Homily: September 10,2025, Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time (Thoughts)

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 “Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.”

We might have heard of this phrase: “What you think, that you become.” This quote has often been attributed to Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, and I think there is a lot of truth in it. If you are constantly or regularly thinking about a certain thing, you will over time gravitate towards it, and bring it to reality, either in accomplishment or in imitation.

There is a story about Napoleon Bonaparte. Once, he went to a palm reader and asked him to read the lines on his hand to foretell his life in the future. The palm reader told him the regular usual stuff, but Napoleon wanted to know something more important, he interrupted and asked: “Do you see any possibility that I could become a king?”

The palm reader replied, “No. Every king has a special line on his palm, but you don’t have it.”

Napoleon immediately took a knife, cut his palm, and drew out that special line in his palm for himself. The palm reader then said, “Yes, you will be an emperor.”

Napoleon had always wanted to become a king and would do everything possible to make it happen. With his determination, constant thought and hard work, he finally achieved it.

That constant thought is a focus. With a clear and unwavering focus, we would naturally gather all our energies and resources towards that focus. It can be a powerful force. If we channel our thoughts towards good, our life and the lives of others around us will be blessed. But if we channel our thoughts towards evil, the world around would be in danger.

So what do you think about most of the time? Are your thoughts positive and good, or negative and harmful? Do you tend to think about joy or sorrow?

Today St. Paul says: “Think of what is above.” What does this mean?

St. John Don Bosco also said, “Walk with your feet on earth, but in your heart, be in heaven.”

Yes, we should think about heaven all the time, channeling all our efforts and energies towards the life eternal with God in the heavenly Kingdom.

Set our feet on earth and walk firmly with integrity, but keep our hearts focused on heaven, and we will be filled with joy and peace. 

When we set our minds on what is above, God will guide us on the right path. Seek first, and constantly, the Kingdom of God, and we will reach our destined treasure of heavenly life surely and most certainly. Amen.


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Homily: December 2, 2024 Monday of the First Week in Advent (Banquet)

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Homily: October 8, 2023, Twentyseventh sunday in ordinary time (wild grapes and bad tenants)

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“The kingdom of God will be taken away from you  and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” We are now in harvesting season. Many months before this, we were planting and pruning, now we see the results, the fruits, the produce. Our two readings today are also about producing and harvesting fruits. In the first reading the vineyard produced wild grapes instead of good grapes. What went wrong? If the vineyard owner had done everything right, and yet the vineyard brought forth wild grapes, then the problem must have been the soil? Yet it was a land set on the fertile hillside. There is nothing the vineyard owner could do than to let it waste and be cursed. In the Gospel, the story is not about the soil which could not produce, but the tenants who refused to give the produce back to the vineyard owner. What went wrong? The produce must have been good, and the tenants might have become greedy, and wanted to keep all the harvest to themselves and even planned to kill to take ov...
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Homily: May 23, 2024, Holy Family school Graduation Mass.

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Homily: May 26, 2026 Tuesday of the Eighth week in Ordinary Time (Leave Everything)

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 "Peter began to say to Jesus, 'We have given up everything and followed you.'" When I was young, I was very careful with my money, just like my mother. I hardly had much to start with, but I also hardly spent any of my pocket money, so with the little I had, I saved. I even made some money by collecting wild honey in the forest and took some spices from the family farm to sell in the market. Money was very important, and every cent I had meant a lot to me. When I entered the seminary, I knew I would not want to join the religious orders as priest, because they have to take a vow of poverty. Diocesan priests do not need to, so I decided to be a diocesan priest. Soon, I learnt to let go, and gradually I stopped clinging to things as if they defined me. After I joined the seminary, our parish was raising funds to purchase new vestments. Since I was not allowed to keep money with me in the seminary, my parents donated all my years of savings for that fund raising. I woul...
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Homily: April 7, 2024 Second Sunday of Easter Sunday of Divine Mercy

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 Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever." Let the house of Aaron say, "His mercy endures forever." Let those who fear the LORD say, "His mercy endures forever." We sang these verses in today’s responsorial psalm. God’s mercy endures forever. ‘Forever’ means from the very beginning to the very end of time, God’s mercy ‘endures’. What does it endure? Does it endure just the length of time? No, more than that. It endures the breadth of our sins, and the depth of our hard-heartedness. When Adam and Eve sinned against God, they had to bear the consequences of their sins. Even then, we read the scene of God putting together some garments for Man and Woman to cover themselves, who became conscious of their nakedness. This is a beautiful sign of God’s affectionate and compassionate love for the man and woman He created. This is God’s mercy. Thereafter throughout the whole of history, from Abraham to Moses, to Jesus till today, God continues to pur...
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Homily: July 15, 2024, Monay of the fifteenth week in Ordinary time (Pleasing God).

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“In the blood of calves, lambs, and goats, I find no pleasure.” Why does God find no pleasure in such blood sacrifices? What would please God? In the past, one of the parishes in my home diocese in India used to practice animal sacrifices in church. I do not know how it all started but I know how it all ended. In 1924, exactly one hundred years ago, the bishop at that time banned all animal sacrifices in our parishes. It was a huge decision and he faced strong opposition. Why? The parish church was dedicated to St. Anthony attracted many visitors from other states. People would go and offer animal sacrifices, in the hope of getting their petitions granted. The church would sell chickens outside the church, and when a devotee wanted to offer a sacrifice, they would cut the necks of the chickens, and sell it to the devotees for their sacrificial offertory. The parishioners who sold the chickens to the church made a lot of money and the church profited from the offertory as well. You can ...
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Homily: June 2, 2026, Tuesday of the Nineth Week in Ordinary time (Get ready)

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 “Therefore, beloved, since you await these things, be eager to be found without spot or blemish before him, at peace.” This warning from St. Peter is important for our salvation. There is no doubt that all of us gathered here today, even if we are still struggling in their faith, within our hearts there is a deep longing for holiness. We want to grow to become more like Jesus. We want to be ready to meet him face to face and stand before God without spot or blemish, truly pure and without sin. In the past two months, I have had two encounters that deeply impacted me. The first was in a hospital emergency room. I had gone there to anoint a parishioner who was brought there. And then there was an elderly man talking to everyone around him loudly. When he saw me, he came over and said, “I need a blessing.” I said, “Of course.” But almost immediately he changed his mind and said, “No, I’m okay. I’ll pass this time.” The second encounter happened as I was just leaving a restaurant afte...
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Homily: December 20, 2022, Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Advent.

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As a priest, I also follow the daily reflections of other good preachers, to learn their insights and to be inspired and nurtured spiritually. There is one daily reflection which I follow closely, that of Archbishop William Cardinal Goh, the Archbishop of Singapore. His reflections always touch me so deeply and open my mind to new perspectives. I admire his courage to correct the church lovingly, his deep trust in God, and his passion for evangelization and dedication for his ministry, at the same time he is also very humble. Last night as I was preparing the homily for today, i was thinking about my struggles and challenges trying to minister and lead this parish. I always felt that my weaknesses are too great and my strengths too mild to do a good job here. My own faith and self confidence have been tested intensely. Then reading Archbishop Goh's reflection for today's scripture texts inspired me and even answered my doubts and questions concerning my ministry here. I think i...
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