Homily: November 11, 2025, Tuesday of the Thirty-second Week in Ordinary Time (Servants )

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 “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 for reward or recognition. And Jesus, who is our model, humbled himself completely becoming the Lamb who was offered for our salvation.

Looking through the history of the Church, all those we venerate as saints lived in this spirit: faithful, humble, obedient, serving without seeking return.

Let us ask today for the grace to humble ourselves, to serve without counting the cost, and to have the heart and attitude of true servants of God.

Amen.


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Preached at Holy Family Catholic School Des Moines.   "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth.” Wow. Did Jesus really say these harsh words? He seems very angry. Why?  Since I was little, till now, I have been fearful of aggressive people. I would usually steer clear of them. If Jesus were to say those words to me angrily, I would have tried to keep a distance from Him. But Jesus’ anger is always reasonable. My mom used to get very angry with me too, because I was very mischievous and created lots of trouble. Although she was very frightening in those moments and I would always run far away from her, I would also always return, because I knew she would calm down. I knew she loved me. We know that Jesus is the most compassionate and loving person. He could forgive the worst sinners and showed gentle kindness towards them. He fed,...
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 The one begotten by God He protects, and the Evil One cannot touch him. Through our baptism, each one of us was claimed by God. We were called by name, welcomed into the Church, and sealed with the presence of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. From that moment on, we belong to God. Because of this, the Evil One has no power over a baptized Christian. He cannot simply take control of us. He can tempt, distract, confuse, and deceive, but he cannot touch us unless we freely give him permission. In my 9 years of priesthood, I have been asked only a few times to assist with cases related to exorcism. In each situation, careful discernment was required. Most cases involved mental health struggles or minor disturbances, not true possession. The Church is always very cautious. An exorcist asks many questions, not only to understand what is happening, but also to see how a door may have been opened. Very often, when something serious is involved, there has been a violation of the F...
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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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