Homily: February 25, 2024, Second Sunday in lent (Obedient to death)

-

 “And in your descendants all the nations of the earth shall find blessing— all this because you obeyed my command."

This Sunday’s first reading ends with these words. This is so powerful. God promises Abraham that because of his obedience and faithfulness to God, all the nations of the earth all through the generations will be blessed.

It was a very difficult test that Abraham had gone through, his only son who was born at his old age had to be sacrificed as an offering to God, and he was willing.

How many of us would be willing to do the same?

Abraham, a human father, was willing to sacrifice his only son to please God. Would not God, our heavenly Father be willing to sacrifice His only beloved Son to save His people?

Thus, Abraham proved himself worthy to be the father of all the faithful. His obedience and faithfulness remain to this day, 4000 years later, a perfect model for all of us, his descendants.

God called Abraham out of his comfort to a life of seeking the land promised by God. He obeyed and ultimately fulfilled the purpose of his life.

God has called each of us to this life, to this existence, with a plan for us, a purpose, if we obey and follow, we will also ultimately fulfil our purpose and accomplish great things, not for ourselves but for the world.

When I ponder and reflect upon the journey of my life, more and more I am convinced of this. God’s hands are navigating my life when I surrender to Him, and great things are accomplished through His graces, which I, myself am pleasantly surprised oftentimes.

What about your life? Have you let God take control or are you still fighting to have it your way? Are you still stubbornly aiming to fulfil your own dreams and ambitions, instead of seeking God’s will and purpose for you?

The season of Lent is a perfect time for retreat, review and reflection. So that we can reroute, refocus and return to the track that leads back to God.

Lenten observances help us to meditate on the passion, death, and resurrection of our Lord through which He fulfilled his mission, so that we can learn how to also fulfil our mission.

The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke put the transfiguration of Jesus at the centre of their writings. Before the transfiguration, Jesus was becoming more and more popular among the people. After the transfiguration event, Jesus was becoming more and more hated by the Jewish leaders. Jesus began to prophesy about his passion and death, showing His disciples what it meant to be obedient and faithful to God’s will daily. Like Abraham, Jesus was willing to sacrifice His life even to the point of death, to fulfil God’s plan.

Let us imitate Abraham and let us follow Jesus. Let our obedience and faithfulness bring about abundant blessings for many more generations to come. Amen.


Comments

Post a Comment

Read

Homily: January 20, 2026. Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time (Anointed-Spirit )

-
 “And from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.” Today’s first reading narrates a very moving and exciting scene in the Book of Samuel: the anointing of future King David. He was still a youth, inexperienced and not tested, but he knew God and God knew him. God chose him, anointed him and his life changed forever. A few months ago, I watched the show ‘David’ at the Sight & Sound Theatre. This scene was so well done that it stayed vivid in my memory. When Samuel anointed David, something real happened, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him. David felt it. Thus throughout his life, he lived with a deep awareness of God’s presence and holy obedience to God. God’s presence was so strong in David’s consciousness then even though he later sinned, he did not hide from or justify himself with God. Instead, he offered up one of the most beautiful penitential psalms in deep contrition. “Do not cast me from Your presence, nor take Your Holy Spirit from me.” David unders...
Read more

Homily: Janaury 18, 2026, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Life mission )

-
 “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” These words from the prophet Isaiah are not only ancient poetry, they are also personal. God was speaking to Israel, telling them His plans. He is also speaking to us now, sharing the same vision He has for us. They echo what St. Peter affirms us in his epistle: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own… called out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Last Sunday we reflected on the identity that we are beloved children of God. His heir, and His beloved. This Sunday, the Church asks us to reflect on the question that follows: If this is who you are, then what are you called to do? Your life is not random. You exist not by accident. You live, not just to survive till death. The truth is, your existence is planned, you are entrusted with a mission. Imagine Isaiah standing here today and saying to you: “I will make YOU a light to the nations.” Not any...
Read more

Homily: Janaury 19, 2026 Monday of the Second week in Ordinary Time (Renewal)

-
 “Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.” In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about the new and the old. He uses the parallel of an unshrunken cloth being sewn on an old cloak, and of new wine being poured into old wineskin, both of which would cause trouble. His listeners understood these situations. Everyone wants newness and freshness, so what needs to change? Jesus is the new. He is the bridegroom heralding a new life, a new relationship, a new phase of life, but if we hold on to old and stubborn attitudes, we will not be able to appreciate His good news. This newness Jesus speaks of is not about external changes or more programs that do the same old thing in packaged in a new exterior. His newness is about interior renewal, an inside job. From time to time, I receive invitations to attend conferences or programs that promise quick and total transformation of the parish. Interestingly, none of these programs are free, in fact they cost a lot. I always wonder if the transf...
Read more

Homily: December 8, 2025, Solemnity of Immaculate Conception

-
 “He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.” These powerful words from St. Paul to the Ephesians remind us of a truth that should fill our hearts with great joy: we are chosen. We choose or nominate someone because we see great value in the person. It is an honor to be chosen, especially for something great. But today, St. Paul tells us something far greater: You and I have been chosen by God Himself the Creator of the vast universe, the Lord of galaxies and stars, the One who holds everything in existence. And God chose us, long before the world began, long before our birth, before we could do anything to earn His love. Why? Because God has a divine purpose for all of us. The blessed virgin Mary was chosen too, in an extraordinary way. God chose her and granted her a unique grace: conception without original sin. Mary’s soul was untouched by any stain of sin from the very first moment of her existence. God has a plan of salv...
Read more

Homily: January 17, 2026, Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time (Discipleship)

-
 Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And without hesitation, Levi got up and followed Him. There was no second thought, no delay, no negotiation. In that moment, Levi left behind his profession, his security, and all the benefits and privileges that came with it, and he became Matthew, the apostle. Not only that, Matthew brought many of his friends to Jesus.  Where there is true conversion, others are always drawn in. This is how discipleship works. When someone genuinely encounters Christ, that encounter never remains private. Every true conversion becomes contagious. Those who grow closer to Jesus naturally begin to bring others to Him. The same is true for us. Our discipleship is not a one-person journey. We live our faith within families, communities, and parishes. If we are truly walking with Christ, our lives will influence others, whether we realize it or not. And this leads us to a serious truth. Influence works both ways. In the first reading, we hear about Saul, who was ...
Read more

Homily: December 23, 2025 Tuesday of the Fourth week of Advent (Stories)

-
 “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...
Read more

Homily: June 15, 2025 Soemnity of the Most Holy Trinity

-
Today’s second reading ends with this powerful phrase: “Because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” Today we celebrate two beautiful events: the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity and Father’s Day. So, happy Father’s Day to all our fathers, grandfathers, fathers-to-be and godfathers! My siblings and I are incredibly blessed to have had a good Christian father who fulfilled his duties both as a father and as a Catholic. My papa was a very quiet, resilient, yet very gentle person. He loved and protected all his seven children, physically, emotionally, mentally and especially spiritually. He taught us the faith and was a great model of the traditions. He made sure we never missed Sunday Mass and took us regularly to Confession. I was very much a “dad’s boy”, working with him daily on the farm, taking care of the animals together with him. He didn’t worry much about school grades, but he was very firm and strict with us re...
Read more

Homily: September 3, 2025, Wednesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time (Healing Hands)

-
Holy Family School Mass Homily.   “At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him. He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.” In today’s Gospel, we hear about Jesus healing many people with different diseases. The passage begins with the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, who was very sick in bed with a very high fever. She was not merely resting, in fact her fever was so bad that she was unable to get out of bed. I am guessing it could be 103 or 104 degrees! Normally, if we get such a high fever, it would take us days to recover with strong medication. But when Jesus visited Peter’s mother-in-law, He simply stood over her, rebuked the fever, that means He scolded the fever, and it left her!  Instantly, she was well again and was able to get up and serve Jesus and His disciples. Wow! Jesus is the King of the Universe, He has power over everything in the world, if you would only believe in Him and trust Him. Even today, Jesus continues ...
Read more

Homily: February 22, 2025 Feast of the chair of St. Peter.

-
 “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.”  Our Lord founded the Church and handed over its growth and development into the future, to Peter. Note that the disciple is Simon, but the pope is Peter. Thus, this appointment to build the church, an appointment so solid like a rock, will be so strong and firm that not even hell could ever overcome it. Simon Peter was not perfect; he had his human weaknesses. It is written that he had cowardly denied Jesus three times, and at one point, Jesus even rebuked him, “Get behind me, Satan” (Matthew 16:23). Christian Tradition also tells that during the time of persecution in Rome, he had tried to escape and flee from Rome. The story continued that on his way along the road outside the city, he met our Lord Jesus where he asked, “Quo vadis, Domine?” - “Where are you going Lord?” To which our Lord replied, “Romam eo iterum crucifigī” – “I a...
Read more

Homily: January 18, 2025, Saturday of the first week in Ordinary Time (High-Priest)

-
"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...
Read more