Fr. Nivin's Homily Blog

 “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered and said, “Who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Today, we celebrate the second scrutiny of our 17 elect who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Dear elect, you are here today because God has chosen you, to have faith Jesus Christ. Who is He, that you may believe in Him? He is Son of God, the Father. We believe because we have the gift of faith. As I reflect on this moment, I can’t help but be in awe of God’s way of working. Look at ourselves. I’m from India, your catechist Priscilla is from Kenya, and among you are brothers and sisters from Burma, South Sudan, and Mexico. And yet, here we all are, at St. Ambrose, because God chose us, every one of us. By our own ability, or choice, or plan, we would not have created such a beautiful union of diversity, all at the same time, in the same place, for the same reason – to respond to God’s call for us to be His people of faith. Who would have known? In today’s first r...

 “He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth.” Do you like the rain? I have always enjoyed rain, not just watching it from my window, but walking or playing in the rain. Rain is refreshing, especially on hot days. When I was little, growing up in India, we always looked forward to the summer rain. It wasn’t until I came to Iowa that I experienced spring rain, which is gentle, joyful and uplifting. During summer in India, the scorching heat would dry up everything; water in the creeks and ponds would vanish, grass and plants would wither. In those days before there was tap water, people would walk long distances in the summer heat to collect water then carry it home in huge plastic pots. The intense heat, the lack of oxygen and the loss of liveliness in the environment also dulled everybody’s mood. Then after some months, the rain would come. Sometimes suddenly, sometimes in thunderstorms, but we would always know it was coming. The hornbill birds would...

 (Holy family school Mass )"But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."  I grew up in a country where Christians are a minority. First, do you know which country I grew up in? Yes, India. Do you know how many percent of the Indian population are Christians? Who says 50%? 30%? 10%? 2%? Yes, it is a little over 2%, and Catholics make up only 1.6%. But amazingly, although Catholics are a small small minority, most of the schools in India are run by the Catholic Church. So, I had many Muslim and Hindu friends, because we all attended the Catholic schools together, and we will learn about each religion’s practices. I often envied my Hindu friends because they didn’t have to go to their temple weekly, they didn’t have to attend religion classes and they could play cricket every Sunday while I had to wake up early, walk to church, attend Sunday Mass and catechism classes. They seemed to have more fun as Hindus while Catholics s...

 "Therefore, the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel, which means 'God is with us!'"  One book I read during my school days was titled: ‘The God of Small Things’. The book has nothing to do with God or religion, but I like the title because it reminds me that our God is also a God of small things. He appreciates and takes pleasure even when we offer Him the littlest effort or prayer or joy of our day. And He too often shows Himself in simple, silent humble signs. In today’s first reading, King Ahaz was given the opportunity to ask for a great sign from God, but he rejected, claiming to not want to test the Lord. Still, God chose to give him a sign anyway - not in a big way, but something simple yet powerful: "A virgin shall conceive and bear a son." This sign is simple yet powerful because while it is normal for a woman to bear a child, it is impossible for a virgin to do so. Only ...

 "His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."  A child’s flesh and skin are supple, smooth and soft. Don’t we all wish our aged, wrinkled skin is restored to child-like freshness again? Today’s first reading is a powerful story of healing, restoration and transformation. Leprosy was a terrible disease in ancient times especially since there was no cure, was seen as a curse and was contagious. Thus, more than just physical, it was also a social disease which led to isolation and shame. Naaman was a great military commander, dignified in his powerful position but leprosy threatened to take away everything he had. He desperately wanted healing. The gifts he brought to Israel clearly showed how much he valued his health and status, and how far he was willing to go to be cured. Yet, despite his desperation, pride held him back and almost made him lose the miraculous healing he badly needed. He had expected a grand and elaborate healing process, fitt...

 "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14) On the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent, we celebrate the Rites of Scrutiny with our elects - those preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation, to enter the Catholic Church, as part of the period of ‘Purification and Enlightenment. The purification process is God's way of helping to remove the stain and dirt from the souls of the Elect, so to see the true good and beauty of each soul. God does not scrutinize to find the wrongs but to celebrate the real identity of each child of His, revealing the value within each of us and rejoicing in the light of Christ reflecting from us. Each of these Sundays has a powerful theme: Water, Light and Life. These themes are presented through the Gospel texts of various encounters with Jesus Christ: the wom...

 "Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old."  I have always been curious about Bashan and Gilead. My curiosity increased when I heard an old but well-known hymn, ‘There is a Balm in Gilead’ just a few years ago. The song was so beautiful that I searched for more information about Gilead and found many fascinating references in Scripture. Gilead is mentioned throughout the Bible as a place of refuge and healing. When Jacob fled from his father-in-law, Laban, he found shelter in Gilead. Later, when Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, they handed him over to Ishmaelites who came from Gilead on their way to Egypt, their camels were loaded with gum, balm, and resin for trading. The balm of Gilead was famous in the ancient world for its healing properties. As for Bashan, Deuteronomy describes it as a land of fertile soil, abundant livestock, and prosperity, known for its fat bulls and strong cattle. If you attend our weekly Holy Hour, you may notice that in th...

"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...

 "So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."  I was very privileged to have done my seminary studies and formation at Santa Croce University (Holy Cross), in Rome which is run by the Opus Dei order. Their founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá, was a visionary and a great saint. One of the core principles of living and spirituality he laid down for Opus Dei members was this: “strive for excellence in everything”. Because of this, the university was marked by excellence in every way - excellent professors, an outstanding library, state-of-the-art classrooms, and advanced technology. To be a student at such an institution meant that they, too, were expected to strive for excellence in attitude and effort. To maintain this high standard, there were many strict rules for the students to follow. By following conscientiously, students would grow and develop to their full potential with remarkable outcomes, all through into the future. In the first reading, Moses tells the Isr...

 "Your Father knows what you need before you ask him" Recently, I started listening to Scott Hahn’s Lenten reflections on the Seven Last Words of Jesus. In his introductory talk, he reflects on the significance of the number seven in both the Bible and Christian tradition. He also draws a connection between the seven last words of Jesus and the seven petitions in the Lord’s Prayer. The Our Father is the most beautiful prayer in Christian tradition because Christ Himself taught  us this prayer. Dr. Hahn explains that the Seven Last Words are especially significant because they were spoken in the midst of unimaginable suffering. Crucified individuals could barely breathe, let alone speak, due to the sheer physical strain. Yet, Jesus spoke seven profound statements from the cross—words that reveal His heart and mission. When it comes to the Our Father, I believe the same is true. Jesus could have given us a much longer prayer, but He chose to include only seven essential petitio...

 "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD."  Yesterday, one of our youths gave an inspiring testimony at all our Sunday Masses, sharing her experience from the Youth 2000 retreat. She shared that she has been comfortable in her relationship with Jesus and that gave her the impression that her faith in the Lord was good enough. But from the retreat, she realized something profound: That if you are in a comfort zone in your love for God, then your relationship with Him is not growing. God is infinite love, the supreme good. He can never be outdone in generosity; He can never be outdone in love. That means, the more we love Him, the more we will receive His love, and the more we will be transformed. Her sharing made me reflect deeper. So, how then should my love for God be? I do believe that I can do more for God, we can never love Him enough, there is always room for better, stronger, greater, deeper love for this great big God of ours. And one of the most beaut...

 He said to him, "Follow me." And leaving everything behind, he got up and followed him.  Have you watched the TV series about Jesus, The Chosen? Which is your favorite character? I personally love the character of Matthew. With poetic imagination, they beautifully presented this scene when Jesus called out to Matthew and how he responded spontaneously to the call. I remember watching Jesus walk past Matthew’s tax collection booth, and they both locked eyes, just before Jesus called out to him. It was exciting to see the way Matthew looking shocked at first and then disregarding even the Roman guard’s attempts to stop him, Matthew just went out of his booth and left his high-paying job forever, without looking back. It almost seems as if Matthew had been waiting, and waiting for someone to reach out to him, someone to invite him, call him and give him a good reason to change his life. As a tax collector, Matthew was trapped between two worlds. His own Jewish people rejected h...

 "Appear not before the LORD empty-handed, for all that you offer is in fulfillment of the precepts."  One of our parish volunteers who gives rides to refugee families to bring them for Sunday Mass shared an incident with me. One day, she arrived at a house to pick up a family as usual, but they were reluctant to go to church. When she asked them why, the children responded, “We have no money to put in the collection basket.” Oh, my heart ached to hear that. The church needs money, but God does not. Yet the refugee families in our parish, who have barely enough for themselves, would refuse to come before the Lord empty-handed. They are so eager to give. Our parish is special, our Sunday collections always receive hundreds of one-dollar bills. I presume these are small offerings given with great love. Just like the poor widow who gave two small coins, she won Jesus’ praise for giving her all. Our Lord does not count the dollars, He weighs the sincerity. The first reading tells...

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...