Homily: January 26, 2026, Memorial of Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops (Stir into Flame)

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 “For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands.”

This phrase was chosen by the universal church as the theme for the Year of the Priest (2009–2010). At that time, I was still a seminarian. And to see the phrase repeatedly throughout that year, it stayed with me. It has sunk so deep that it will never leave my heart and mind.

These words also take me back to my childhood.

When I was young, often during harvesting season for coffee and black pepper, my father would send me to the next village bringing sickles, axes, and tools that needed sharpening. There was a blacksmith in that village, who worked under a simple tent. He had a heap of charcoal with a wheel he turned with a foot pedal. As he pressed and released the pedal, air would rush to blow into the charcoal. Within minutes, the fire came alive. The charcoal glowed, and soon the sickles too turned a fiery red.

That glowing red signaled the readiness of the tools to be sharpened. The moment the blacksmith stopped pumping the pedal, the fire began to fade. The glow disappeared. The tools cooled. The metal was set. End of sharpening.

St. Paul’s words to Timothy paralleled the same situation. Timothy was already a bishop. He had already received the gift through the laying on of hands. And yet, Paul urges him: “Stir it into flame.” Keep the heat up. Do not let it cool. Do not let it fade. Do not allow the fire to die down.

Similarly, for us.

At our baptism and confirmation, we were anointed and sealed with the Holy Spirit. The fire of God was placed within us, to fuel us for mission. But that fire needs to be kept alive and burning. If we neglect it, it cools and becomes dormant, not gone, but inactive.

Faith must be stirred up.

Prayers, the sacraments, Scripture reading, and daily commitment are like the pedal that pumps air to stir up the flames.

If we stop, the fire cools.

Today, St. Paul gently reminds us: do not let the gift within you grow cold. Stir it into flame again. Return to prayer. Return to the sacraments. Return to stir up the passion for mission.

Amen.


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Homily: April 15, 2026 Wednesday of the Second Week of Easter (Angels)

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Holy Family School Mass Homily:   “During the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison.” Did you hear that line in today’s first reading? The Sadducees put the apostles in jail. But during the night, an angel of the Lord came, opened the prison doors, and set them free. That is amazing, right? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have an angel like that? But here is the good news: You already do! Each one of you has a guardian angel. God has given every one of us an angel to protect us, guide us, and help us reach heaven. Some saints were very close to their guardian angels. St. Isidore, a farmer in Spain, loved God very much. There are stories that angels helped him with his work when he was busy praying. St. Padre Pio often spoke with his guardian angel and even asked his angel to help others. St. Gemma Galgani also experienced her guardian angel, who guided her and even corrected her when she did something wrong! Even in the life of Jesus, when He was praying in t...
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Homily: April 14, 2026 Tuesday of the Second Week of Easter (Simple Faith)

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 “If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?” This first conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus happens early in John’s Gospel, but by then, Nicodemus would have already heard about Jesus and knew about some of the miracles He worked. Nicodemus knew there was something different about Jesus, something beyond the ordinary, something possibly divine. Thus, he said, “No one can do these signs unless God is with him.” Nicodemus was knowledgeable, and like the rest of the Jewish people, he was waiting for the Messiah. Yet he struggled to believe in Jesus. Jesus often spoke to ordinary people using simple every day images – planting seeds, vineyards, shepherding, fishing – events which were familiar to the people of that time. But when Jesus spoke to Nicodemus who was a learned man, He went deeper. He spoke about being born again, about the Spirit, about heavenly realities. And Nicodemus struggled. Why? Because e...
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Homily: April 18, 2026, Saturday of the Second Week of Easter (Be not Afraid )

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 “It is I. Do not be afraid.” One of my nephews and I used to do WhatsApp video calls. You know how those apps have masks and funny filters. One day I put on a scary mask, he threw the phone aside, and ran away. He got frightened. Later I called him and said , “It’s your uncle. Don’t worry.” After that we made an agreement—no more masks/ filters during our calls. Now he is fine! In today’s Gospel, the disciples see Jesus walking on the water, but they do not recognize Him. They think they are seeing a ghost, and they are terrified. Then Jesus speaks: “It is I. Do not be afraid.” The moment they hear His voice, fear begins to leave them. His words help them recognize Him. His voice brings peace. That is the power of the word of God. We see the opposite in Gethsemane. When the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, they asked, “Are you Jesus the Nazorean?” Jesus answered: “I AM.” And the Gospel says they drew back and fell to the ground. The same Lord. The same voice. The same divine power. ...
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March 1, 2025: First Holy Communion Homily: St. Joseph's Catholic Church Seffner, Florida

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Did you listen attentively to the Gospel reading? Yes? Let me test you… What did Jesus say? Did He say, “Whoever eats my bread and drinks my wine?”  No! He said, “Whoever eats my FLESH and drinks my BLOOD remains in me and I in him.” Yes, when you receive Holy Communion, you are receiving the real flesh and blood of Jesus. I am sure Fr. Roy, your catechists, parents and the whole parish community have prepared you well for this day, so you know what you are receiving today. But what I want to focus on now is the last part where Jesus says, ‘remains in me and I in him’. 29 years ago in 1996, I received my First Holy Communion. I was eight years old, but I still remember that day vividly. I remember the preparations, my First Reconciliation, and the excitement I felt when I lined up to receive Jesus for the very first time. I remember seeing the priest dipping the Precious Body into the Precious Blood, and then that precious moment – Jesus’ body and blood rested on my tongue. So swee...
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Homily: April 17, 2026, Friday of the second week of Easter (Gamliel)

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 “Fellow children of Israel, be careful what you are about to do to these men.” These are the words of Gamaliel in today’s first reading. Gamaliel was a Pharisee, a highly respected teacher of the law. People listened to him because his words carried wisdom and authority. He was also the teacher of Saul who later became Paul the Apostle. In today’s reading, we see that his logic was simple but profound: “For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” And so too, his advice was simple but wise: Be careful. Think. Do not act in haste. I often wonder, “Where was Gamaliel when Jesus was being condemned?” If he was present at the Sanhedrin, could Jesus be spared the death sentence like the Apostles? In any case, from today’s reading, we can conclude that Gamaliel was indeed a man of justice, a man of prudence, a man of wisdom, and a man o...
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Homily: October 26, 2025, Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time.

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 “The one who serves God willingly is heard; his petition reaches the heavens. The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds; it does not rest till it reaches its goal.” Last week’s readings touched on the theme of prayer, this theme continues in our readings this Sunday. Throughout the week, I often see people coming quietly into our church to pray during different times of the day. Some light candles, some kneel before the statue of Our Lady of the World, and some just sit before the tabernacle in silence. A few come from nearby offices during their break from work to spend a few minutes with Jesus or with Mary. There are also those who are homeless, some are patients or their visitors from the hospitals. Different states of life, different prayer intentions, yet all come with faith in God. This is truly a house of prayer. All are welcome. As proclaimed in the first reading, God has no favorites. Rich or poor, young or old, well or sick, strong or weak, God welcomes all and hears al...
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Homily: March 24, 2026, Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Lent (Old-New )

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 “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert…? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” When you read the story of Exodus to this point, do you feel frustrated with the Israelites? Don’t you think they should be deeply grateful to God? For years, they have been praying and crying to God to save them from slavery. Then God sent Moses and they saw with their own eyes the many miracles and wonders God performed to bring them all out of Egypt safely. The ten plagues, the passover, the parting of the Red Sea as they walked on dry ground to freedom. They experienced God’s power firsthand and saw what generations before and after them have not seen. They know God is real. Now they did not have to be flogged and beaten, they did not have to work in harsh conditions, they did not have to live in fear, they didn’t even have to grow their own food. God provided every day. And yet, they complained, they blamed God and Moses, they even called manna, the food God gave them fro...
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Homily: April 19, 2026, Third Sunday of Easter (God Walk with us )

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 “Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.” When I was a child, I walked a lot. Because few families owned a car, including my family and there was hardly any public transportation in my village. So, everybody walked. One of my earliest memories in life was walking with my grandfather. He brought me along wherever he went. We walked along the narrow village roads, through farms and plantations. Sometimes I would walk slowly by his side. Sometimes I would run ahead a few steps, then pause to wait for him, and then I would run ahead again. I still enjoy going on walks, with nowhere specific to go to, just strolling around leisurely, sometimes with my nieces and nephews, with friends, or alone, just to enjoy the scenery and fresh air. It is always especially pleasant to walk with someone you love, respect or are comfortable with. In today’s Gospel, we see a life-changing walk. On the day of the Resurrection, two disciples of Jes...
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Homily: April 20, 2026, Monday of the Third week of Easter (Friendship with Jesus)

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 “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled.” I have many personal friends whom I do not contact regularly anymore, mostly because of our busy schedules, time zone difference, and simply how quickly time passes. But when I need something from there, when I need their help, I would not hesitate to call them. And they would oblige and not reject me. They too, would reach out to me only when they need my help, and I would not deny them my assistance either. I do feel guilty quite often, however. I do think I should have called them more often, to check in with them and show concern, not just when I needed help. My friends are guilty of the same. In today’s Gospel, people were looking for Jesus, and He knew their motivation, because they knew He could provide for their needs, He could feed them and satisfy their hunger for food. Sadly, they did not know He could give them much more than mere food, they simp...
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Homily: July 2, 2024, Tuesday of the Thirteenth week in Ordinary time (Meet God ).

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“Prepare to meet your God, O Israel.” This is the last verse from today’s first reading, and it reminds me of my school days. When I was in school, from Pre-K right up to high school, there were umpteen times when I was told, “Prepare to meet your principal.” And that meant trouble. Every principal that had led my school, has had the privilege of punishing me for being naughty or not doing my homework, and occasionally my parents too were called in to meet them. That was so embarrassing for them, and totally shameful for me. Yet it did not stop me from getting into trouble as I progressed through school. And so, whenever I go to Holy Family School here, and if I see students in the principal's office, it reminds me of my own experience in the past. I imagine that they too probably got into some trouble for not finishing their homework or misbehaving in class. And if I see a kid from SAC in the principal's office, I would just pretend that I did not look inside and did not see t...
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