Fr. Nivin's Homily Blog

 We just heard the first reading from Isaiah: “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.” Today is a wonderful milestone in your life. You must be so eager to go out and soar on wings like eagles!! But note what is the condition before this line: “Those who hope in the Lord…” Do you remember how it was when you first came to Holy Family School? Some of you came when you were tiny kids. Some of you could not even speak English. Many of you must have been anxious because everything was new to you, teachers and classmates, rules and environment… But over time, days, months and years passed, this school has become your second home. These hallways hold many memories for every one of you: laughter, friendships, victories, even tears, fears and disappointments. There might have been times when you thought you would never make it through. But you did, you got through, you are here now, celebrating the fact that you did not give up, you kept ...

 “And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.” I have always wished to experience similar impact and intensity of the Holy Spirit. But I wonder if I wish because I need the gift of tongues in my ministry? Or I wish because I am interested in being part of the excitement? Being inflamed by the Holy Spirit does not always end up with these dramatic outward results. Yet it seems to be happening rather often in the conversion experiences of the early Christians and hardly in these later times. Perhaps we do not have the same deep hunger the early Christians had for the sacraments. In the face of persecution and uncertainty, knowing their lives were always on the line, their desire for the grace of God was thus very intense and strong. They also lived in a world with possibly less distractions, so the Gospel of Jesus could enter more deeply into their hearts. In contrast, we live now in a society where life has become c...

 “This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” The disciples were just standing there, staring into the sky, even when Jesus was already out of sight. What were they thinking and feeling? The Ascension of the Lord always evokes a strange feeling in my heart. Jesus is going away. I wonder how would I be thinking and feeling if I were there too? I have a sister who lives in Florida, she has three children. The youngest son enjoys my presence whenever I vacation at their house, he would spend every minute of his waking moments with me.  And every time at the end of my vacation, as I drove off away from their house, my young nephew would run behind my car all the way to the end of their street. He would keep waving to me until he could not see me anymore. I imagine he may have stood there for some time, looking into the distance, even when I was no longer in sight. Possibly hoping I might suddenly appear...

“Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” What do you ask God for? When I was little, I asked God for many small things. One of them was the snacks from a tea shop on the way to school. Once in a while, my parents  would buy them for me, and I loved them. I even wished sometimes that I had been born as the tea shop owner’s son, so I could eat those snacks every day. Years later, one of my friends whose father owned a tea shop told me that he was tired of those snacks because he had them every day. He wished he had grown up on a farm like me, with fresh food and fruits. Very often, we ask for small and temporary things, thinking they will make us happy. Even now, as adults, many of our prayers are like that. We ask for things that are passing, things that do not truly satisfy the heart. But Jesus says: “Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.” Not temporary happiness—but complete joy. So maybe today we should ask for something greater: A joyfu...

 “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me.” There is an often-used phrase in the Alpha program: “Alpha is designed to fail if the Holy Spirit does not show up.” This implies that since Alpha has not failed despite itself and continues to grow from 1977, the Holy Spirit is at work in the program. I think that is true not only for Alpha but for the Church and the whole Christian life. Church would have been totally destroyed, and the Christian life would have been completely crushed with so much internal struggle and trouble, external persecution and attacks, if we are without the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, the Church would not survive, life would have ended, humanity would no longer exist. Yesterday, here in our parish, 25 young people received the sacrament of Confirmation. They confirmed their faith and received the fullness of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The first reading ...

 “During the night Paul had a vision. A Macedonian stood before him and implored him with these words, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’” One of the mysterious ways God speaks to people in the Bible is through dreams and visions. I am always fascinated by that. In the early chapters of Genesis, we already see visions and dreams. Abraham looked at the stars, and God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. Jacob saw a ladder between heaven and earth. Joseph had many dreams. Moses, the prophets, St. Joseph in the New Testament, all received guidance from God through dreams and visions. The prophet Joel describes the messianic age with these words: “Your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.” And throughout the history of the Church, many saints received mystical visions, saints like Gemma Galgani, Padre Pio, Teresa of Ávila, and Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich. Personally, I do not think I have ev...

 “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.” Jesus is saying that if we love Him, then His Father and Him will come and make their home in us. And we know that if the Father and the Son come, the Holy Spirit will come too! When God comes, He does not just pay us a visit. He does not stay at a distance. He desires to live with us. He in us, and we in Him. Fully united. If God truly dwells in us, what more do we need? His presence is enough. His love is enough. His power is enough. If God is with us, we have nothing to be afraid of. But Jesus also gives us a condition: “Whoever loves me will keep my word.” We are called to love Him in action, by obeying His commandments, doing His will, keeping His teachings. Now, this is where many people struggle. For some people, God’s commandments feel like a burden, they think His will dampens their desires and His teachings restrict their freedom. But for those who h...

 “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places… I am going to prepare a place for you.” Think about that. Heaven will not be a vast space where we roam or float about. We will have a home, a place to rest, to take root, to be safe and comfortable. And Jesus is preparing it for us. This is not a general promise, but something personal. Christ has you specifically in mind. He will prepare it in a way that is just right for us. So, are we also preparing ourselves for this future dwelling place? Jesus is the Truth, His promise is real. Heaven is real. We too have made a promise to God at our baptism, renewed at every Easter. Is our promise real? God has set aside a home for us, His children. We need to claim this gift, but not just with lip service. We need to claim it with our action, by how we live. Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life." Follow Jesus and we will get there. Trust Jesus and we will get there safe. Live like Jesus now and we will get there happily,...

 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.” Jesus is one with the Father. Jesus is not just a teacher or a prophet. He is the eternal Son of God— fully divine and fully human. He took on our human nature to save us, to redeem us, to bring us back to the Father. Today, the Church celebrates Athanasius of Alexandria, one of the great defenders of this truth. He lived in the 4th century and served as the bishop of Alexandria. At that time, a serious error began to spread in the Church. A priest named Arius taught that Jesus was not truly God— that He was only a creature, that He was created, and not equal to the Father. This teaching was very popular. Many people followed it.  St. Athanasius stood firm. Even as a young deacon, he defended the true faith. In the year 325, the Church gathered at the Council of Nicaea. There, the bishops proclaimed clearly: I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only...

 “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son?” In today’s Gospel, Jesus is identified by His work. He was known as the ‘carpenter’s son’. St. Joseph was a carpenter. Most likely, he was well known in Nazareth. His work defined him in the eyes of the people. And Jesus, in His hidden life, shared that identity. We do not know much about Jesus’ life in the years of His infancy till His public ministry. But we can imagine it could be very simple and humble. Jesus would have spent those years close to Joseph, watching him work, learning from him, assisting him and finally, possibly taking over the trade when Joseph passed on. In His humanity, Jesus learned how to work, to be an industrious member of society, following the example of His earthly father, Joseph. In the beginning, the first Adam was placed in a garden of the world to labor and care for it. Now, the new Adam, Jesus, was also placed in the carpentry of the world to labor and build for ...

 “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” There is a famous English comedian, Rowan Atkinson, who is well known for his act as Mr. Bean. He once shared that sometimes people went up to him to comment that he looked like Mr. Bean. To which he would respond, “I am Mr. Bean.” But they would insist, “No, no, you just look like him!” It sounds funny but this is exactly what is happening in today’s Gospel. The people asked Jesus, “Tell us plainly, are you the Christ?” They had seen His works and heard His profound teaching. There had never been anyone like Him. No one had performed the miracles He performed. No one had fulfilled the prophecies from old, only He did. Everything pointed to Him as the long-awaited Messiah. Those who knew the Scriptures should have recognized Him easily. Then why were they still asking? Simple answer. They were in denial. They knew, but they refused to acknowledge it. They probably thought they were too intelli...

 “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me… and I will lay down my life for the sheep.” This is the truth. And it is beautiful. We have a God who knows us by name. To Him, we are not just a member in a big church community, not just as a number in a big group - but we are a specific person to Him. He knows us personally, intimately and fully. There is a quote: Satan knows your name but calls you by your sin. God knows your sin but calls you by your name. And not only does He know us, He loves us so much, He lays down His life for us so that we can live. It is the truth. It is also a mystery of love. As St. Paul says: “May you have the strength to comprehend… the breadth and length and height and depth… and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” It is a love beyond understanding. Recently, I watched a short video about the vastness of the universe. To travel to the nearest galaxy from our Milky Way, at the speed of light, it would take about 2.5 millio...

Today is a beautiful day. Because something beautiful is going to happen soon. Do you know what is so special about today? As a priest, this is one of the days I look forward to every year. It is also one of the days Jesus Himself looks forward to every year, at every parish in the world. Jesus has been waiting for you to receive Him in Holy Communion. And it is a great joy, a great honor for me to give you Jesus for the first time in your life. Jesus is very happy. I am very happy. Your teachers are happy. Your parents are happy. Our St. Ambrose parish family is also very happy. Are you happy too? And you know what makes me happier than this? To give you Jesus again and again, week after week, from today onwards. After today, you should be able to receive Jesus at every Mass. Today is a very special day for you. A day you will remember all your life. Today is also a special day for Jesus, a day He does not forget at all. He remembers everybody’s First Holy Communion. From the moment y...

 “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” These words of Jesus are very clear. There are two types of people you can allow into your life. One will give you fullness, peace, and joy in life. The other will come in then leave you with emptiness, sorrow, and destruction. Who will you invite? Jesus says: I came to give you life - life in abundance. What is life in abundance? The world offers abundance too. It promotes and promises happiness through prosperity of material wealth and possessions, great power and control through high position and status. Thus many people keep working hard, they compete and fight, some even try to outsmart the system. Over time, more often than not, all these things will pass, deplete, fail and leave us empty, not one bit happier than when we were innocent children with nothing to our name. The worldly culture promises freedom, but it actually leads to slavery and sadness. So...

 “The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.” We all experience some suffering in life. We don’t have to go looking for it. It will come looking for us. And as Christians, suffering is part of our discipleship. Jesus said very clearly: “If you want to follow me, take up your cross daily and follow me.” That means every day in the life of a Christian, we each have a cross and we are called not to despise or deny it, but to carry it with grace. Throughout the history of the Church, followers have carried their crosses in various ways. The Desert Fathers believed in severe fasting and a very austere life. In the Middle Ages, some monks practiced harsh penances - even self-inflicting physical suffering. Today, we hardly see such extreme practices. Life itself has enough hardship to offer. Simply by being faithful to our Christian vocation – as a married coup...

Holy Family School Mass Homily:   “There broke out a severe persecution of the Church in Jerusalem, and all were scattered…” Who founded the Catholic Church? Jesus! Today’s first reading tells us that the Church He founded was fiercely persecuted at the beginning, that means the Church was attacked by enemies, so how did the Catholic Church survive till today? The answer is also found in the reading, the Church was built on the preaching and witnessing of the Apostles, the very people who followed Jesus when He was alive, at His death and after He resurrected. They were His disciples who did not fear the persecutions and continued to preach and teach many people. Is the Church founded by Jesus still here today? Yes! Not only here - it is growing all over the world. Our Catholic Church today is founded by Jesus Himself over 2,000 years ago, handed to the Apostles and passed down to the popes and bishops, year after year, century after century. But it has always been a challengi...

 “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” I have many personal friends whom I do not contact regularly anymore, mostly because of our busy schedules, time zone difference, and simply how quickly time passes. But when I need something from there, when I need their help, I would not hesitate to call them. And they would oblige and not reject me. They too, would reach out to me only when they need my help, and I would not deny them my assistance either. I do feel guilty quite often, however. I do think I should have called them more often, to check in with them and show concern, not just when I needed help. My friends are guilty of the same. In today’s Gospel, people were looking for Jesus, and He knew their motivation, because they knew He could provide for their needs, He could feed them and satisfy their hunger for food. Sadly, they did not know He could give them much more than mere food, they simp...

 “Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” When I was a child, I walked a lot. Because few families owned a car, including my family and there was hardly any public transportation in my village. So, everybody walked. One of my earliest memories in life was walking with my grandfather. He brought me along wherever he went. We walked along the narrow village roads, through farms and plantations. Sometimes I would walk slowly by his side. Sometimes I would run ahead a few steps, then pause to wait for him, and then I would run ahead again. I still enjoy going on walks, with nowhere specific to go to, just strolling around leisurely, sometimes with my nieces and nephews, with friends, or alone, just to enjoy the scenery and fresh air. It is always especially pleasant to walk with someone you love, respect or are comfortable with. In today’s Gospel, we see a life-changing walk. On the day of the Resurrection, two disciples of Jes...

 “It is I. Do not be afraid.” One of my nephews and I used to do WhatsApp video calls. You know how those apps have masks and funny filters. One day I put on a scary mask, he threw the phone aside, and ran away. He got frightened. Later I called him and said , “It’s your uncle. Don’t worry.” After that we made an agreement—no more masks/ filters during our calls. Now he is fine! In today’s Gospel, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, but they do not recognize Him. They think they are seeing a ghost, and they are terrified. Then Jesus speaks: “It is I. Do not be afraid.” The moment they hear His voice, fear begins to leave them. His words help them recognize Him. His voice brings peace. That is the power of the word of God. We see the opposite in Gethsemane. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, they asked, “Are you Jesus the Nazorean?” Jesus answered: “I AM.” And the Gospel says they drew back and fell to the ground. The same Lord. The same voice. The same divine power. ...

 “Fellow children of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men.” These are the words of Gamaliel in today’s first reading. Gamaliel was a Pharisee, a highly respected teacher of the law. People listened to him because his words carried wisdom and authority. He was also the teacher of Saul who later became Paul the Apostle. In today’s reading, we see that his logic was simple but profound: “For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” And so too, his advice was simple but wise: Be careful. Think. Do not act in haste. I often wonder, “Where was Gamaliel when Jesus was being condemned?” If he was present at the Sanhedrin, could Jesus be spared the death sentence like the Apostles? In any case, from today’s reading, we can conclude that Gamaliel was indeed a man of justice, a man of prudence, a man of wisdom, and a man o...

Holy Family School Mass Homily:   “During the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison.” Did you hear that line in today’s first reading? The Sadducees put the apostles in jail. But during the night, an angel of the Lord came, opened the prison doors, and set them free. That is amazing, right? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have an angel like that? But here is the good news: You already do! Each one of you has a guardian angel. God has given every one of us an angel to protect us, guide us, and help us reach heaven. Some saints were very close to their guardian angels. St. Isidore, a farmer in Spain, loved God very much. There are stories that angels helped him with his work when he was busy praying. St. Padre Pio often spoke with his guardian angel and even asked his angel to help others. St. Gemma Galgani also experienced her guardian angel, who guided her and even corrected her when she did something wrong! Even in the life of Jesus, when He was praying in t...

 “If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” This first conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus happens early in John’s Gospel, but by then, Nicodemus would have already heard about Jesus and knew about some of the miracles He worked. Nicodemus knew there was something different about Jesus, something beyond the ordinary, something possibly divine. Thus, he said, “No one can do these signs unless God is with him.” Nicodemus was knowledgeable, and like the rest of the Jewish people, he was waiting for the Messiah. Yet he struggled to believe in Jesus. Jesus often spoke to ordinary people using simple every day images – planting seeds, vineyards, shepherding, fishing – events which were familiar to the people of that time. But when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus who was a learned man, He went deeper. He spoke about being born again, about the Spirit, about heavenly realities. And Nicodemus struggled. Why? Because e...

 “There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. He came to Jesus at night…” From this incident, we can learn a lot about Nicodemus. He was a Pharisee, a teacher of the Law, respectable and reputable in the Jewish circle of his time. But unlike the rest of the Jewish leaders, he recognized Jesus as sent by God, ‘for no one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him.” In the Gospel texts, Nicodemus appears only three times. Today’s Gospel presents the first time, he came to Jesus at night, quietly, almost secretly. Why? Because if he was being seen in a friendly connection with Jesus, his reputation, position, and all that he had worked for in his life, would be at risk. He could lose it all. Yet he took that risk, though carefully. And from his conversation with Jesus, we received some of the most beautiful teachings about our faith, about baptism, about God’s plan for the world. We are told in this encounter, “For God so loved the world that He gave H...

 “Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you caught anything to eat?’” When I first came to this parish some years ago, I wanted to know and communicate with all the different refugee communities here. So, I tried to learn their languages by picking up the basics. People were very happy to teach me. The first word I asked to be taught was how they address a priest. Do you know why? So that when people were talking in their languages, I would know if they were talking about me! When I hear words like topa, kudow, annokka, abuna, I know they are speaking about me! I also asked them how to say “How are you” when I meet someone in their community. And then I asked them what is the next question they would usually ask when they greet one another. Guess what. Almost all of them gave the same answer. They would usually ask “Have you eaten?” Why? Because many of them have experienced food insecurity, real hunger so it is almost a social habit to check if someone has had a meal. By asking that...

 “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Have you ever heard this quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: "The nearer the dawn the darker the night." As we enter further into Holy Week, we are getting very near to Easter, and we see the events leading up are also getting darker and more intense. And today, we hear the words from the prophet Isaiah in the first reading, reminding us of our role in the salvation of the world, that He will make us a light in the darkness that is to come upon earth. He has chosen each one of us personally. He has called us by name. While the world is in darkness, we are not to be consumed by it. He has made us to be a light, to shine in this darkness, to break it. Our light does not just shine for others to see, it is a light of holiness, for others to reach to God. It is a light of grace, for others to receive God’s goodness. It is a light that reflects Christ to others, so that they can see c...