did not always know how to pray. If St. Paul could say that, I can certainly say it about myself: I am weak, and I do not always know how to pray. Are you also the same? We are all different, and are brought up differently, and so we pray too in different ways. Growing up in a household of eleven family members, I saw that clearly. My grandfather loved reading the Bible. He had a Bible that was published in 1939, and he spent many hours reading it daily. My grandmother was blind during the l...

Today’s first reading from the Prophet Micah reminds us that God hears the cry of the poor. Micah begins his prophecy with a fierce rebuke of rulers, corrupt priests, and false prophets who exploited the poor, seized land by violence, and accepted bribes. God is never indifferent when justice is denied to his people. In the Gospel, we hear these words about Jesus: “I shall place my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.” One of the missions of Jesus was to establish justice—not merely according to human laws, but according to the heart of God. Justice means giving to each person what is due to them: their dignity, their rights, their worth as children of God. When Jesus came, the poor and marginalized were already suffering under oppression. Sadly, many of the religious and social leaders who should have consoled them only made their burdens heavier. Jesus came to restore their dignity, to heal, to welcome, and to proclaim God's love for them. Even today, th...

In today's first reading, we hear that "Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord." What a powerful image of sorrow and cry for help. Hezekiah was deeply broken. He did not know where else to go, so he turned away from everything, and faced only God. When King David was betrayed by his own son Absalom, he was immensely sorrowful, so he covered his head from the world and wept his heart out to God as he fled Jerusalem. In their lowest moments, in their helplessness, both kings turned to the Lord. Perhaps we have experienced moments like that. When we are overwhelmed by grief, sadness and have reached our breaking point, we feel we cannot face anyone, we need to hide away, we need to be alone. We simply need to pour out our feelings and empty our sorrow to someone who is strong enough to hold us up. And today's reading tells us, that Someone is God. Hezekiah turned to God and was healed and restored. David turned to God and was saved and revived. We ha...

 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword."  Elsewhere, it is written, "I have come to set the earth on fire." So, why has Jesus come to bring the sword and not peace? A sword is meant to slice and cut. It separates one thing from another. In today's Gospel, the ‘sword’ refers to the Word of God. As the Letter to the Hebrews reminds us, "Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God will reach into our hearts, revealing what is true and what is not. This revelation will disturb our peace as it wakes up our conscience, thereby leading us to a full conversion of the heart. In the first reading, the prophet Isaiah told that God was not impressed by the people's many sacrifices because their hearts were far from Him, their offerings were not sincere. So, Isaiah repeatedly reminded them to hear the word of the Lord and listen...

"Woe is me, I am doomed! For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" When the prophet Isaiah had this profound vision of heaven and stood before the Lord, these were the first words that came from his lips. He became deeply aware of his own unworthiness in the presence of God's holiness. I once heard a beautiful definition of prayer: "When we stand before the Creator as creatures with humility, that becomes prayer." I have never forgotten those words. A few years ago, during a retreat, the retreat director said that the first thing we should do when we come before God in prayer is to acknowledge our sinfulness. That awareness reminds us of who we are and who God is. We are limited, weak, and sinful; God is holy, loving, and merciful. Our prayers become more effective when they are offered with humility. None of us is worthy of God's love, yet He continues to love us unconditionall...

 "I will heal their defection, says the LORD, I will love them freely; for my wrath is turned away from them. I will be like the dew for Israel: he shall blossom like the lily."  God expresses His promises to His chosen people on various occasions and many ways in Sacred Scripture. What we have just read in today's first reading from prophet Hosea is beautiful and very assuring. It is beautiful because God is expressing His love so affectionately, it is assuring because it was addressed to a people whom He should be angry with, yet He was still showering love. The Book of Hosea was written just before the Assyrian exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The people had turned away from God. They worshipped idols, had forgotten the covenant and lived unfaithfully to the Lord. As a result, they began to experience the painful consequences of their sins. Eventually, the Assyrians conquered them, they were exiled from their homeland, the Promised Land, and never returned. Yet...

In today's first reading, the Lord says through the prophet Hosea: "They made kings in Israel, but not by my authority; they established princes, but without my approval." I wonder what would go through Pope Leo’s mind when he reads this passage today. Just last week, the Holy See excommunicated six bishops from the SSPX (Society of St. Pius X), four of whom were newly consecrated without the approval of the Vatican. Sadly, this is not the first time in the history of the Church. Throughout the centuries, there have been similar situations where certain individuals or groups have outright opposed the authority established by Christ and acted against the unity of His Church. Today’s Gospel is so apt. Jesus looks upon the crowds and sees sheep without a shepherd. He is not simply talking about people who have no leaders, but rather lacking leaders after the heart of God. There is no true shepherd. "I will give you shepherds after my own heart" (Jeremiah 3:15). Jes...

 "When Jesus arrived at the official's house and saw the flute players and the crowd who were making a commotion..." That detail in the Gospel about ‘the crowd’ caught my attention.  There were many people in that house that day. They were not people who lived in that household, they were there because someone died. Some could be relatives, some neighbors, some were professional mourners, some were there because they were curious or idle. I grew up in India, the most populated country in the world. The cities are always crowded. Buses are full, trains are full, bus stations and markets are full of people. Everywhere you look there is a crowd. But just because there is a crowd does not mean something meaningful is happening. Sometimes people gather simply because they have nowhere else to go. It was similar in Jesus' time. People gathered at weddings, funerals, and wherever something was happening. Many people followed Jesus not because they believed in Him but because...

 “Thus says the LORD: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!”  A Beautiful and comforting words of prophet Zechariah. A long weekend is of course a time of joy for us especially as we celebrate 250th year of independence.  But truly, are you rejoicing in life? Are you rejoicing as a believer? Only a person who is truly free can be full of joy and be at peace. Life in this country is full of freedom; we enjoy privileges and opportunities that many people in some other parts of the world are still yearning and fighting for. Yet I have a friend, whenever I ask, “How’s life?”, would often reply, "It sucks,.  Is life really that burdensome? Yes, we all struggle with some variations of family problems, work issues, disappointments, sickness, and other daily battles, and our own battle with sin and evil. But we have the freedom to work, to speak, to go anywhere, to believe in any religion, to choose what we want. Is there nothing worth rejoi...

"You alone have I favored, more than all the families of the earth." Through Amos, God is reaffirming His covenantal relationship with Israel as His chosen nation, as promised to Abraham. It is an affectionate expression of God's faithful love. The rest of this reading is about Amos warning Israel the consequences of turning away from God, intending to bring them back to faithfulness. Despite all the disobedience and unfaithfulness, God loves Israel and continues to favor them specially. He has chosen them and will not back out of His choice. This is truly how God loves. Faithful, unwavering, unchanging. I heard that when someone spoke with Mother Teresa, she would ignore everything else around her and give her full attention to that one person. She remained fully present for as long as that person needed her. St. John Paul II was also well known for giving people that same kind of attention. They did that well because they were really giving God their undivided attention...

 "The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him." Today's Responsorial Psalm is so assuring and is so apt for today as we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Both were faithful and fervent Apostles who had a deep holy fear the Lord - not like the fear of a slave, or being afraid of God, but a loving and reverent fear like that of an obedient child before a righteous and perfect Father. Having a fear of the Lord is the seventh gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift, not something we can earn or obtain on our own, but freely given to us at baptism, connecting us to God with deep respect and love, with a conscience to never want to offend the One who loves us so much. Peter and Paul did not always have this gift. If Peter had possessed this holy fear from the beginning, he would not have denied Jesus three times. Paul, before his conversion, persecuted Christians because he did not yet know the living God. Without knowing God, he could not truly fear Him....

 "He took away our infirmities and bore our diseases." The first reading from the Book of Lamentations paints a heartbreaking picture of Jerusalem after its destruction. The city that once enjoyed glory, security, and God's blessings is now wounded, abandoned, and without comfort. There seems to be no ray of hope. Growing up in a developing country, I saw many people who were born poor, lived poor, and died poor. They accepted it because it was all they had ever known. But I also saw people who had once been wealthy lose everything through bad choices, mistakes, or circumstances. Their suffering was even greater because they knew what they had lost. Jerusalem is like that. She once experienced God's protection and blessings but turned away from Him, and the consequences were devastating. The same can happen to our souls when we choose sin over God. We lose the peace, joy, and strength that come from living in His friendship. But today's Gospel gives us hope. Jesus...

 "He burned the house of the LORD, the palace of the king, and all the houses of Jerusalem; every large building was destroyed by fire." In the Books of Kings, we have heard many glorious stories about the kingdom of David and Solomon. We have witnessed the mighty deeds of great prophets like Elijah and Elisha. Israel seemed powerful, blessed, and secure under God's protection. But when we come to the end of the Second Book of Kings, that glorious history comes to a heartbreaking conclusion. The northern kingdom had already been taken into exile, and now the southern kingdom, where the Temple of the Lord stood, also falls into the hands of its enemies. The tragedy was not only that the people were carried away into exile. Jerusalem itself was left in ruins. The Temple was burned, the king's palace destroyed, and every important building reduced to ashes. Kingdoms rise, and kingdoms fall. God's chosen people, who once seemed so strong and secure, became slaves in a...

 “How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” What Jesus says today is both challenging and true. Heaven is a popular destination, almost everyone wants to go there, but the road that leads to it, is not the most preferred, few people want to walk it. Our natural tendency is to take the most comfortable, convenient, and pleasurable route. The world constantly invites us to choose the easy path, promising happiness without sacrifice and fulfillment without commitment. Seriously, we all know those are lies. Recently I came across a striking phrase: “If your life is very comfortable, you may have wandered away from the Lord.” While comfort itself is not a bad thing, the Christian life was never meant to be centered on comfort. It is centered on Christ. We are pilgrims on a journey. A pilgrim knows where he wants to go. He does not travel merely to explore, to be entertained, or to enjoy the scenery. He keeps his eyes fixed on the de...

Readings:  Revelation 7:9-1 ;  Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 ,;  John 12:24-26 “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 21:4) Today we are gathered here in the presence of the relics of six priest martyrs from Mexico. These holy men endured persecution, torture, fear, and uncertainty. Like us, they experienced struggles, doubts, and questions. Yet they remained faithful to Christ until the end. Martyrdom is the highest form of witness a person can give to Christ. A martyr dies as Christ died—out of love for God and for His people. That is why the Church has always held martyrs in special honor. In fact, for centuries the Church recognized martyrdom itself as sufficient proof of heroic holiness. As the ancient saying goes, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” The Church grew and flourished because so many believers were willing to give everything, even their lives, for Jesus. Because these martyrs were courageous enough to die for Christ,...

 “Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time.” Yesterday we heard the disturbing story of Naboth and the terrible injustice committed against him by King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. Their actions were cruel, wrong and sinful. They deserved judgement and punishment, especially Jezebel, who orchestrated the whole scheme. Yet today we see something remarkable. When Ahab humbled himself, fasted, and repented, God relented. He delayed the punishment that had been announced. What does this show us about God? It shows us that God’s mercy is greater than our sins. For thirteen years, Pope Francis reminded the Church of this beautiful truth: God's very name is mercy. God is just, but He is also infinitely merciful. He never ceases to seek out the sinner and offer the way back to Him. We see this throughout the events in Sacred Scripture. When Adam and Eve sinned, God pronounced the consequences of their sin. Yet immediately afterward, we read that “the LORD Go...

 But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil.  Why did Jesus say this? Shouldn’t we resist and fight evil, so that we can keep ourselves holy? I remember years ago, I was traveling in a non-Christian country, and I had in my hand-carry bag, a zip-lock pouch of unconsecrated hosts for celebrating Mass during my trip. At customs, the officer checked my bag, took out the zip-lock pouch containing the hosts, then with one hand, crushed them all into pieces, and put them back into my bag. I felt great anger, and I felt deep sadness. I did not say a word. I knew saying anything about it would not make any difference, it would only complicate my travels. Utter disrespect! Such evil! In my heart I wanted to curse them. In today’s first reading, we see another example. King Ahab was wealthy, powerful, he had everything he needed and more, but he was not satisfied. He was greedy. He desired Naboth’s vineyard. So, his queen, Jezebel, made false accusations against Naboth, ha...

 “… you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people… You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” What beautiful assurance from our God, stated so clearly in our first reading today. Imagine the Almighty Creator of the universe saying to us mere human beings that we are His special possession, that we are so dear to Him. He, Who is all powerful, declaring His endearing love for us, who are nothing. We are truly blessed. Deep in every person’s heart, there is a longing to be special to somebody, to belong, to be loved and valued. I have a friend from childhood. His name is Dijol. I have known him since kindergarten. We are somewhat different in a lot of ways. His parents were teachers, and from a young age he did well in his studies, he would always top the class for tests and exams. He had dreams and ambitions. He always knew he wanted something bigger in life. My parents were farm people. From young, I helped my parents milk the cows, feed goats ...

 aking the yoke of oxen, he slaughtered them; he used the plowing equipment for fuel to boil their flesh and gave it to his people to eat. Then he left and followed Elijah as his attendant.” I have heard this passage many times during my seminary days and throughout the past ten years of priesthood, especially during retreats. It is such a beautiful scene in the Old Testament describing how Elisha received and accepted God’s call. Elisha was plowing in the field when Elijah called him. He not only left what he was doing, but he also slaughtered the oxen and burned the very equipment he had been using. He did not want to go back to his old life. It was a total commitment to God. In the same way, the disciples left their nets and followed Jesus. Because of their openness and complete surrender to God, the Lord performed many wonders through them. The same is true for us. The more our hearts are open to God, the more God is able to work through our lives. There is no one in the histor...

 “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.” Jesus spoke these words at the beginning of His public ministry. Instead of entering His important mission with pride and great fanfare, Jesus entered meek and humble. And He says, “…learn from me…” At the end of His earthly life on the cross, when the soldier pierced His side, blood and water gushed forth from His heart — a visible sign of His total sacrifice, His love for humanity. He truly was meek and humble of heart, accepting a humiliating death despite being a King and not having committed any crime. He loved us till the very end. According to an ancient Christian tradition, it was said that the soldier who pierced the side of Jesus, was suffering from very poor eyesight, but when some of Jesus’ blood and splattered on his eyes, his eyesight was fully restored, he was healed. Whether historical or symbolic, the story shows us that the Sacred Heart of Jesus is...

“Lord, let your face shine on us.” Isn’t this a beautiful prayer in today’s Responsorial Psalm. We are asking not simply for blessings, but for God Himself, for Him to look at us lovingly from above, for His glory to shine on us, not away from us. It is a prayer asking for God to be present to us, to love us, to desire us despite our sinfulness. And truly, God is always present, totally loves and forever desires us. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us: “You are the light of the world.”  We know we are not the source of light, but we can reflect light. God is light, when God’s face shine on us, we become His beacon of light too. In the Book of Exodus, after Moses spoke with God on the mountain, his face shone so brightly that people could hardly look at him. Similarly, when we live constantly in the presence of God, we too will begin to radiate peace, joy, love and holiness. How do we live in the presence of God? Very simply, spend time before the Holy Eucharist, read the Bible, receive t...

“You shall drink of the stream, and I have commanded ravens to feed you there.” Prophet Elijah’s experience and encounter with God seemed extraordinary. And God’s way of providing for his needs also seemed unusual. Ravens bringing food for a human person? This sounds impossible because ravens, though intelligent, are not known for being friendly. Yet Elijah did not question God’s plan. He simply trusted and obeyed. And true enough, he went to where God told him to go, he drank from the stream, and indeed the ravens brought him bread and meat to eat. I wonder, if God had used a usual way to provide for Elijah, it probably would look too normal to be an act of God, wouldn’t it? Last Saturday at the CAL gathering in Des Moines, the youth were asked, “What is faith?” One young person answered beautifully: “Following the Unknown who is there.” Indeed, that is how faith looks like, to trust in the Lord, even when we do not fully understand His ways, or even when our His plans do not conform ...

 "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." Every year to prepare the children to receive their first holy communion, they would attend a retreat, during which we would re-enact the last supper. The children would bake unleavened bread and use it for the re-enactment. At the 2024 retreat, the re-enactment was going well as we all took our roles seriously and followed the script. Unsurprisingly, I played the role of Jesus. At the climax of the re-enactment, I held up a cup of cranberry juice and said, “This is my blood.” Then I handed the cup to the little girl next to me. She looked at me with horror and shouted, “I don't drink blood!” For a moment, I was stunned too, then I assured her, “This is not really my blood.” But she immediately replied, “But you just said so!” We all laughed. She was not wrong, but to keep the play moving, I suggested she pass the cup to the next person. Thankfully, she did and we could finish the play. Afterward, I ...

“But you, be self-possessed in all circumstances; put up with hardship; perform the work of an evangelist; fulfill your ministry.” This month in Word Among Us, Fr. Mike Schmitz reflects on the life of Fr. Walter Ciszek, a Jesuit priest who went secretly to Russia to preach the Gospel. Religion was forbidden there, and people were so afraid that many would not even speak to a priest. Later he was arrested and spent many years in Soviet prisons and Siberian labor camps. What touched me most was not only his suffering, but his honesty. Fr. Walter admitted that there were moments he felt useless. He thought his life had no meaning because nobody wanted to hear about God. Imagine being a priest and feeling that your ministry is accomplishing nothing. Reading his story really humbled me. Many times I complain to God about small difficulties, disappointments, stress, or moments when things do not go the way I want. But Fr. Walter endured loneliness, fear, torture, and uncertainty for years. Y...

 “Such is my Gospel, for which I am suffering, even to the point of chains, like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained.” What a powerful statement from St. Paul. He may be chained, imprisoned, and treated like a criminal, yet he continued to preach the Gospel, because the Word of God can never be imprisoned, it is free forever. From the very beginning, God created the whole universe by speaking forth His word. He said, “Let there be light,” and light came into being. By His word, all creation came into existence. The same word that spoke to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and the prophets continues to speak to us today, guiding, challenging, and inspiring us. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us: “Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is not merely ancient text; it is alive...

 “Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.” This warning from St. Peter is important for our salvation. There is no doubt that all of us gathered here today, even if we are still struggling in their faith, within our hearts there is a deep longing for holiness. We want to grow to become more like Jesus. We want to be ready to meet him face to face and stand before God without spot or blemish, truly pure and without sin. In the past two months, I have had two encounters that deeply impacted me. The first was in a hospital emergency room. I had gone there to anoint a parishioner who was brought there. And then there was an elderly man talking to everyone around him loudly. When he saw me, he came over and said, “I need a blessing.” I said, “Of course.” But almost immediately he changed his mind and said, “No, I’m okay. I’ll pass this time.” The second encounter happened as I was just leaving a restaurant afte...

 “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue.” Many of us, including myself, would be happy if we could just live every day without committing any serious sin. And to be able to just live out the basic life of a faithful – pray daily and receive the sacraments regularly – that should be enough and would be good with God. But St. Peter is challenging us to grow, go beyond the minimum, he says: “Supplement your faith with virtue.”  Faith, like health, cannot be stagnant. The basic daily meals may not be enough to keep us healthy and strong enough to meet growing needs, we may need supplements to add nourishment and nutrients. Faith too needs to grow and bear fruit, so supplement it with virtue. What are the virtues to add on? Cardinal virtues are prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude. Theological virtues are faith, hope, and charity. Just avoiding sin is not enough, we need to pack in virtues to be strong. We must bear fruit with our faith. The Christian life ...