Homily: April, 14, 2025, Monday of Holy Week (Silent Justice)

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“He shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street.” 

Throughout Holy Week, we will be reading from the Book of Prophet Isaiah. 700 years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah had prophesied about the coming of the Messiah, not in a grand arrival, neither would He leave earth in a dignified departure.

The image of Christ described by Isaiah is that of a humble suffering servant of God. His mission is to ‘bring forth justice to the nations’, by taking on injustice on Himself.

He will carry the sins of the world through pain, yet He will not cry out, nor shout, He will bear all these in a meek, mild and humble way.

Isaiah’s prophecies were all fulfilled by Jesus, particularly in the days of Holy Week. This week’s readings invite us to look to Jesus, no to pity and pain for Him, but to learn from Him, to straighten up our spirit to imitate Him, and to follow His example.

All through Jesus’ trial, His great sufferings on the way to Calvary, up till His last torturous moments on the cross, Jesus remained composed, fully accepting, even embracing His cross. He was focused on accomplishing His mission, fulfilling God’s will.

This is what we are to learn, to imitate.

Many moments in my own life, there were unfair treatment, unjust results, frustrating situations which caused me to feel distress, restless and even deep sadness. The last thing I would want to do was to accept or embrace such situations. I may not have shouted nor cried out, but I did complain to my friends. Inwardly, I rejected and struggled with suffering and hardship. It was hard for me to see how such pain would be God’s will for me.

Yet I cannot deny that as I look back, I can clearly see how those most difficult moments have strengthened my faith and brought me closer to the Lord.

Whatever you find most difficult to accept, situations which stir your anger, arrogance or pride, I invite you to meditate seriously on the Holy Week readings.

Ask Jesus for the grace to be like Him.

Jesus said, “Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart.” He brought justice through peace and transformation through love.

May we, too, bring forth peace and justice to the nations, not by shouting or crying out, but through silent but powerful love and compassion. This world needs it.

Amen.


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Homily: November 16, 2025, Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (End Times )

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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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"Where is your brother Abel?" We are now in the fourth chapter of Genesis. Before this, we read about the first sin of mankind – disobedience - when Adam and Eve did what they were told not to do. They lived in a perfect world and had dominance over everything, but they were discontented and were tempted by greed. Sin did not stop there; it was passed on to the next generation. In this chapter, we see Cain committing a grave sin - he killed his brother Abel. He was discontented with God’s favor on Abel and was tempted by pride. As we continue through Genesis, we see sin perpetuating and spreading through humanity. The Lord had warned Cain that “sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.” Eve, Adam, Cain and every one of us are tempted by sin, yet we can be its master. The moment we let it enter our heart, and leave it unchecked, it will deepen its hold on us and enslave us. Jesus says, “Everyone who sins is a slave of sin.” (John 8:...
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Holy family school Mass  “Put falsehood and lying far from me, give me neither poverty nor riches; provide me only with the food I need.” This is what we heard in today’s first reading taken from the book of Proverbs in the Bible. It is a prayer request of a holy person. He asked to be kept away from falsehood and lying, that means he prayed that he will not be a scammer or a liar. And he didn’t care much for being rich but he didn’t want to be poor either. All he asked for was to have food to eat and survive. That is a very simple prayer, isn’t it? When you pray, do you ask God for many things? What do you ask for? How many of you want to be rich, more than you are now? When I was your age, I wanted to become rich. I was from a poor farming family. I had to help out at the family farm every day. I enjoyed the work. So I would always think about working hard on the farm to make a lot of money, then I would be rich, I would buy a nice new car, and travel far away to see the world, e...
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 “This is how he died, leaving in his death a model of courage and an unforgettable example of virtue not only for the young but for the whole nation.” Today’s first reading recounts the martyrdom of Eleazar, one of the most inspiring figures in the Old Testament. Listening to his story, especially how he died, gives us goosebumps.  A grand 90-year-old wise man was brutally tortured and killed because he refused to abandon his faith or eat what was forbidden by God’s law. He believed it was not worthy of his old age to give a poor example to the young. His heroic death thus gave courage to a whole generation. His story reminds me of another great model of unwavering faith.  St. Polycarp, the 80-year-old bishop of Smyrna. When he was brought before the Roman authorities and told to deny Christ, he said: “Eighty years I have served Him, and He has done me no wrong. How can I blaspheme my King and my Savior?” Then, with peace and courage, he accepted martyrdom by fire. The B...
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