Homily: November 21, 2022, Monday of the thirty-forth week in Ordinary time.

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 “No one could learn this hymn except the hundred and forty-four thousand”.

We continue our reading from the book of Revelation. We get a glimpse of how beautiful heaven is through St. John’s vision.

St. Paul too had described heaven as: “Eye has not seen; ear has not heard, and the human heart never experienced”.

Growing up, I remember one catechist taught that our church’s altar is heaven because Jesus goes there daily, and with Him all the angels and saints.” And so for a few years, I always visualized heaven looking like the church altars of our small village. 

But reading the book of Revelation and later knowing about the vastness of this universe, I began to imagine a bigger and more beautiful heaven, filled with nature. I see it as a place of pure joy in its fullness, beauty in its fullness, peace and freedom in its fullness, and above all, being immersed in the loving presence of our Lord all the time. 

Two weeks ago, I went for my annual retreat in a contemplative monastery. It was a most prayerful experience, almost like entering heaven. I tried to live like the monks, they probably spend more than six hours daily in community prayer, all chanted in Latin. In between, they do their own personal prayers. They don’t talk to each other, not even during mealtimes. Only during recreation time do they interact more actively. 

They live in a way which is detached from the world, always conscious of the presence of God and constantly engaged in the reality of that presence. Their simple, daily life is free and peaceful, no worries or anxiety.

Is this how heaven will be? Can we live like too?

I wished I could stay there longer, for I truly experienced peace. Yes, if we can detach from the false promises of this world, we will be able to live in the simplicity of pure peace and joy.

Like the widow who gave everything she had, because she could detach from all those, there is no holding back. Nothing in this world is more valuable than the eternal life.

If we learn to give to God without hesitation, we will experience the true joy, peace and freedom that God wants us to have, we will experience heaven.

Let us surrender to God the whole of our life, like Mother Mary who surrendered totally to God’s holy will, even in the midst of pain and suffering.

Amen.


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Homily, Wednesday,January 5, 2022, Memorial of Saint John Neumann, Bishop

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Readings:  https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/010522.cfm In the first reading, St. John writes, “Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God”.  Do you truly and fully believe that Jesus is God? Do you know someone who does not believe so? Many, I am sure. Similarly in St. John’s time, there were many early Christian communities who questioned the divinity of Jesus. They followed Jesus’ teachings but regarded Him as simply a human person with the special power to perform miracles. They did not believe He is God. The disbelief stemmed from the humanity of Jesus. He was born from a woman like any other human, he grew from infancy to adulthood in the same way as the rest of humanity. He experienced hunger, pain, emotions and temptations like anyone. But He did not sin. Jesus was indeed fully human, so how could He also be fully divine? Human logic cannot explain it. Science cannot prove it. Thus, many could not accept it. God came to sav...
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Homily: February 27, 2022, Eight Sunday in the Ordinary Time

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 In the 2,000-year history of the Church, monastic orders like the Cistercians and Trappists have existed, and the monks dedicate themselves to a life of deep contemplation and penance. Some of these monks take a vow of perpetual silence, speaking only in an emergency. When they pass each other in the monastery, their silent greeting is "memento mori" - "remember death." They remind each other daily to consider the reality of death and to always be prepared for it. Today, November 2, we commemorate All Souls' Day, remembering all the departed souls in purgatory who long to see God face-to-face. Like the consecrated monks, this commemoration invites us to pause and reflect on our own mortality. Memento mori. Remember death. We probably have said goodbye to many people in our lives: family, friends, relatives, famous people and people who have done great deeds that impacted society. Some of their names may have already faded from our memories. Perhaps we’ve even s...
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Homily:August 18, 2024, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Wisdom)

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Homilía: 3 Julio, 2022, XIV Domingo Ordinario

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Homily April 29, Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

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 “And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus”. Even after being flogged, all day long, the disciples continued teaching and preaching everywhere… Amazing, isn’t it?  These past few days, we have been reading from Acts of the Apostles. We see how the Jewish leaders and high priest tried to stop the apostles from preaching in the name of Jesus. But they failed. The Pharisee Gamaliel rightly said, “if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” How true. The church is from God. The disciples did not stop teaching and proclaiming. They even rejoiced at being flogged for what they were doing. They were on fire for Jesus. They were so eager and excited to tell everyone about Jesus. What about us? If there is a new restaurant serving delicious food or a store is having a great end-of-summer sale, we would hear many people talking about it. Some w...
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Homily: August 20, 2022, Saturday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time

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“The angel led me to the gate which faces the east, and there I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east”.  These words in the first reading remind of the Orthodox and Oriental Churches. When they construct their churches, they would set their church altars to face the east, so that, when the priests celebrate Mass, they will be looking towards that direction. In India, especially in Kerala where I came from, all our church altars face the east. The concept is based on the expectation that Christ would come again, arriving from the east, and the priest is leading the community to the heavenly Jerusalem.  Interestingly, the Hindu temples also face eastwards.  And do you know, the houses in my village are built with the kitchens facing the east also. Why? It has nothing related to the coming of Christ. It has to do with the sunrise. The mothers of the households start cooking when they wake up, and the kitchens are open concept, so the rising sun will provide...
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Christmas Homily 2021,

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Homily: December 10, 2024, Tuesday of the second week In Advent (Word of God)

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Homily: November 2, 2024, The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls); Pleanary Indulgnce.

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