Homily, July 11, 2022, Memorial of Saint Benedict, Abbot

-

 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth. I have come to bring not peace but the sword.”

Did Jesus really say these words?

We know Jesus is the Prince of Peace, but here He says He is not bringing peace.

We know Jesus to be meek and mild like a lamb, willing to die for the world, but here He says He is bringing the sword.

What is Jesus telling us here?

In letter to the Hebrews, it is written that Jesus’ word is a two-edged sword, it cuts both ways. In attacking the false beliefs of the world, it cuts. And in presenting and defending the Truth of God, it cuts too.

Jesus is the Word incarnate. He is the Truth. He preached the word of God and defended the Truth, and He was persecuted by the world. God’s Word challenged the ways of the world by bringing light to its sins. Its false peace was shaken.

God’s Truth awakened the consciences of the people and brought about remorse and a sense of guilt in those who listened to the Truth. Their temporal peace was broken.

Some followed, believed and were saved. Some refused to follow, nor believe and were lost. Thus, Jesus’ sword, the Word, creates divisions.

When we follow God’s Word, we will also encounter disagreement, rejection or persecution from friends and family who do not believe.

But we will receive the reward of eternal life and true peace, what the world cannot give.


Comments

Post a Comment

Read

Homily: January 11, 2026, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Beloved)

-
 “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” These words were spoken by God was not meant to be a private revelation. It was heard by everyone present on that day, all who witnessed Jesus being baptized by John.  These words were blessings from God, springing forth from His heart. Before Jesus preached a single sermon, before He healed anyone, before He suffered persecution and death, His Father in heaven proclaimed the Truth over Him: This is my beloved Son. Jesus lived His entire life grounded in that truth. He never struggled with His identity. He never doubted His mission on Earth. He knows who He is and why He has come. His purpose is to do the will of the Father, to reveal to the whole world who God is, to show to all generations how God loves and thus save all of humanity. Let us look again at where Jesus was baptized, the River Jordan. Its waters flows from near Mount Hermon, in between Lebanon and Syria, runs through fertile land, carrying nourishment for t...
Read more

Homily: November 29, 2023, Wednesday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time (Joy, Fun)

-
Holy Family School Mass:  Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" Signs are very helpful in our everyday life. When I first came to this church, I had a hard time finding the confessional. There were no signs. I thought it might be somewhere in the vestibule and after going down the stairs, I ended up at the restrooms. Directional signs tell us where to go, spiritual signs tell us what to do. When Jesus spoke about the destruction of the temple, He was also warning the disciples about fake news and scammers. So simply looking for signs may not help, because there are misleading and false signs that will only lead to more confusion and wrong turns. The only reliable signs in life are the Holy Word of God and the teachings and traditions of the church passed down from the Apostles. Our Christian faith guides and provides, it shows the right path to the right place. I have preached before that ...
Read more

Homily: Janaury 11, 2025 Saturday after Epiphany (Increase-Decrease)

-
 "He must increase; I must decrease." From this very simple statement, we can very clearly see the attitude of John the Baptist towards his mission - humility. John was a fearless man, he was not at all afraid of the Jewish authorities and preached courageously what he believed he was sent to do, he stood resolutely for truth and justice, not at all bothered about the cost or consequence. Nothing could stop him from speaking the truth. Yet, this aggressive preacher from the wilderness was humble, modest and meek when he acknowledges the presence of the Messiah. He recognized that his work, his purpose, his existence was done and must give way to the Lord. Tradition tells us that John the Baptist lived an ascetic life before his public ministry — a life of pure simplicity and total detachment, right down to the food he ate. Such a life demands complete abandonment of self and dedication to the mission. He lived with only one purpose – to accomplish the mission he was born for ...
Read more

Homily: June 18, 2025, Wednesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time (Not to be seen)

-
 “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them.” We live in a world of performance, we work to be seen and heard, to be recognized and applauded. With the explosive growth and popularity of social media, modesty has nearly disappeared. Many have taken to exposing every aspect of their personal lives, it is now so convenient and easy to share, like, and repost every little thing for the world to see. It is not a bad thing to share openly and freely with friends, especially the good moments, the joyful events, the memorable occasions. And within the Church, it is helpful to keep the community connected and informed, to broadcast and share all the good that is done, so that we can together praise and thank God for His blessings. Ahhh, here is the problem... Do we do good so that we can praise God, or do we do good so that others can praise us? Do we sometimes work hard to show that we are the most active, generous, or popular church in town? Are we offend...
Read more

Homily: July 20, 2023, Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

-
 "If they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?" God replied, "I AM who AM." Yesterday, we asked ‘Who am I?’. Today, God is telling us who He is, but in a deep and profound way. Do you understand God’s name? I didn’t understand until I learned it in Scripture class at the Seminary. Still, the explanation of why God identified Himself as ‘I am who am’ is rather complex. The question is, do we really need to understand it? Did Moses understand it? I don't think so. At that point in time, Moses was already 80 years old, having spent 40 years shepherding sheep with his Father-in-law Jethro. At that stage of his life, he probably just needed to know what and how, not why. In the readings, we do not see Moses questioning further, he did not need to be convinced, he just wanted to know what God wants of him and how he should do it. He took it simply but solemnly and followed God's directives with his heart. When I first came to this country, a...
Read more

Homily: Janaury 10, 2026, Saturday after Epiphany

-
 The one begotten by God He protects, and the Evil One cannot touch him. Through our baptism, each one of us was claimed by God. We were called by name, welcomed into the Church, and sealed with the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. From that moment on, we belong to God. Because of this, the Evil One has no power over a baptized Christian. He cannot simply take control of us. He can tempt, distract, confuse, and deceive, but he cannot touch us unless we freely give him permission. In my 9 years of priesthood, I have been asked only a few times to assist with cases related to exorcism. In each situation, careful discernment was required. Most cases involved mental health struggles or minor disturbances, not true possession. The Church is always very cautious. An exorcist asks many questions, not only to understand what is happening, but also to see how a door may have been opened. Very often, when something serious is involved, there has been a violation of the F...
Read more

Homily: April 7, 2024 Second Sunday of Easter Sunday of Divine Mercy

-
 Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say, "His mercy endures forever." Let those who fear the LORD say, "His mercy endures forever." We sang these verses in today’s responsorial psalm. God’s mercy endures forever. ‘Forever’ means from the very beginning to the very end of time, God’s mercy ‘endures’. What does it endure? Does it endure just the length of time? No, more than that. It endures the breadth of our sins, and the depth of our hard-heartedness. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they had to bear the consequences of their sins. Even then, we read the scene of God putting together some garments for Man and Woman to cover themselves, who became conscious of their nakedness. This is a beautiful sign of God’s affectionate and compassionate love for the man and woman He created. This is God’s mercy. Thereafter throughout the whole of history, from Abraham to Moses, to Jesus till today, God continues to pur...
Read more

Homily: August 30,2023, Wednesday of the twentyfirst sunday in Ordinary time (Holy Anger)

-
Preached at Holy Family Catholic School Des Moines.   "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth.” Wow. Did Jesus really say these harsh words? He seems very angry. Why?  Since I was little, till now, I have been fearful of aggressive people. I would usually steer clear of them. If Jesus were to say those words to me angrily, I would have tried to keep a distance from Him. But Jesus’ anger is always reasonable. My mom used to get very angry with me too, because I was very mischievous and created lots of trouble. Although she was very frightening in those moments and I would always run far away from her, I would also always return, because I knew she would calm down. I knew she loved me. We know that Jesus is the most compassionate and loving person. He could forgive the worst sinners and showed gentle kindness towards them. He fed,...
Read more

Homilía: Julio 17, 2022, XVI Domingo Ordinario

-
 "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...
Read more

Homily: June 26, 2023, Monday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time (Father of faith)

-
"Go forth from the land of your kinsfolk and from your father's house to a land that I will show you…I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you.” Some many years ago, I attended a parish renewal program. One takeaway from that program which impacted me was just a simple phrase: "money follows mission". It speaks volumes about having faith in God’s providence. When I read today's first reading, I was inspired to coin this phrase: "Blessings follow struggles". This says a lot about trusting in God’s plan above our plans. In the coming two weeks, we will be reading from the book of Genesis. Today, we read from chapter 12, which narrates the call of Abram. This chapter marks the beginning of salvation history. Abram was a very wealthy man. He was leading a very comfortable, luxurious life with servants in wait and plentiful livestock. Which meant he had more than enough for himself and his household to live very long. Abram was already 75 years...
Read more