Homily: May 9, 2023, Tuesday of the fifth of Easter (Peace)

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 Jesus said to his disciples: "Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid." 

These same first disciples were persecuted and martyred thereafter. What is the peace that Jesus gives?

When we were seven children all together at home, it was so wild. Looking back at those days, I admire my parents with their faith and patience. When it got too noisy with our playing or fighting, mommy would walk out of the house and just sit out somewhere. If we go look for her, she would tell us, "Leave me alone. I need some quiet time, a little bit of peace." After some time, she would regain her energy and come back in to continue her chores. 

When we think of peace, most of us would visualize a relaxed environment, having no work, no stress, no trouble, no noise, no enemies. Many times, I thought, "If I get enough funds for the daily needs of this parish, I will be at peace."

Is that true? Would I really be at peace if that condition is fulfilled?

I once saw a poster showing a monk sitting cross-legged in deep meditation, in a calm and relaxed composure, right in the middle of a terrible storm. He looked totally undisturbed. The title of that poster was ‘peace’.

Peace is not the absence of troubles, but the presence of faith. When we know confidently that God is always with us, even if we fail, that He is merciful even if we sin, then we will never be troubled nor disturbed. We will be at peace with ourselves, with others and with life.

A good example we see in today's first reading. The Jews from Iconium and Antioch came to Lystra and stoned Paul. But later on, he went back to Iconium and Antioch to strengthen the communities. He was not afraid, not troubled, but focused on his mission. 

We have peace when we think of the reward we will receive in the life to come. Nothing else in this life matters.

Look at the crucified Jesus, the King of Peace. His suffering, his death did not take away His peace. Instead, he forgave His enemies. That came from true peace, an appreciation that God allowed everything to happen according to scripture, to the prophecies.

This is the peace Jesus gives. When we surrender totally to God, like Jesus did, our heart, mind and spirit will be at peace. Not the peace that the world promises, but an everlasting, true peace. Peace be with you. Amen.


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Homily: December 25, 2025, The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)

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 “So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Infant lying in the manger.” Today we hear the beautiful story of the shepherds visiting the newborn Christ. They found not only a Child, but a family. God sent His Son into the world not as a warrior or a king, but into the care of a mother and a father. Into a home. Into love. And what kind of family did God choose? Not a wealthy family. Not a powerful family. Not a comfortable family. Mary and Joseph had no room in the inn. Mary gave birth in poverty. Joseph struggled to provide safety and shelter. Their situation was not easy there was fear, uncertainty, and hardship. Yet God entrusted His Son to them. Even if they lacked material comfort, Jesus never lacked what mattered most: a loving mother and a caring father. As God wanted His Son to have a holy family, so too God wants every child to experience a holy, loving, safe family. Today we look around and see many broken families, many homes burdened with pain, absence, d...
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"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you." Just three days ago, we celebrated Christmas - a joyful commemoration of the day God came to live among us in our world, it is a when divine light entered human darkness, it is a day for rejoicing. The Christmas season continues for the Church up until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. However, if we read and reflect on the details of Christ’s birth and events surrounding this season of joy, we see poverty, simplicity and suffering. Just before our Lord was born into this world, His earthly parents went through hardship just to find a place to rest, He was then welcomed into physical and material poverty, the day after His birth, we celebrated the death of the first martyr, St. Stephen, followed by the feast of St. John the Evangelist who suffered persecution and isolation till a ripe old age. And now today, we observe the feast of the Holy Innocents — a sorrowful event when hundreds of...
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 “All these matters were discussed throughout the hill country of Judea.” I know how this works. I grew up in a hill country very much like Judea, long before the time of internet, wi-fi and cell phones. Only one house in our village had a telephone, yet somehow everyone knew what was happening in every family. News traveled fast and no one was ever left out of the details. Communication was efficient and effective, without technology. And everyone shared quite freely about their joys and sorrows, ups and downs, happy stories, sad stories, all real, nothing fake. I wonder if the youth of today can imagine that. I am glad we still have these ways of personal communication in practice, especially with those who do not depend on cell phones. I love the little children of St. Ambrose whenever they come to me in excitement. Because they tell me everything that happened in their homes, even things I probably didn’t need to know! They are fast, and detailed. And often they return very soo...
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Homily: December 22, 2025 Monday of the Fourth week of Advent (Surrender)

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“Now I, in turn, give him to the LORD; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the LORD. She left Samuel there.” How long did Hannah pray and wait for a child? Jewish tradition suggests that Hannah possibly waited about nineteen years. Throughout scripture, we understand that being childless in those days meant living like being cursed. There was no sympathy from others, only gossip and scorn. Despite carrying deep sorrow in her heart, Hannah did not give up, she kept praying and asking for God’s compassion and mercy. Finally, God answered her prayer, and the child was named ‘Samuel’ which means ‘because I asked God for it’. What would you do if you received a gift you have been longing for and waiting for years? You would hold on tightly to it and not want to lose it, right? Well Hannah was different. She was totally grateful that God has removed her shame and restored her dignity with the gift of a son, Samuel. But Hannah did not cling on to her gift, she readily dedicated her ...
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Homily: December 23, 2024 Monday of the Fourth Week in Advent (Purification)

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 "He will purify the sons of Levi, refining them like gold or like silver, that they may offer due sacrifice to the LORD." There are usually five steps to refine gold or silver. The very first step is to melt it in a hot furnace, then the molten gold is cast into molds to separate it from base metals and other impurities. It is further refined through electrolysis and other refining processes. Today’s first reading tells us God will purify His people like refining gold. Isn’t it a lot of hard work for God the refiner and such painful process for us, the refined? Yes, but it is so that we will all shine bright and flawless. Yesterday, after Sunday Mass, I was standing near the baptismal font, talking to a parishioner who informed me that Afaf Bakal, a Sudanese parishioner, had just passed away. Two years ago, I baptized her at that very same font and administered her Confirmation and First Communion. I remember her baptism vividly because she was already very weak at the time....
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Homily: October 18, 2022. Tuesday of the twenty-ninth week in Ordinary time (Feast of St. Luke)

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“Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you.” This sounds fine to me because I am not fussy with food and am happy to eat anything offered. I can’t think of any food that I will not eat. And it helps a lot in my ministry, especially in this parish since I get invited to homes of various cultures and different cuisine. So far, I do enjoy Eritrean, Burmese, Laotian, Sudanese, Mexican and of course, American food. Yes, it is easy to feed me but very difficult to slim me down. But why did Jesus give such a specific instruction to His disciples regarding eating and drinking? It may look simple for us, but it was challenging to His disciples. They were Jews and the Jewish law laid out very strict food practices and prohibitions. And now they were being sent out to Gentile villages to preach to them. They were to live in Gentile homes and eat as they eat, drink as they drink. The disciples probably had never done anything like that before. Can you imagine the cultural sho...
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Homily: August 10, 2025, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

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 “You also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Do you like surprise visits? Some of us do. Recently, I went again to visit my sister and her family. Since the last visit, my 4-year-old nephew had been calling me almost daily and asking me to visit him again. So, this time, I told my sister to keep my trip a secret, I wanted to surprise the little boy. When he saw me finally, his eyes were wide open with disbelief, and his mouth too was wide open in surprise! I will never forget that look on his face, and the exuberant joy of the moment when I hugged and carried him. But not all of us like surprise visits, especially when the visitors come at the wrong time, and we are caught unprepared. When I was in high school, our principal, Fr. George, was very strict. He didn’t talk much, but he knew every student. Occasionally, he would walk along the school corridors, surveying every corner and if he caught any student misbehaving, he would carry ou...
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 "Therefore, the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us!'"  One book I read during my school days was titled: ‘The God of Small Things’. The book has nothing to do with God or religion, but I like the title because it reminds me that our God is also a God of small things. He appreciates and takes pleasure even when we offer Him the littlest effort or prayer or joy of our day. And He too often shows Himself in simple, silent humble signs. In today’s first reading, King Ahaz was given the opportunity to ask for a great sign from God, but he rejected, claiming to not want to test the Lord. Still, God chose to give him a sign anyway - not in a big way, but something simple yet powerful: "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son." This sign is simple yet powerful because while it is normal for a woman to bear a child, it is impossible for a virgin to do so. Only ...
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Homily: August 25, 2025, Monday of the Twenty-First week in Ordinary Time (God's Army)

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 “Knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.” In today’s first reading, St. Paul thanked God for choosing the Thessalonians to be citizens of His Kingdom, out of love. Recently, I learned what the word ‘drafting’ means in military context. People who are drafted are enlisted to serve in the military by law, it is compulsory and there is no other option to choose. Willing or unwilling, whoever is drafted has to obey. In India, however, the army has never had to draft anyone to serve. Many young men and women are eager to join the army, but many either fail to meet the physical requirements or other criteria. The training is very tough. It is not easy to get into the Indian military because the requirements are very strict and also because there is stiff competition to enter. Many are keen, few are chosen. India has the second largest army in the world by active personnel. Those who make it, tend to serve for at least 15 years, and afterward, they receive a dece...
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Homily: May, 16, 2023, Tuesday of the Sixth week of Easter (Prison-Praise).

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About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God… This part of the first reading really struck me. Paul and Silas had just been beaten badly with rods and thrown into the innermost cell prison, with their feet chained up. They must be in extreme pain, every inch of their bodies, feeling very uncomfortable being chained up, very hungry and thirsty. Yet they prayed and sang hymns to God. How many of us can sing while having a bad headache? I can’t even smile. What was it that kept Paul and Silas, and the other apostles going and glorifying God even when they were tortured, suffering and in great pain? We live in a society of pain avoidance, we want a painless life, painless religion, painless relationships, painless death. And so we rely on painkillers, we want comfort and minimal struggles. My papa had cancer, and in his final days, he went through great pain. In India, we do not administer morphine. I was not with my papa when he passed away, but my sister tol...
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