Homily: June 1, 2023, Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (All Knowledge)

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"He plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart; understanding their innermost being. The Most High possesses all knowledge.”

For most of us, uncertainties cause anxieties and the unknown future triggers fear. That is why many people crave for knowledge, but no one can ever have all knowledge, except God.

Thus, it is very assuring that our God who knows everything about the world, about us, our good and our bad, and still loves us. This is our greatest comfort and security.

Between ourselves, we too can bring comfort and assurance to one another.

Whenever I meet my spiritual director and share with him my struggles and difficulties, he would console and assure me by sharing his own similar life experiences and how he has lived through it. His own past has become the encouragement and inspiration for my present situation.

In the same way, I have journeyed with and comforted many who have lost loved ones because I too have lost my beloved parents. 

Through my own pain and grief, I am now able to empathize with them, understand their deep sorrows and grief.

Our God does not just possess all the knowledge, He knows our inner most being, He understands our struggles and hardships, because He Himself has gone the extra mile to suffer physical hardships and painful rejections in His life on earth.

He knows. And from that knowledge, He consoles.

So, let us find solace in His ever-knowing presence. In His embrace, we find refuge, a divine luminescence. For in His wisdom, He guides us through life's winding way. His understanding surpasses all, bringing light to our darkest day.

In times of sorrow and struggle, let us seek His tender grace, the One who plumbs the depths, who understands every trace. For in His arms, we find solace, a sanctuary secure. The Most High possesses all knowledge, His love forever pure.

Amen.


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Homily: August 10, 2025, Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

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"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has similarly been tested in every way, yet without sin." When someone is diagnosed with a major illness, they often turn to others who have gone through a similar experience. They seek advice about doctors, treatments, and coping strategies. Why? Because those who have been through the same struggles can empathize and possibly share insights about the situation, better than someone who has not been through it. They know the pain, the challenges, and the fears, the journey. Of course, not everyone’s experience will be the same, but the reference can be useful. I remember when my mummy was diagnosed with cancer, we asked many people who had cancer before which helped us understand some things about the condition.  In today’s first reading, we hear about Jesus, our High Priest, who sympathizes with our weaknesses and knows what we go through in life, because He has gone through it all...
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Homily: July 29, 2025 Feast of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus (Presence)

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 “She had a sister named Mary, who sat beside the Lord at His feet, listening to Him speak.”  We heard this same Gospel text just two weeks ago at Sunday Mass. Many of us can relate easily to Martha, the busy, action-oriented person, with a clear vision of tasks and responsibilities to accomplish, goals and objectives to achieve. There is work to be done, so we just get on with it. We end the day satisfied with the checklist all ticked. But we often realize there is something more important we have missed, only when we reach the end of our life. Through my growing years and ministry as a priest, I have accompanied many people at the end of their lives: my grandparents, my parents, many elderly parishioners, and some close friends. Consistently, during those final moments, people do not ask for anything else but the presence of their loved ones.  Elderly people often long to see their grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Parents wish to be visited by their children. Thei...
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Homily: April 1, 2025, Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Lent ()

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 "God Saw How Good It Was." I love to read the story of creation, to visualize how it all started, the see our origin, the source of our being. God, in His infinite love, created the world to express His goodness, and made humanity the crown of His creation, to reflect His perfection. His expression was good. His reflection was good. Everything He created was good because each of His creation had a purpose for existence, a place in the world, a special relationship with Him. There was unique beauty in each, and harmony as a whole. His grace was in everything. He could see it. It was truly good. We know that as the story continued, the beauty and perfection were shattered soon after, by the sin of man, God’s masterpiece of all His created beings. Superficially, we see that God’s creation was destroyed. However, if we look around the world today, we can still see glimpses of the original goodness. A newborn baby. A full bloom flower. A bright rising sun. We can see how good it ...
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 "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 ...
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