Homily: August 5, 2025, Tuesday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Defiles)

-

 “It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.” 

Today, Jesus challenges our common perspective: it is not what we eat that makes us unclean, it is what we speak. Our words reveal what is in our hearts and when we speak unkind words, it shows how ugly and unclean our heart is.

We see a good example of this in the first reading, when Miriam, the sister of Moses, spoke against him in a very unkind and unjust manner. Immediately, God inflicted with leprosy, an external visible sign of her internal spiritual impurity. She was later cast out of the community until she was made clean again.

If God were to also punish us instantly for every careless word we spoke, would any one of us survive?

What is it that comes out of the mouth and defiles?

- Gossip, slander, verbal abuse, insults, sarcasm, complaints, condemnation, lies and so on. 

All these come from polluted hearts and transfer negativity to others. These actions break and destroy relationships. They not only harm others, they also increase the distance between God and us.

Miriam’s sin was especially offensive because she spoke against Moses, whom Scripture describes as: “By far the meekest man on the face of the earth.”

To speak ill of anyone is wrong, more so when it is directed at someone who is innocent, harmless, meek and defenseless.

And that was what happened to Jesus. He was innocent, meek, harmless, and without defense when He was falsely accused, insulted, mocked and harassed. 

Let us reflect: Do my words harm or heal, break or build?

Let us ask the Lord to purify our heart and mind, refine our speech, and to help us speak only what is true, good, and loving.

May the words that come out of our mouths never offend others, and most importantly, may they never offend Jesus.

Amen.


Comments

Post a Comment

Read

Homily: August 15, 2026, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Sin-death)

-
 “For since death came through man, the resurrection of the dead came also through man.” Sin and death are connected, but Christ has come to break that connection and give us life. In his Letter to the Romans, St. Paul says, “The wages of sin is death.” Sin separates us from God, and God is the source of life.  God created Adam and Eve for life and friendship with him. But through their disobedience, sin entered the world, and with sin came death.  But when God prepared the world for the coming of his Son, he gave Mary a unique grace. From the first moment of her conception, she was preserved from original sin.  We can see Mary as the new Eve. Eve was created without sin, but she disobeyed God. Mary, by God's grace, responded differently. When the angel came to her, she said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Eve's disobedience was connected with humanity's fall. Mary's obedience opened the door for Christ, the Savi...
Read more

Homily: November 18, 2025, Tuesday of the Thirty-third Week in Ordinary Time (Courage)

-
 “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...
Read more

Homily: July 18, 2026, Tuesday of the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Remember death)

-
 “It is I who deal death and give life.” These words from our Responsorial Psalm today are actually not taken from the Book of Psalms. They come from the Book of Deuteronomy, chapter 32. They remind us of a fundamental truth of our faith: God is the author of life. Our life comes from God, belongs to God, and ultimately returns to God. This phrase beautifully connects our first reading and the Gospel today. In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel speaks against the prince of Tyre, a man who had become proud because of his success, wealth, wisdom, and accomplishments. And so the prophet reminds him of one simple reality: you are only a man, and you will die. There are certain realities in life that quickly reveal our limitations. An illness can make a powerful and independent person suddenly dependent on others. None of us can say, “I am too important to die,” or “I have accomplished enough that death cannot touch me.” Sirach 7:36 says  “In whatever you do, remember your last...
Read more

Homily: May 29, 2026 Wednesday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

-
Holy Family School Mass   "The grass withers, and the flower fades, but the word of our God remains forever." What comes to your mind when you hear the term “the Word of our God”? If you are thinking it is the Bible, then you are right. The Word of God is the Bible. The Bible is also known as the Book of books, because the Bible is a collection of many books. Do you know how many books are in the Bible? If you think there are about 10 books, put up your hands. What about 20 books? Put up your hands. Who thinks there are more than 50 books? And you are right! There are 73 books in the Holy Bible! Do you know how long it took to write the Bible? Who says 100 years? 500 years? More than 1000 years? Oh yes, the 73 books of the Bible were written over 1,500 years. Around 40 different authors contributed to it. It has been translated into hundreds of different languages and read by billions of people around the world, over hundreds and hundreds of years. The world has changed over ...
Read more

Homily: August 30, 2025, Saturday of the Twenty-first Week in Ordinary Time (Work Hard)

-
 “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 ...
Read more

Homily: August 14, 2026, Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe

-
Today we celebrate the memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe, a saint whose life teaches us what it means to say a complete and generous “yes” to God. Most of us know the final and heroic chapter of his life. At Auschwitz concentration camp, a prisoner escaped, and as punishment, ten men were chosen to die by starvation. One of them cried out in anguish for his wife and children. Fr. Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward and said, “I am a Catholic priest. Let me take his place.” His offer was accepted. He entered the starvation bunker with the other prisoners. But even there, he continued to be a priest. Instead of allowing that terrible place to be filled only with despair, he prayed with the prisoners, encouraged them, and helped prepare them to meet God. One by one they died. Maximilian survived longer than the others, and finally the guards killed him with a lethal injection. We know that St. Maximilian Kolbe is in heaven because the Church has canonized him. But I like to think that those p...
Read more

Homily: June 30, 2026, Tuesday of the Thirteenth week in Oridnary Time (God's Favorite)

-
"You alone have I favored, more than all the families of the earth." Through Amos, God is reaffirming His covenantal relationship with Israel as His chosen nation, as promised to Abraham. It is an affectionate expression of God's faithful love. The rest of this reading is about Amos warning Israel the consequences of turning away from God, intending to bring them back to faithfulness. Despite all the disobedience and unfaithfulness, God loves Israel and continues to favor them specially. He has chosen them and will not back out of His choice. This is truly how God loves. Faithful, unwavering, unchanging. I heard that when someone spoke with Mother Teresa, she would ignore everything else around her and give her full attention to that one person. She remained fully present for as long as that person needed her. St. John Paul II was also well known for giving people that same kind of attention. They did that well because they were really giving God their undivided attention...
Read more

Homily, May 31, 2022, Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

-
 “For at that moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy”. When I was studying in the minor seminary, news that my eldest sister was pregnant with her first child was announced. My siblings and I were very excited. According to local Indian tradition, at the seventh month of the pregnancy, the husband’s family would have to send his wife back to her parents’ home to prepare for birth of the child.  So, my eldest sister came home and stayed with us for three months before the delivery and another three months after the birth of her first-born son. my sister was the only pregnant woman I have ever had close encounter with. The most exciting experience I had was when I actually saw the movements of my nephew, still in her womb. And whenever me and my siblings came close to talk to my sister, her baby would make movements in her womb. So even a little baby in the womb can sense the presence of other people near the mother. Amazing, isn’...
Read more

Homily: June 29, 2026, Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles (Fear of God)

-
 "The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear him." Today's Responsorial Psalm is so assuring and is so apt for today as we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Both were faithful and fervent Apostles who had a deep holy fear the Lord - not like the fear of a slave, or being afraid of God, but a loving and reverent fear like that of an obedient child before a righteous and perfect Father. Having a fear of the Lord is the seventh gift of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift, not something we can earn or obtain on our own, but freely given to us at baptism, connecting us to God with deep respect and love, with a conscience to never want to offend the One who loves us so much. Peter and Paul did not always have this gift. If Peter had possessed this holy fear from the beginning, he would not have denied Jesus three times. Paul, before his conversion, persecuted Christians because he did not yet know the living God. Without knowing God, he could not truly fear Him....
Read more

Homily: May 23, 2026, Saturday of the Seventh Week of Easter (Scripture is enough)

-
 “There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.” Once I walked into our youth Bible study, and they were discussing the Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish apocalyptic text traditionally connected to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. They asked me questions about it. I had read it myself when I was their age, mostly out of curiosity, but honestly, I do not remember much of its content. There are also several other apocryphal writings, like the Gospel of James, the Gospel of Thomas, and the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. But the Church never considered them inspired Scripture, because many of them were written decades after the death of the last Apostle, St. John. Public Revelation ended with the death of the last Apostle. Sometimes I also wish the Bible had more details about Jesus’ infancy and His hidden life. But St. John reminds us today that the world its...
Read more