Homily: Janaury 19, 2026 Monday of the Second week in Ordinary Time (Renewal)

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 “Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks about the new and the old. He uses the parallel of an unshrunken cloth being sewn on an old cloak, and of new wine being poured into old wineskin, both of which would cause trouble.

His listeners understood these situations. Everyone wants newness and freshness, so what needs to change?

Jesus is the new. He is the bridegroom heralding a new life, a new relationship, a new phase of life, but if we hold on to old and stubborn attitudes, we will not be able to appreciate His good news.

This newness Jesus speaks of is not about external changes or more programs that do the same old thing in packaged in a new exterior. His newness is about interior renewal, an inside job.

From time to time, I receive invitations to attend conferences or programs that promise quick and total transformation of the parish. Interestingly, none of these programs are free, in fact they cost a lot. I always wonder if the transformation promised is a quick reduction in the parish funds.

I am not against these efforts, and perhaps some might be helpful. But personally, I do think that quick solutions or programs that try to overhaul parish life is not the answer.

True renewal does not begin with a clever and expensive program. It begins with the humble and contrite heart.

Scripture reminds us again and again that renewal is God’s work: “Send forth your Spirit, and they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.”

In Lamentations we also hear: “The Lord’s acts of mercy are not exhausted; His compassion is not spent. They are renewed each morning.”

God is constantly renewing His creation, quietly, faithfully, daily.

What we lack is not new programs, but that we have become stagnant and dull in our spiritual life. When prayer becomes routine and mechanical, when we forget why we do what we do, when we don’t find joy in our being Catholics, we become old wineskins. We become too rigid and unable to receive the newness, the freshness, the ever-lasting life that God wants to pour into us.

Each day calls for a new “yes” to God. A new commitment to prayer. A new openness to grow. A new desire to know Christ more personally and follow Him more faithfully.

If our hearts are renewed, our relationship with Him remains fresh, everything becomes new. We will always recognize the presence of the Bridegroom, every day is a day for rejoicing. Amen.


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Homily: August 8, 2026, Saturday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Small Faith)

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 “The rash man has no integrity; but the just man, because of his faith, shall live.” That is a beautiful statement from the prophet Habakkuk: the just man, because of his faith, shall live. In other words, to truly live, we need faith. And the good news is that we do not need an extraordinary amount of faith to begin. Jesus tells us that if we have faith even the size of a mustard seed, amazing things can happen. A mustard seed is very small, but when it is planted, it grows. Faith is the same way. God does not ask us to begin with perfect faith. He asks us to trust Him with the little faith we have and allow Him to make it grow. Jesus wanted His disciples to grow in faith, faith in Him, faith in the gifts God had given them, and faith in His promises. At the beginning, the disciples were often afraid and uncertain. They doubted. They misunderstood Jesus. Sometimes they even failed Him. But Jesus never gave up on them. He continued to strengthen their faith. Eventually, He could t...
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 "Till everyone who sees you runs from you, saying, 'Nineveh is destroyed; who can pity her? Where can one find any to console her?'" These are striking words from the Book of the Prophet Nahum we read today. Most of us are familiar with the story of Nineveh as told in the Book of Jonah. When Jonah finally went to preach at Nineveh, the people repented sincerely. From the king down to the common people, they fasted, prayed, and turned away from their sins. Seeing their repentance, God, who is rich in mercy, withheld the punishment He had announced. Fast forward a hundred years later, that’s when the Book of Nahum was written. The same Nineveh by then had forgotten the mercy it had received a few generations earlier. It had over the century, became the capital of the Assyrian Empire, a nation known for its cruelty. The Assyrians attacked and conquered many nations, including the Israelites, and treated them with brutality. History tells us of their violence, especially...
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Homily: August 3, 2026, Monday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Fear not)

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 At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” We are all familiar with what St. Paul said: "We Walk by faith, not by sight." My question is: do we have enough faith to walk, not on ground, but on water? In today’s Gospel, we see Peter doing something no one else dared to do. He had faith, enough for Him to step out of the boat into the raging waters. He had faith, enough for him to walk on the rough waves towards Jesus. But the moment he looked at the wind and the waves slapping around him, fear replaced faith. He had faith, but not enough for him to focus on Jesus and ignore the storm for long. Thus, he began to sink. I remember in my childhood days, all the boys in my village would come to our family farm to swim in the pond. We didn’t have life jackets, no swimming instructors and no safety equipment. We didn’t even have swimming lessons, we just watched how the older boys did it and imitated them, our desire to swim like them was motivation for ...
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Homily: June 6, 2023, Tuesday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time (Love& Honor).

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 An evil report he shall not fear; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes. This is our responsorial psalm today, in response to the first reading we heard about Tobit and his wife, arguing over a goat which he thought was stolen. Tobit was a righteous man, faithful to God all the days of his life. The Israelites were living in exile under oppression and Tobit became blind and dependent on his wife's work. His kinsmen grieved at his condition, but Tobit did not lose his faith in God. He also did not lose his integrity and moral values. He did not forget his obligation to be steadfast in God’s laws. At every wedding, we witness bridal couples making their vows to each other and promising to be faithful to each other ‘in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love and honor each other all the days of their life’. What a beautiful way to seal love for the other! What a courageous way to assure co...
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Homily: July 31, 2026, Friday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time (Rejection)

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 “Where did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. The people who listened to Jesus were astonished at His wisdom, they knew that such words had to come from God but instead of praising God for it, they took offense at Jesus for preaching it. Their narrow mindedness refused to accept that a carpenter’s son could deliver God’s speech. They rejected His wisdom, and they rejected Him. In reality, they had rejected God. Their pridefulness and severe lack of faith prevented them from acknowledging what God was doing in their midst. God came amongst them, to be with them, but they did not want God to come to them that way. They had their own idea of how God should be presented to them and had their own expectations of how the Messiah should speak and act. The same happened to Jeremiah. He preached and warned the people about the consequences of the their sins, but instead of paying attention and recognizing their faults, they questioned and condemned him, “You must be put ...
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Homily: August 11, 2026, Tuesday of the Nineteenth Week in Ordinary Time (Sweet as Honey)

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 “Feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you.” Ezekiel tells us, “I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.” Sweet as honey! Is that really how we experience the Word of God? For many of us, the Word of God can actually be very challenging. It corrects us, directs our conduct, and forms us in Christian discipline. Beginning with the Ten Commandments, we hear many “You shall nots.” Do not do this. Do not do that. Forgive your enemies. Love those who hurt you. Be faithful. Be honest. Carry your cross. Deny yourself. Sometimes God's Word may feel less like honey and more like medicine—something good for us, but not always pleasant to take. So was Ezekiel simply using beautiful symbolic language when he said that God's Word was sweet as honey? Our responsorial psalm today tells us the same thing: “In the way of your decrees I rejoice.” “How sweet to my taste is your promise!” And again, “The law of your mouth is to me more precious than thousan...
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Homily: August 10, 2022, Feast of Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

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 “The Father will honor whoever serves me”. I have shared before, that I was the favorite grandchild of my paternal grandfather. He had 10 children and 50 grandchildren. Among all, he loved me the most because he believed I have a perfect green thumb. He was a man who valued planting and farming. Whenever he got a seed or seedling, he would ask me to plant it for him. He believed that whatever I sowed, would reap abundant fruits. And grandpa would bless me specially, even on his last days, he gave only me his final blessings. I never thought much about the simple farming life but had dreamed about being a rich and successful farmer. Although that dream did not come true, I have never stopped planting and gardening. Both the first reading and gospel passage today are about planting: seeds, sowing, reaping, harvesting and producing fruit. During the time of Jesus, one of the major occupations of people were farming. Many of us here are from farming families too. To till the land is a...
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Homily: 50th Wedding Anniversary: Renato and Imelda March 18-2026.

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 “In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you; and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people.” Dear Renato and Imelda, It is truly a joy and an honor for me to celebrate this Mass with you today as you mark 50 years of marriage. What a beautiful milestone fifty years of love, sacrifice, faith, and perseverance. As you know, during the season of Lent, the Church does not allow special readings for occasions like this. We keep the readings of the day. But I truly believe that today’s reading from the prophet Isaiah is perfectly chosen by God for you. God says: “I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people.” Renato and Imelda, God has given both of you as a covenant—not only to each other, but to your family, your children, your grandchildren, your relatives, and your friends. Your marriage has been a visible sign of God’s faithfulness. Through your life together, God has blessed many: • the life of your children, • the love tha...
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