Homily, June 30, Thursday, Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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 “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

Before healing the paralyzed man from his physical illness, Jesus first healed him of his spiritual burden. Jesus forgave his sins.

Physical, psychological, emotional, even social illnesses are linked to our spiritual well-being. Illnesses are a consequence of sin.

During our third Wednesdays’ healing services, the ministers of healing always direct the sick people to the sacrament of reconciliation first because they believe forgiveness of the soul is necessary before healing of the body.

But are all our sicknesses due to our own sinfulness?

Many saintly people suffer illnesses, and we can be sure those are not consequences of their own sins.

Many great saints suffered serious illnesses too. One beautiful example is St. Teresa of Lisieux.  She suffered much during her short life and she offered all her sufferings for the conversion of sinners. Her suffering was salvific, just like our Saviour.

Jesus suffered and died not for His own sins, but for the sins of humankind.

Mother Angelica said, “Suffering in itself does not make us holy. It is only when we unite it, out of love, to the suffering of Christ that is has meaning.”

All our sicknesses and sufferings are salvific if we offer them for our own and for the salvation of the world.


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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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 “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...
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Homily: September 15, 2025, Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows (Entrustment)

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 “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” This arrangement, spoken from the Cross, may look like a simple and practical arrangement for the care of His surviving mother, but truly, it carries a deeper and profound truth. It is one of the ‘seven last words of Jesus’. Quite naturally and obviously, He entrusted the care of His beloved Mother to someone reliable and obedient. He gave her to John. And at the same time, He also entrusted the continued nurturing of John, His beloved disciple, to His Mother. Jesus had no earthly possessions which will wither and end to leave behind. What He left, as a lasting forever legacy to His disciples and as a gift of eternity to all believers to come, was the institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. Now from the Cross, He is giving to the whole of humanity something personal: His own Mother,  whom He took His human flesh and blood from when she carried Him in her womb. Why John the beloved ap...
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Homily: June 21, 2025, Saturday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time (Sufficient Grace)

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Homily: May 1, 2026: Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker

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 “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 ...
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Homily: June 15, 2025 Soemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

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Today’s second reading ends with this powerful phrase: “Because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Today we celebrate two beautiful events: the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity and Father’s Day. So, happy Father’s Day to all our fathers, grandfathers, fathers-to-be and godfathers! My siblings and I are incredibly blessed to have had a good Christian father who fulfilled his duties both as a father and as a Catholic. My papa was a very quiet, resilient, yet very gentle person. He loved and protected all his seven children, physically, emotionally, mentally and especially spiritually. He taught us the faith and was a great model of the traditions. He made sure we never missed Sunday Mass and took us regularly to Confession. I was very much a “dad’s boy”, working with him daily on the farm, taking care of the animals together with him. He didn’t worry much about school grades, but he was very firm and strict with us re...
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