Homily: July 11, 2025, Friday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Words of the Spirit)

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 “You will be given at that moment what you are to say. For it will not be you who speak but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” 

This promise is very important to me.

Very often when I am expecting to a difficult conversation, or speaking to someone who disagrees with me, I would remember this promise and anticipate that the Holy Spirit would give me the right words.

Yet so many times, it is only after the conversations are over that my mind gets flooded with bright answers and intelligent arguments.

Sometimes when people ask me questions about the faith, I would know the answers but often struggle to express it convincingly, and then the perfect words would come to me after they have left.

I wonder to myself, “Why didn’t I say that earlier?” and I ask the Holy Spirit, “Where were you?” 

Maybe because I was too anxious and tried too hard to sound impressive, thus I was deaf to the Holy Spirit.

But Jesus’ promise holds up if we trust Him. Just look at the Apostles. When Stephen, the first Christian martyr, stood before the Sanhedrin, his speech was bold, powerful, and Spirit-filled. When Peter preached at Pentecost, thousands were converted upon hearing him. Paul’s writings and preaching moved hearts and minds to form many communities across different lands. In their mission, the Holy Spirit truly spoke powerfully through them.

Yet when we look at Jesus during His trial, standing before the kings and judges, He was mostly silent. He did not offer any powerful argument. He did not try to win. Was the Spirit not helping Him to defend against the false accusations?

God’s will be done.

The words Jesus promised aren’t meant to help us win arguments, but to accomplish God’s will. Not to make us look wise, but to help others see Jesus.

The Holy Spirit speaks through us, not to defend our pride, but to proclaim the Gospel.

When God sends us on mission, the Holy Spirit comes with us, and we will be given at that moment what we are to say.

Come Holy Spirit, bend my will and break my pride. Silence me so that You may speak.

May your words come through powerfully, not to fulfil my wish, but to accomplish God’s will. Amen.


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Homily: July 20, 2025, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary time.

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Homilía: Julio 17, 2022, XVI Domingo Ordinario

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Homilía: Marzo 24, 2022, Jueves de la III semana de Cuaresma.

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Homily: January 18, 2022, Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time.

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Homily: August 21, 2023, Monday of the twentieth week in Ordinary Time.

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