Homily: May 28, 2024, Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time (Holy Family School Mass)

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Today we are celebrating a very, very special and joyous occasion, do you know what that is?

Yes! Our second graders received their First Holy Communion! So a school famliy we celebrate their joy.

Now why is this so special and so joyous? Because receiving Holy Communion is really receiving Jesus Himself, to be united with Him heart in heart, body in body, totally and fully.

Can you imagine the powerful King of the Universe, who loves you very, very much, so much that He is willing to become so small so that He can enter into your heart and stay with you?

That is so wonderful! Something hard for us to fully understand but yet it is true!

Jesus wants so much to be with us always, forever and ever. He wants to bless us and give us everything that we need for our souls to be saved.

Do you think Jesus would give us everything we ask for? 

Like what we heard in the gospel passage today, James and John went to Jesus and boldly asked Him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”

And what did they want from Jesus?

"Grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left."

Do you know what it is that they want? What does it mean to sit on the right and left of a King?

Yes, it is to have power and authority, almost like the King.

But Jesus’ kingdom is different from the kingdom of the world. To sit at the right and left of Jesus, is to share in His suffering which this world will hit out for Jesus.

It will not be fun, it will be very painful and no one will be able to suffer like Jesus unless they are graced by Him. With the grace of God, we can conquer and overcome all the difficulties and challenges of life.

And how can we receive the grace of God to be strong and fearless in life?

Yes, we receive abundant grace when we receive Jesus in Holy communion! So we should receive Holy Communion as often as possible, keeping close to Jesus always.

And so, we are very happy for our second graders today. We pray that you will continue to love Jesus in the Eucharist, continue to attend Mass as often as possible and always keep Jesus in your heart. Amen!


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Did you listen attentively to the Gospel reading? Yes? Let me test you… What did Jesus say? Did He say, “Whoever eats my bread and drinks my wine?”  No! He said, “Whoever eats my FLESH and drinks my BLOOD remains in me and I in him.” Yes, when you receive Holy Communion, you are receiving the real flesh and blood of Jesus. I am sure Fr. Roy, your catechists, parents and the whole parish community have prepared you well for this day, so you know what you are receiving today. But what I want to focus on now is the last part where Jesus says, ‘remains in me and I in him’. 29 years ago in 1996, I received my First Holy Communion. I was eight years old, but I still remember that day vividly. I remember the preparations, my First Reconciliation, and the excitement I felt when I lined up to receive Jesus for the very first time. I remember seeing the priest dipping the Precious Body into the Precious Blood, and then that precious moment – Jesus’ body and blood rested on my tongue. So swee...
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