Fr. Nivin's Homily Blog

 "We receive from him whatever we ask, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him." At one point in my life, I was enjoying listening to prosperity gospel preachers like Joel Osteen. What they preached was not theologically profound nor sound, but their messages were so uplifting and impactful. They made having faith in God look very attractive and materially rewarding. “Believe in Jesus and you will be saved, you will be rich, you will be successful, you will be powerful! Pray for anything and God will give you everything!” Such wonderful promises sure sound good. But is it the truth of our faith? As I matured in life and in faith, I realized that such messages lack authenticity and do not at all align with Jesus’ teachings. Looking simply at the way Jesus Himself lived while on earth would show up the contradictions and reveal the lies. So, does God give us whatever we ask? The condition stated in today’s reading is that if we keep His commandments and do what...

 "They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother. They prostrated themselves and did him homage." The 12 days of Christmas bring us to the feast of the Epiphany, the revelation of our Lord to all the nations. The Christmas season will continue until next week, leading to the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. What struck me most is the image of the Magi, who were non-Jewish foreigners, prostrating before the infant Jesus. From both Scripture and tradition, we know the Magi were extraordinary people. They were likely scholars, wise men, astrologers, perhaps even kings or high-ranking officials from distant lands. They traveled hundreds of miles, driven by their search for a special newborn king, led by a most unusual, brilliant star. And here they are, finally finding Him - not in a palace, not even in a grand mansion but in a simple, humble house. His parents were visibly not of royal lineage, and His circumstances ga...

 “He said to them, 'Come, and you will see.' So they went and saw where he was staying.” “Come and See” is often an invitation to take an personal exploration and not just hear about something from others.  Many religious congregations use similar programs for those who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood or religious life, because often it is better to have an experience than simply reading or hearing about it before making a decision with regards the consecrated life. I participated in one such program before. At that time, I had absolutely no interest in joining the priesthood. I went because one of my best friends had asked me to accompany him to that three-day event. And guess what? Later that same year, I entered the seminary. The disciples in today’s Gospel wanted to know where Jesus was staying, instead of telling them, Jesus invited them to ‘Come and you will see.” Whatever it was that they saw, it was convincing enough for them to want to stay with Him, to fo...