Homily: May, 5, 2025, Third Monday of Easter (read Friend)

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 “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” 

Once, an influential and wealthy man shared with me something which struck me deep and unforgettable. He said, “I wish I had just a few real friends. Just friends. No expectations. No pressure. Just someone to talk to. To love and be loved.”

It was obvious then that he was not deprived of money, wealth, possibly not power also, but he was deprived of good relationships, relationships which are real and meaningful. Instead, he was surrounded by people who expected things from him. Because of his wealth and influence, people saw him as someone they can benefit from, someone advantageous for their needs, instead of someone they can simply be friends with.

That’s exactly what Jesus is calling out in today’s Gospel. He tells the crowd, “You are looking for me not because you saw the signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.”

They were following Jesus not because they recognized or realized He is the Messiah but because they got free food, they wanted more miracles and material providence. They didn’t care too much who Jesus was, nor what He wanted to teach them. They didn’t bother getting to know Jesus better as a person, as the Son of God.

What about us? Do we also treat God like someone to give us what we want? Is our prayer time a time of connecting intimately with God, or is it an opportunity to list our requests, needs and demands? Do we complain and turn away from God when we don’t get what we expected?

Let me ask you something more personal: Are you a true friend of God or are you a user of God’s wealth, power and miracle works?

Do you want to be with God for who He is to you or for what He can do for you?

Do we also use our other friends and family for our benefit when we need, instead of loving them for who they are?

Jesus desires a real relationship with each of us. A relationship that is open, honest, loving, affectionate, trusting, intimate and joyful. Are we happy to be in friendship with Jesus?

Let our hearts proclaim an old Latin expression, “Non nisi Te, Domine” - Nothing but You, O Lord. Only You.

Amen.




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Homily: April 10, 2026, Friday in the Octave of Easter (Are you Hungry)

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 “Jesus said to them, ‘Children, have you caught anything to eat?’” When I first came to this parish some years ago, I wanted to know and communicate with all the different refugee communities here. So, I tried to learn their languages by picking up the basics. People were very happy to teach me. The first word I asked to be taught was how they address a priest. Do you know why? So that when people were talking in their languages, I would know if they were talking about me! When I hear words like topa, kudow, annokka, abuna, I know they are speaking about me! I also asked them how to say “How are you” when I meet someone in their community. And then I asked them what is the next question they would usually ask when they greet one another. Guess what. Almost all of them gave the same answer. They would usually ask “Have you eaten?” Why? Because many of them have experienced food insecurity, real hunger so it is almost a social habit to check if someone has had a meal. By asking that...
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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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 "He must increase; I must decrease." From this very simple statement, we can very clearly see the attitude of John the Baptist towards his mission - humility. John was a fearless man, he was not at all afraid of the Jewish authorities and preached courageously what he believed he was sent to do, he stood resolutely for truth and justice, not at all bothered about the cost or consequence. Nothing could stop him from speaking the truth. Yet, this aggressive preacher from the wilderness was humble, modest and meek when he acknowledges the presence of the Messiah. He recognized that his work, his purpose, his existence was done and must give way to the Lord. Tradition tells us that John the Baptist lived an ascetic life before his public ministry — a life of pure simplicity and total detachment, right down to the food he ate. Such a life demands complete abandonment of self and dedication to the mission. He lived with only one purpose – to accomplish the mission he was born for ...
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Homily: January 4, 2025, Feast of Elizabeth Ann Seton (Come and See)

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 “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...
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Homily: July 20, 2023, Thursday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

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 "If they ask me, 'What is his name?' what am I to tell them?" God replied, "I AM who AM." Yesterday, we asked ‘Who am I?’. Today, God is telling us who He is, but in a deep and profound way. Do you understand God’s name? I didn’t understand until I learned it in Scripture class at the Seminary. Still, the explanation of why God identified Himself as ‘I am who am’ is rather complex. The question is, do we really need to understand it? Did Moses understand it? I don't think so. At that point in time, Moses was already 80 years old, having spent 40 years shepherding sheep with his Father-in-law Jethro. At that stage of his life, he probably just needed to know what and how, not why. In the readings, we do not see Moses questioning further, he did not need to be convinced, he just wanted to know what God wants of him and how he should do it. He took it simply but solemnly and followed God's directives with his heart. When I first came to this country, a...
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Homily: March 31,2026 Tuesday of the Holy Week (Light and darkness )

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 “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Have you ever heard this quote by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: "The nearer the dawn the darker the night." As we enter further into Holy Week, we are getting very near to Easter, and we see the events leading up are also getting darker and more intense. And today, we hear the words from the prophet Isaiah in the first reading, reminding us of our role in the salvation of the world, that He will make us a light in the darkness that is to come upon earth. He has chosen each one of us personally. He has called us by name. While the world is in darkness, we are not to be consumed by it. He has made us to be a light, to shine in this darkness, to break it. Our light does not just shine for others to see, it is a light of holiness, for others to reach to God. It is a light of grace, for others to receive God’s goodness. It is a light that reflects Christ to others, so that they can see c...
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Homily: March 3, 2024, Third sunday in Lent (Foolishness of God)

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 “For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” Could God ever be foolish? Is God ever weak? Recently, I've been listening to a podcast by a man who converted from Hinduism to Christianity. Interestingly, he became interested in the Christian faith after reading Hindu sacred scriptures. The Rig Veda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda, are Hindu sacred writings in Sanskrit from around 3500 years ago. What he found in these ancient writings were consistent references to a divine savior who would come into the world and die on a cross. Convinced that those prophecies were pointing to Jesus, he began fervently preaching about Jesus the Savior of the world, in the context of Hindu scriptures, until his passing. Growing up in a predominantly Hindu country, I always enjoyed narratives of Hindu deities, especially epic stories from the history of Hinduism. I admired their invincible power, repeated victories in battles, ...
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Homily: July 9-2023, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Yoke).

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 "For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” A yoke is a wooden beam sometimes used between a pair of oxen so that they pull together a load, usually to till the land. The pair of oxen walks together so that the work is done with less effort. It was probably first used around 4000 BC, so the people listening to Jesus, who were mostly farmers, would understand what He was talking about. But what is this yoke that Jesus was referencing? Because the work done by the oxen was hard labour and the yoke restricted their freedom, the term ‘yoke’ had been used to refer to burdensome life, hardship and heavy responsibility. The Jewish people were at that time burdened by the law. The 613 sub-laws created by the Jewish religious leaders made life very difficult and burdensome for the people. They made it seem impossible to satisfy God’s expectations, no one except the Jewish leaders could fulfil all that the sub-laws prescribed. Here Jesus is saying that His yoke, His way of keeping the fait...
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Homily April 29, Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

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 “And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus”. Even after being flogged, all day long, the disciples continued teaching and preaching everywhere… Amazing, isn’t it?  These past few days, we have been reading from Acts of the Apostles. We see how the Jewish leaders and high priest tried to stop the apostles from preaching in the name of Jesus. But they failed. The Pharisee Gamaliel rightly said, “if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” How true. The church is from God. The disciples did not stop teaching and proclaiming. They even rejoiced at being flogged for what they were doing. They were on fire for Jesus. They were so eager and excited to tell everyone about Jesus. What about us? If there is a new restaurant serving delicious food or a store is having a great end-of-summer sale, we would hear many people talking about it. Some w...
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Homily: March 25, 2025, Solemnity of the Annunciation ()

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 "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 ...
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