Homily: May 10. 2025, fourth Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd)

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 “The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.” 

This line always impacts me greatly. Imagine being filled with both joy and the Holy Spirit, especially while facing intense rejection and persecution. That’s not something ordinary. That’s something supernatural - something that comes only from God.

I have five sisters. One of my sisters will start singing without a care in the world and won’t stop – when she drinks just a glass of wine! Another sister becomes the queen of jokes, jokes one after another, creating a funny scene – simply after having a glass or two.

What about me? I just have a good sleep when I get more drinks. The point is, they’re not normally like that. Normally they are too shy to sing or too dull to say anything funny. But wine or alcohol seem to melt away their mental or social blocks making them mentally high and socially carefree.

In the Acts of the Apostles, we see Peter and the other apostles giving their first big preaching, and people thought they were drunk. They said, “They’ve had too much new wine!” Why?

Because they were so lively, joyful, and carefree. They were so unaffected by the reality of their circumstances, they did not seem to worry about persecutions or rejections. It seemed unusual. But they were not drunk on alcohol, they were drunk on the Holy Spirit.

Who can be so joyful in the face of suffering? Who can remain fearless knowing people are waiting to kill them? Who can walk freely and preach with boldness, despite getting threats?

Only those who have been fired up by the Holy Spirit.

Those who are in Christ are a new creation. They think, act, and live differently from the world. When they open their hearts to the Holy Spirit and allow the Spirit to work in and through them, they become an effective and powerful instrument of God to preach His Word and build His kingdom on earth. The apostles became a new creation once they received the Holy Spirit. They no longer lived for themselves; they lived for Christ.

Each of us became a new creation at our Baptism. But the question is: are we allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through us? Do we want to be an effective and powerful instrument of God?

We live in a world where the teachings of Jesus and the values of the Gospel are often compromised or pushed aside. Political and ideological beliefs oftentimes take priority over the precepts of our faith. Many people resist the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Thankfully, we have wonderful role models, the apostles and countless saints who provide good examples for us to follow. Think of St. Francis of Assisi, St. Maximilian Kolbe, or St. Francis Xavier. They didn’t live comfortable lives, they lived bold lives, Spirit-filled lives. They followed the teachings of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, fervently and faithfully, but with humility too.

Let us pray for the grace to do the same. Let us open our hearts to the Holy Spirit, and allow Him to make us fearless, joyful, and faithful disciples of Jesus our good shepherd. 

I repeat today’s opening prayer: "Almighty ever-living God, lead us to a share in the joys of heaven, so that the humble flock may reach where the brave Shepherd has gone before."

Amen.


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Homily: December 28, 2025, Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Dreams)

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Homily: December 28, 2024 Feast of the Holy Innocents (Suffering).

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Homily: The Sixth Day in the Octave of Christmas, Thursday, December 30, 2021

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 For readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/123021.cfm “She never left the temple, but worshipped night and day with fasting and prayer”. Look at Anna, the prophetess’ life of worship and dedication, isn’t it beautiful and inspiring? Have you ever met someone who prays day and night like her? I have. On Monday I shared about my grandma who died 25 years ago. I was only eight years old then so I do not have much memory of her life, but one very vivid and lasting impression I have of her, is that she was a prayerful person. I almost always see her praying the rosary, day and night, whenever she was not doing any chores. It was a green rosary which one bishop gave her some years before. And you know what? Grandma was completely blind. She had never seen me and my younger siblings before. Yet, she taught us how to pray and would lead the family morning prayers. She helped with the household chores, with chopping vegetables. She would even make brooms for us using coconut...
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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...
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“We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.” Today’s first reading ended with these words. To St. John the Evangelist, his joy would never be complete if he didn’t write down all that he had seen, heard and learnt from Jesus. Imagine him heaving a deep sigh of relief and satisfaction when he was done writing these texts. What is the one thing that would complete our joy? What gives us joy in the first place? St. John the Evangelist is my patron saint. My baptism name is John. I have always wished I could be like St. John, the beloved Apostle of Jesus, to love the Lord and Mother Mary with the same devotion and affection.  He was the only disciple who was at the foot of the cross and stayed with Jesus in His dying. He was the one appointed with the responsibility to care for Mary. Other than Peter, John was the other disciple who ran to the empty tomb after Jesus was resurrected. He was the only apostle who lived long into old age. However, it was not a life of comfort. He...
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Homily: February 25, 2025, Tuesday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time (Undisappointed Hope)

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