Fr. Nivin's Homily Blog

 “Now that our enemies have been crushed, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.” We continue our readings from the Books of Maccabees as we end the liturgical year. And today’s passage beautifully connects us to the feast we celebrate today, the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the first reading, Judas Maccabeus and his companions rededicated the Temple to God, after it had been defiled by their enemies. They purify and offer it again to God, as His sacred dwelling place. In a parallel spiritual way, Saints Joachim and Anne, the parents of Mary, presented and offered their young daughter to God, foreshadowing her womb as the future sacred dwelling place for the incarnation of our Lord Jesus. For now, Mary will dwell in the Temple of God, offering her whole life, completely dedicated to His will. According to tradition, Mary lived in the Temple, spending her days and nights in prayer for the coming of the Messiah, in service to the priests of the Temple,...

 “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...

 “But many in Israel were determined and resolved in their hearts not to eat anything unclean.” These were people of true obedience to the faith. They were truly committed and disciplined to follow the teachings. The events we hear about in today’s first reading from the Book of Maccabees took place in the second century before Christ. It was the time when the notorious King Antiochus Epiphanes ruled over Israel. He was anti-Jews. Many among the Israelites began to follow pagan practices and false religion promoted by the king. This period in history is often called the “silent years” of salvation history, a good 400 years after prophet Malachi, before John the Baptist appeared. For four centuries, there were no prophets, no new divine revelations, and no visible signs from God. It seemed like God was silent. That is why the commitment of those who refused to eat unclean food was extraordinary. There was no prophet to remind or encourage them to keep God’s law, no miracles to susta...

 “All that you see here the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down.” We have reached the 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, the last Sunday before we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King, which concludes the liturgical year. Naturally, the readings at this time of year turn our attention toward the end times, to the final things: death, judgment, heaven, and hell.  When Jesus foretold the destruction of the Temple, His listeners were shocked. For the Jewish people, the Temple in Jerusalem was the anchor of their faith and center of their life. It was the dwelling place of God, the heart of their worship. And the whole community had poured in their possessions to build this temple. So to be told that the temple would be destroyed must have felt terrible. How could life continue without the Temple? And yet, what Jesus foretold did happen, but only forty years later. The Roman army destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. What h...

 “Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.” It is very easy to get discouraged in our spiritual life. Many of us become discouraged by our repeated sins and weaknesses. Another area where discouragement often enters is in our prayer life. Sometimes, after praying for a long time without seeing results, we grow weary or lose hope. That is why Jesus gives us today’s parable the story of the unjust judge. The judge was not a good man. He had no fear of God and no compassion for people. And the person who came to him for help was a poor widow. She had no power, no social standing, and no one to defend her. In that time and culture, widows were among the most forgotten and neglected people. Yet this widow received justice. Why? Because she refused to give up. Her persistence and perseverance won the judge’s attention. If a heartless judge can respond to persistence, how much more will our loving Father in heaven respond to th...

 “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be in the days of the Son of Man; they were eating and drinking.” As we near the end of the liturgical year, the readings also begin to focus on end times. Jesus reminds us that the end times will be unannounced, there will be no advanced notice, it could happen anytime, when people could still be “eating and drinking” making a reference to people who are oblivious to the presence of God, ignorant to the truth and who reject Jesus. They are the ones who will be caught off-guard and in shock. Whereas for people who have faith, who believe and are following Jesus through the teachings of the church, will know that while no one knows when, the warning signs have been given in the Bible. Jesus has described the signs that will precede the end times: wars, divisions among families, and cosmic changes in the sun, moon, and stars.  Taken together, these remind us that the world will not last forever and that we must always be prepared. Look...

Holy family school Mass -  “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?” Do you know where the other nine went? Can you guess?  Yes. They went hurriedly and eagerly to show themselves to the priests, as Jesus told them to do. Why? So that they could be certified clean, and be allowed to go back to their homes, their families and communities.  In those days, when someone had leprosy, they would be sent away from everyone, they could not go home, school or do any work, they could not even be near to anyone.  So, when they knew they were healed, they were just too excited to go back home, be with their loved ones and live normal lives again. It was obviously a miracle because no one can ever be cured of leprosy, and only someone sent by God could perform such a miracle. But did they even realize that Jesus is a holy man sent by God, or think about thanking Him? No. Just a simple “thank you” would mean that they remembered God was merciful to them. What a...

 “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.” In some translations, it reads “We are useless servants.” Whatever the wording, the message is clear. When we work for the Kingdom of God, we should not seek profit, recognition, or affirmation. Instead, we must serve with humility knowing that we are only doing what God asks of us. Jesus never promised comfort or reward for discipleship. He spoke instead of persecution, rejection, even suffering. Every saint has gone through moments of humiliation, misunderstanding, or pain, all for the good they tried to do in God’s name. Yet they continued to serve, not for gain, but out of love. It’s striking that the first title given in the canonization process is “Servant of God.” Even after their deaths, people recognize the quiet, humble service these men and women offered to God. They lived as “unprofitable servants”.  Mary, when greeted by the angel, said, “Behold, the handmaid of the Lord.” She did not ask fo...

 “You yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another.” ‘Full of goodness and filled with knowledge’. What powerfully positive words from St. Paul. One of my greatest blessings is being born into a traditional Catholic family and raised by God-fearing parents. From an early age I learned about Jesus, memorized prayers, and was familiar with church matters and traditions. But do I fully know God? No, not even at this stage of my faith life. My soul knows Him intimately, but my human knowledge and intellect still have a lot to learn. My knowledge of Christ and Christianity remains incomplete. Some who join the Catholic Church later may know more about God, more about the faith, than many of us who have been in the Church all our lives. That is why we must continue to grow in our knowledge of God, understanding of Church, and deepen our practice of faith. Jesus said, “For the children of this world are more prudent in their generation than ...

 “Rather, when you hold a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind; blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.” This Gospel reminds us of one of Jesus’ most powerful teachings of love and service, that is to love and serve those who are not able to give us anything in return. That is true giving, true serving. About a month ago, on October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, Pope Leo released an apostolic exhortation titled ‘Dilexi Te’, which means “I Have Loved You”. It is a beautiful exhortation on Jesus’ love for the poor. Jesus gave His love to the very poor, indeed those who could never even pay Him back a fraction of what He gave. And if we are true Christians, we too must give like Christ gives, we must have a heart for the poor, like Christ does, because Jesus Christ identifies Himself with them. So when we give to the poor, we are giving to Christ. The document states: “There are many forms of poverty: the poverty of those w...

 “As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.” Today we commemorate All Souls’ Day, remembering all the faithful departed, our deceased loved ones, and especially for those souls with no one to pray for them. This feast makes sense only if we truly believe what the Church teaches about life, death, and eternity. In the Apostles’ Creed, we profess twelve articles of faith, closing with this part, “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints.” What does “communion of saints” mean? It is the full and complete unity of the three parts of the one Church of God: 1. The Church Triumphant - made up of the saints in heaven; 2. The Church Militant - we, who make up the church still on our earthly pilgrimage; 3. The Church Suffering - all the souls in purgatory, awaiting time to enter heaven. Today’s feast therefore, is a dedicated remembrance, and united in prayer for and with the Church Suffering, praying for all the...

 “See what love the Father has bestowed on us, that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.” Today, the church celebrates All Saints Day. Who are the saints? We may be thinking of the many canonized saints we know of, like St. Therese, St. Ambrose, St. Benedict, St. John Paul II and so on. These were people who lived a life of holiness and faithfulness to the Lord. Their holiness was very visible such that when they died, the church began their canonization process. But seriously, who is a saint? In a simple description, a saint is someone who is in heaven with God. There are many of these who are unknown to us, only known to God. They are not canonized by the church, but they are in full union with Jesus after they died. Now, do you want to be in heaven with God when you die?  If your answer is yes, then you need to seriously think about holiness. Because if not heaven, it will be hell. Our late Pope Francis said, “To be saints is not a privilege for a few, but a...