Homily: February 6, 2023, Monday of the fifth week in Ordinary time.

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 How many of you looked at the sky last night? Did you see a full, big and bright moon?

I did. It was so beautiful and mesmerising.

Last November, when I was doing my silent retreat in Oklahoma, I had a lot of time to enjoy nature. One evening after dinner, I went out for a walk and looked up into the sky. I saw millions of flickering stars! I took my time to enjoy that beautiful scene.

We don’t get to see many stars in towns and cities because the city lights drown out the brightness of the stars.

In my childhood days, I used to enjoy looking at the stars. In the tropical climate of India, the sky was always very clear and in villages where electrical lights were weak, the stars were more visible. If you have ever seen the night sky filled with flickering stars, you will probably be awed by God’s creation, like I do.

These two weeks our first readings are taken from the book of Genesis, beginning with the creation story. As I read the first reading of today, I praised and thanked God for His beautiful creation. It is truly a work of love.

Yet so many of us are often too busy to notice the beauty of nature around us on normal days. We forget and we take for granted. Until it is removed or when we lose our senses, or when we near the end of our lives do we begin to appreciate all the simple wonders around us.

Our loving God in His goodness created everything good for us. So, every day, whether it is sunny or gloomy, snow or rain, there will always be something beauty, something wonderful in creation.

If we care enough to look, we will see God’s hands in nature. And if we can help it, we can try to ignore the damage and interference by man’s irresponsible hands for a moment. Just praise and thank God for making our universe so beautiful, the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, animals, trees and flowers. Give glory to Him for His wonderous works.

When we profess the creed later, and at every Mass, when we declare, “I believe in one God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth”, let us recall and appreciate the creation of God. 

Is there a beautiful place of nature which you enjoy and admire? Close your eyes for a moment now, bring it to mind and thank God for it.

Amen. 


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Homily: July 20, 2025, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary time.

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