Homily: December 19, 2023, Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent (Samson)

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 “As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb.”

As we near Christmas, the readings at Mass help us to prepare well for the season. Today we hear about two miraculous births: the birth of Samson in the first reading and the birth of John the Baptist in the gospel. 

I like reading about Samson. He had tremendous strength and killed many of the Israelites' enemies easily. God blessed him with extraordinary powers on one simple condition – “no razor shall touch his head.” All he needed to do was to keep his hair, nothing else.

Why didn’t God ask for something more challenging since what He is giving to Samson is something amazing?

This reminds me of God’s simple instruction to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, they just could not eat the fruit of a particular tree, nothing difficult. And another situation when God rescued Abraham, Sarah, Lot, and his wife, He promised them safety with only one simple instruction – not to look back.

God does not ask for big projects or challenging tasks, He only gives very, very simple instructions, but He showers huge blessings. Yet in all those situations mentioned, man failed God.

Why is it so difficult to keep to simple tasks given by God? Why are we so easily tempted to disobey God?

We know Samson’s story; he was seduced by a woman to reveal the secret of his power, and thus he lost it.

Our God is a God of small things; He does not need a lot from us, He is ready to bless us abundantly. Whatever He asks from us does not add anything more to God’s greatness, power or authority, but in effect, is meant to bless us more.

And for us to receive the abundant blessings of joy, peace and love of Christmas, all He asks of us is a place in our heart, a pure, contrite and loving heart.

Are we ready to open our hearts to truly welcome God coming as a baby? Is there space in our heart for Him? Is there space in our schedule to spend with Him? Is there space in our homes to honor Him?

Or are we too busy with shopping, presents, decorations, parties, food, dressing up and vacations?


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Homily: August 15, 2026, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sin-death)

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 “For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man.” Sin and death are connected, but Christ has come to break that connection and give us life. In his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul says, “The wages of sin is death.” Sin separates us from God, and God is the source of life.  God created Adam and Eve for life and friendship with him. But through their disobedience, sin entered the world, and with sin came death.  But when God prepared the world for the coming of his Son, he gave Mary a unique grace. From the first moment of her conception, she was preserved from original sin.  We can see Mary as the new Eve. Eve was created without sin, but she disobeyed God. Mary, by God's grace, responded differently. When the angel came to her, she said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Eve's disobedience was connected with humanity's fall. Mary's obedience opened the door for Christ, the Savi...
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Homily: July 18, 2026, Tuesday of the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Remember death)

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 “It is I who deal death and give life.” These words from our Responsorial Psalm today are actually not taken from the Book of Psalms. They come from the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 32. They remind us of a fundamental truth of our faith: God is the author of life. Our life comes from God, belongs to God, and ultimately returns to God. This phrase beautifully connects our first reading and the Gospel today. In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel speaks against the prince of Tyre, a man who had become proud because of his success, wealth, wisdom, and accomplishments. And so the prophet reminds him of one simple reality: you are only a man, and you will die. There are certain realities in life that quickly reveal our limitations. An illness can make a powerful and independent person suddenly dependent on others. None of us can say, “I am too important to die,” or “I have accomplished enough that death cannot touch me.” Sirach 7:36 says  “In whatever you do, remember your last...
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Homily: August 31, 2026, Monday of the Twenty Second Week in Ordinary Time ()

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“For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Occasionally we hear the saying, “Who you know can be more important than what you know.” Our own knowledge is limited, and sometimes the people around us can help us in ways that our own knowledge cannot. I experienced this recently with my immigration situation. I am especially grateful for someone who helped me find a way to renew my driver’s license even with documents that were about to expire. It reminded me that in difficult moments, it is a blessing to know people who are willing and able to help us. Perhaps that can help us understand what St. Paul is saying today, but on a much deeper level. Paul himself was a highly educated man, trained as a Pharisee. Yet he tells the Corinthians, “I did not come with sublimity of words or of wisdom.” Instead, he says, “I resolved to know nothing…except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” Paul had discovered that, in the end, the most important thing...
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Homily: August 30, 2025, Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time (Work Hard)

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 “Aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.”  This is exactly what I desire for my own life, a tranquil, serene, peaceful life. And I believe many of us long for the same too. St. Paul repeatedly encourages the Christian community to live in peace, to engage in meaningful work, and to live in harmony with one another, respecting a healthy privacy and space for others. One common misunderstanding among the early Christians was about the Second Coming of Christ. Many believed that Christ’s return was imminent, so close that it would happen within their lifetime. Because of this anticipation, some thought that working to upkeep livelihood or planning for their children’s future were pointless. And in some sense, it is practical. If you knew that everything you are working for would soon be useless, that your life would be totally transformed and all your property would be valueless, would you still work? Work ...
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Homily: August 14, 2026, Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe

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Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a saint whose life teaches us what it means to say a complete and generous “yes” to God. Most of us know the final and heroic chapter of his life. At Auschwitz concentration camp, a prisoner escaped, and as punishment, ten men were chosen to die by starvation. One of them cried out in anguish for his wife and children. Fr. Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward and said, “I am a Catholic priest. Let me take his place.” His offer was accepted. He entered the starvation bunker with the other prisoners. But even there, he continued to be a priest. Instead of allowing that terrible place to be filled only with despair, he prayed with the prisoners, encouraged them, and helped prepare them to meet God. One by one they died. Maximilian survived longer than the others, and finally the guards killed him with a lethal injection. We know that St. Maximilian Kolbe is in heaven because the Church has canonized him. But I like to think that those p...
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Homily: September 1 , 2026 Tuesday of the Twenty Second Week in Ordinary Time (Spirit of God)

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 “Now the natural man does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God, for to him it is foolishness, and he cannot understand it.” What St. Paul says in today’s first reading is something we can easily recognize in our world. There are people who do not believe in God, and there are others who mock Christian beliefs. Things that are most sacred to us—the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the Incarnation, the Assumption of Mary, and many other mysteries of our faith—may seem like foolishness to someone who does not share our faith. Sometimes, when we hear comments or see videos mocking our faith, our first reaction may be anger or offense. But perhaps our response should be different. Rather than becoming angry, we can respond with patience and prayer. St. Paul reminds us that the things of God cannot be understood by human reasoning alone; they are spiritually discerned. Faith itself is a gift, and we should be grateful that God has given us that gift. But St. Paul’s wor...
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Homily: April 18, 2026, Saturday of the Second Week of Easter (Be not Afraid )

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 “It is I. Do not be afraid.” One of my nephews and I used to do WhatsApp video calls. You know how those apps have masks and funny filters. One day I put on a scary mask, he threw the phone aside, and ran away. He got frightened. Later I called him and said , “It’s your uncle. Don’t worry.” After that we made an agreement—no more masks/ filters during our calls. Now he is fine! In today’s Gospel, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, but they do not recognize Him. They think they are seeing a ghost, and they are terrified. Then Jesus speaks: “It is I. Do not be afraid.” The moment they hear His voice, fear begins to leave them. His words help them recognize Him. His voice brings peace. That is the power of the word of God. We see the opposite in Gethsemane. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, they asked, “Are you Jesus the Nazorean?” Jesus answered: “I AM.” And the Gospel says they drew back and fell to the ground. The same Lord. The same voice. The same divine power. ...
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Homily: March 25, 2026, Soemnity of Annunciation (Full of Grace)

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Holy family school mass:   “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” Isn’t that a beautiful greeting? Before we go further on this, let me first ask you a fun fact, and let you think about the answer: Do you know why the Church fixed March 25th as the day we celebrate the Annunciation event? Not all the dates of feasts of the Church are historical dates. For example, we celebrate Christmas on December 25th, but we don’t actually know the exact date Jesus was born. The Church chose that date many centuries ago for a certain reason. Now let us link this to the Annunciation. Think about this: If December 25th is the day Jesus was born, when would He have been conceived in Mary’s womb? Nine months is the length of a normal pregnancy. So if we count backwards nine months from Christmas day, that will bring us to March 25th! And so on this date every year, we celebrate the day when the angel Gabriel came to Mary to announce Jesus’ coming, the moment Mary said Yes, and Jesus began...
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Homily: March 17, 2025, Second Monday in Lent (Measure).

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"For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you." This is one of the more practical teachings of Jesus, and from our own life experiences, we know it to be true. When we show love, people often respond with love. When we are compassionate, we usually receive compassion in return. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” God’s mercy is constant, consistent, unconditional. We deserve death and punishment, but God waives it off, taking on our death and punishment on Himself. That is mercy. And He tells us to do the same, not on our own strength, but we can imitate, reflect and emulate how God does it. God is merciful, because He loves truly and is generous. Love and generosity are painful virtues. Often, love may not be accepted, it can be rejected. Often generosity may not be appreciated, it can be taken for granted. That is how the world has treated God’s love and generosity, but He remains faithful and co...
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Homily: June 30, 2026, Tuesday of the Thirteenth week in Oridnary Time (God's Favorite)

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"You alone have I favored, more than all the families of the earth." Through Amos, God is reaffirming His covenantal relationship with Israel as His chosen nation, as promised to Abraham. It is an affectionate expression of God's faithful love. The rest of this reading is about Amos warning Israel the consequences of turning away from God, intending to bring them back to faithfulness. Despite all the disobedience and unfaithfulness, God loves Israel and continues to favor them specially. He has chosen them and will not back out of His choice. This is truly how God loves. Faithful, unwavering, unchanging. I heard that when someone spoke with Mother Teresa, she would ignore everything else around her and give her full attention to that one person. She remained fully present for as long as that person needed her. St. John Paul II was also well known for giving people that same kind of attention. They did that well because they were really giving God their undivided attention...
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