Homily: May 24, 2022, Tuesday of the Sixth Week of Easter

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Jesus said to His disciples, “And when the Advocate comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me.”

Not believing in Jesus is sin. Believing in Jesus is salvation. In the first reading, St. Paul and Silas told the jailer, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved”.

Did the jailer believe? Yes.

Did he do something concrete with that belief? Yes.

He took in Paul and Silas, who were prisoners, took care of them and served them even though his and his family’s life would be in great danger. 

They then accepted baptism, and they rejoiced for having received their faith. The jailer believed in Jesus, and he acted courageously according to his belief.

If we truly believe in Jesus, we will live life active in the Spirit of Christ. If we truly believe in Jesus, we will act according to His commandments of love. 

If we truly believe in Jesus, we will stand firm in the teachings of the church and against the ways of the world. We will defend life and reject vice. We will be saved.

We do not just say ‘we believe’, we live it.

Not believing in Jesus is sin because it means not believing in God, nor salvation, nor eternal life. It would mean believing only in self, without the need for God.

If we study the book of Genesis carefully, we will see that the devil did not tempt Adam and Eve to steal or kill or cheat or commit anything seemingly wrong, he simply tempted them to live independent of God. That was the sin of our first parents. And it continues to be the sin of the world today.

Do you truly believe in Jesus?

Fr. Nivin Scaria 


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March 1, 2025: First Holy Communion Homily: St. Joseph's Catholic Church Seffner, Florida

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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...
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Homily: May 14, Feast of St. Mathias (Chosen)

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"It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you”.  Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Matthias, who was not at first one of the twelve nor part of the inner circle of Jesus. He was chosen later into the college of apostles, to take the place of Judas. In the first reading, we saw how the apostles prayed and asked the Lord to show them whom He had chosen, someone who had accompanied them ‘the whole time’. They then cast their lots and God’s choice was revealed. Did God choose Matthias only at that point when the apostles had to replace Judas? Or did God already planned and prepared Matthias ‘the whole time’ when he was following Jesus throughout His ministry, and remained in the community even after the crucifixion? St. Paul says, “He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world…” Can you imagine, right up to this point in your life and mine, you and I are present right now in this holy place not by chance, but by choice. Through our own decisions nevertheless, but not w...
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Homily: June 6, 2026 Saturday of the Nineth Week in Ordinary Time (Preserverance )

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“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...
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Homily: June 4, 2026, Thursday of the nineth week in Ordinary time

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 “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...
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Homily: JUne 6, 2026, Solemnity of the most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus.

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 "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 ...
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Homily: June 9, 2026, Tuesday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time (Shine-Light)

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“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...
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Homily: June 8, 2026, Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time (Trust)

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“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 ...
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Homilía: Julio 17, 2022, XVI Domingo Ordinario

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 "Marta, Marta, muchas cosas te preocupan y te inquietan, siendo así que una sola es necesaria. María escogió la mejor parte". ¿Qué es esa única cosa que se necesita? Este consejo de Jesús es muy importante para cada uno de nosotros. Reflexionemos sobre las lecturas de hoy para entenderlo mejor. En la primera lectura, Abraham vio a tres hombres que estaban cerca de su tienda; inmediatamente se ofreció a servirles y les dio una buena cena, antes de que siguieran su camino. En la lectura del Evangelio, cuando Jesús entró en el pueblo, Marta y María lo recibieron. Marta se ocupó de preparar una buena cena para Jesús. Mientras que María, se sentó a sus pies a escucharle hablar. Marta se sentía agobiada y ansiosa. Necesitaba la ayuda de María para dar una buena comida a su invitado. Entonces Jesús dijo: "una sola es necesaria. María escogió la mejor parte...". Efectivamente, María eligió algo maravilloso. Sentarse con Jesús y escucharle hablar. Eso es lo que nos gustaría...
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Homily: April 12, 2025, Fifth saturday in Lent (Sanctuary).

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 “I will multiply them and put my sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling shall be with them.”  Growing up in one of the Eastern Catholic Churches was truly one of the greatest blessings of my life. I grew up in the Syro-Malabar Church, which is the largest Eastern Catholic Church. Our theology, liturgy and history are distinct from the Western Church but are in full communion with the Pope in Rome. In our tradition, the sanctuary, the high altar and the tabernacle are at all times veiled with a large curtain that separates and covers the sanctuary from the congregation. The curtain is drawn and unveiled only during the Divine Liturgy, that is when Mass is being celebrated. Only the priest, sacristan, and altar servers are allowed to enter the sanctuary with respectful behavior and deep reverence. From a very young age, we were taught that the altar is utmost sacred, that the sanctuary is the Holy of Holies, like the inner temple of Israel. The veil served as a visible remin...
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Homily: March 28, 2022, Monday of the Fourth Week of Lent.

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 Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live”. Jesus did not ask any question to find out more details about the son’s illness. He did not see the child nor observed his condition. Yet He responded to the royal official’s pleading with certainty. Of course, He’s God. But if you didn’t know that Jesus is God and has power over life, and if it was your son nearing death, would you believe Him so simply? When I was a young boy, I used to walk 4 miles up and down, to go a blacksmith in the next village to sharpen our sickles, spades, and farming tools. He would say, “Come back same time tomorrow, your tools will be ready.” So, next day I would walk again 4 miles to collect the tools. Then one year, I had to go back 5 consecutive days because each time I went back, the tools were not ready and he told me the same thing every day, “Come back same time tomorrow.” I believed him every time. Finally, on the 5th day, it was all done. Thankfully, my uncle lived nearby. The blacksmith’s...
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