Homily: December14, 2025, Third Sunday of Advent

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 “Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return and enter Zion singing, crowned with everlasting joy; they will meet with joy and gladness, sorrow and mourning will flee.”

The Israelites were still in exile, after many years. They did not know how long more before they could return to their own land. They did not know if they could ever return. Some had died, some had lost faith and chosen a different life, some continued to wait, though losing patience, because they were suffering while in exile, they had no freedom, no power, no status.

Then Isaiah spoke these words of hope, that God will restore their land, their status, their freedom. Beyond just returning to the promised land, they were also waiting for God to send the Messiah, to restore them their original glory.

But, like children on a long road trip, the big question is, “How long more? When will it be?”

The Israelites could not see ahead, they did not know how long more they had to wait.

For us, we know. This third Sunday of Advent tells us that it is very near, the end of waiting is happening very soon. Thus, the Church names this Sunday very specially. Today is Gaudete Sunday, the Sunday of rejoicing. Our Advent journey, a season to reflect on the waiting experienced by the Israelites, is more than halfway through, and so we rejoice. Isaiah’s message brought joy to the Israelites, also to us.

Our sorrow and mourning will flee. Rejoice!

In the second reading, St. James addressed another group of people who were also losing faith, becoming impatient and getting discouraged. The early Christians were waiting for Christ’s second coming, they were expecting Him to return very soon to save them from oppression and suffering. But it did not seem to happen, life did not seem to change. So, James encouraged them, “…the coming of the Lord is at hand…”

How long more? When will it be?

In the Gospel, we see John the Baptist asking, "Are you the one who is to come…?”

He had been preaching to the people and baptizing them, to prepare them for the coming of the Messiah, he too had been waiting. And with Jesus’ reply, quoting Isaiah’s prophecy, I am sure John the Baptist would be rejoicing even though he was in prison. Because he knew his wait was over. Whatever he was suffering in prison, even at the point of his death, nothing could take away the joy of knowing that Christ is here.

And so, this is the heart of Gaudete Sunday:

Joy does not mean the absence of suffering. Joy means the presence of Christ.

When Christ comes, nothing else matters.

So today, the Church tells us: Rejoice!

Not because life will become easy after Christmas, not because your troubles will disappear or the world will suddenly become perfect, but we rejoice because when Christ is here, suffering and hardship will mean nothing and do nothing to us anymore.

Look at John the Baptist, look at the apostles, saints and martyrs. They faced torture, persecution, suffering, illnesses and terrible deaths, but they were joyful to the end. Not because suffering disappeared in their lives, but because it did not have the last word. Nothing mattered, only Christ.

So if you truly let Christ enter your heart, it will be Christmas every day. Rejoice! For He is near.

Amen.


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Homily: December 9, 2025, Tuesday of the second week of Advent (Word of God)

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 “This is the way; walk in it,” whether you turn to the right or to the left. How wonderful it would be if God always spoke to us with this kind of clarity. So often in life we find ourselves stuck uncertain about the next step, unsure which direction to take, or confused about what God wants from us.  I remember times when I prayed earnestly to know God’s will whether for my own life or for the parish and I made decisions that seemed right, only to discover later that they were not where God was leading. And yes, in my frustration I asked God, “Why didn’t You show me the right way?”But the truth is: God is never silent. He speaks constantly. He speaks in the quiet sanctuary of our conscience that sacred inner place where His Spirit touches our soul.  The real challenge is not God’s silence but the noise around us and inside us. If we are always listening to the world, to our anxieties, to our distractions, we simply cannot hear Him. He speaks in Sacred Scripture every ti...
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Homily: December 7, 2025, Second Sunday of Advent (Fruitfulness )

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Homily: December 12, 2025, Feast of the Our Lady of Guadalupe

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Homily: December 8, 2025, Solemnity of Immaculate Conception

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 “He chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.” These powerful words from St. Paul to the Ephesians remind us of a truth that should fill our hearts with great joy: we are chosen. We choose or nominate someone because we see great value in the person. It is an honor to be chosen, especially for something great. But today, St. Paul tells us something far greater: You and I have been chosen by God Himself the Creator of the vast universe, the Lord of galaxies and stars, the One who holds everything in existence. And God chose us, long before the world began, long before our birth, before we could do anything to earn His love. Why? Because God has a divine purpose for all of us. The blessed virgin Mary was chosen too, in an extraordinary way. God chose her and granted her a unique grace: conception without original sin. Mary’s soul was untouched by any stain of sin from the very first moment of her existence. God has a plan of salv...
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F or forty days and nights, satan was waiting, to strike when Jesus was most hungry, at His weakest. First temptation: “Command this stone to become bread.” Jesus needed food indeed. Satan did not give food, but suggested Jesus to abuse His divine power to create food for Himself. He makes us think our needs and wants are most important. And suggests shortcuts to satisfy ourselves. Selfish desires turn us away from God. Second temptation: “I shall give to you all this power and glory…worship me.” Jesus’ mission is to preach the good news to all nations. Satan tries to persuade Jesus to take the easy way, to receive power and glory from him. satan is the father of lies. Nothing belongs to him. satan tries to make us believe that money will give us power and earthly possessions will give us glory. He tempts us with quick and convenient ways to achieve our ambitions. Greed and vanity block us from holy virtues. Third temptation: “If you are the son of God, throw yourself down from here…” ...
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Homily: March 23,2025, Third Sunday of Lent (First Scrutiny of the elect)

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 "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14) On the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent, we celebrate the Rites of Scrutiny with our elects - those preparing to receive the Sacraments of Initiation, to enter the Catholic Church, as part of the period of ‘Purification and Enlightenment. The purification process is God's way of helping to remove the stain and dirt from the souls of the Elect, so to see the true good and beauty of each soul. God does not scrutinize to find the wrongs but to celebrate the real identity of each child of His, revealing the value within each of us and rejoicing in the light of Christ reflecting from us. Each of these Sundays has a powerful theme: Water, Light and Life. These themes are presented through the Gospel texts of various encounters with Jesus Christ: the wom...
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 “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more.” Really? Yes, absolutely true. There is no doubt that sin is increasing in the world, at least in terms of modern technology. I make this observation based on what priests hear in the confessional. One hundred years ago, people did not confess sins related to television. Thirty years ago, there were no sins involving the internet. Twenty years ago, we didn’t have sins connected to smartphones. Ten years ago, we didn’t have sins committed due to social media. And just a few years ago, no one mentioned sins related to artificial intelligence. From time to time, I have encountered and had to ask the penitents to explain certain words they used in confession and which did not even exist a decade ago! They were new to me, but I am sure Jesus was not stumped like me. Sins come in new forms, but the reality of sin remains the same. Yet, St. Paul reminds us that as sin increases, grace overflows even more. Along with these new challenge...
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