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: January 23, 2026, Friday of the second week in Ordinary Time (Forgiveness)

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 “Saul then said to David: ‘You are in the right rather than I; you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm.’” I may not remember everything from my theology classes, but one thing from the study of Christology that fascinated me and stayed with me, was the person of David. Not just as an impressive king in the Old Testament but as a prominent faithful servant who prefigured Jesus.  The similarities are striking. David and Jesus were both born in Bethlehem. They were both from the same tribe and lineage. David was a shepherd; Jesus is the Good Shepherd. David wept in the Garden of Olives after being betrayed by his own son, Absalom. Jesus wept in the Garden of Gethsemane after being betrayed by Judas. David was a king anointed by God; Jesus is the King of kings sent by God. But more than all these parallels, what touches me most is this: both David and Jesus loved and forgave their enemies. David was impressive but far from perfect. When sin overtook him, he com...
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Homily: January 20, 2026. Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time (Anointed-Spirit )

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 “And from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David.” Today’s first reading narrates a very moving and exciting scene in the Book of Samuel: the anointing of future King David. He was still a youth, inexperienced and not tested, but he knew God and God knew him. God chose him, anointed him and his life changed forever. A few months ago, I watched the show ‘David’ at the Sight & Sound Theatre. This scene was so well done that it stayed vivid in my memory. When Samuel anointed David, something real happened, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him. David felt it. Thus throughout his life, he lived with a deep awareness of God’s presence and holy obedience to God. God’s presence was so strong in David’s consciousness then even though he later sinned, he did not hide from or justify himself with God. Instead, he offered up one of the most beautiful penitential psalms in deep contrition. “Do not cast me from Your presence, nor take Your Holy Spirit from me.” David unders...
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Homily: July, 30, 2024, Tuesday of the Seventeenth Week in Ordinary Time (seeds of weeds).

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 “The weeds are the children of the Evil One, and the enemy who sows them is the Devil." Last year, I didn't plant anything in my planter. I left it bare and basically neglected it, but over time, I discovered weeds were growing naturally and thrived. They covered my whole planter. I neither watered them nor used any fertilizer, yet they survived the hot summer and finally withered only during winter. This year, I planted Asian spinach in the same soil, and thankfully, they grew well and thrived too. I have harvested them many times now, yet they continue to grow. There are no weeds so far because the spinach grew so well that it covered the entire planter, there is no room for any weeds to grow, no space for weeds to enter. My friends and I have eaten much of what has grown, and some deer nearby have also had a good share of the harvest. At the recent National Eucharistic Conference, the place was filled with thousands of people, and everyone was joyful, friendly and kind to ...
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Homily: Janaury 18, 2026, Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (Life mission )

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 “I will make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” These words from the prophet Isaiah are not only ancient poetry, they are also personal. God was speaking to Israel, telling them His plans. He is also speaking to us now, sharing the same vision He has for us. They echo what St. Peter affirms us in his epistle: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own… called out of darkness into his marvelous light.” Last Sunday we reflected on the identity that we are beloved children of God. His heir, and His beloved. This Sunday, the Church asks us to reflect on the question that follows: If this is who you are, then what are you called to do? Your life is not random. You exist not by accident. You live, not just to survive till death. The truth is, your existence is planned, you are entrusted with a mission. Imagine Isaiah standing here today and saying to you: “I will make YOU a light to the nations.” Not any...
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Homily: January 24, 2026, Saturday of the Second Week In Ordinary Time (God is never Enough )

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 “When his relatives heard of this, they set out to seize him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’” In simpler words, they were saying, “He is crazy.” Imagine hearing that said about Jesus, by His own relatives. At this point in the Gospel, Jesus has been away from home, constantly preaching, healing, and teaching. He is not living a quiet, predictable life. He is not protecting His comfort. He is not trying to appear “normal.” He is completely consumed by one thing: the will of His Father. To fulfill the Father’s will is the center of Jesus’ life, His food, His breath, His mission. And from the outside, it can look extreme. It can look unreasonable. It can look like madness. After Pentecost, something similar happens to the disciples. Filled with the Holy Spirit, they preach with boldness and joy, and people mock them: “They have had too much new wine.” When someone is truly filled with God, the world often does not understand. Think of the saints. Francis of Assisi, Padre Pio...
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Homily: January 25, 2025. Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Trust in Him)

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 “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.” In today’s Gospel, we witness one of the most striking moments in Scripture: the calling of the first disciples. Peter and Andrew heard Jesus’ call and immediately left their nets. James and John left not only their boats, but even their father, Zebedee, and followed Jesus. No hesitation. No long discussions. No backup plans. No questions. Just trust. Over the past two Sundays, the Church has been gently leading us step by step to consider our calling. On the first Sunday, we reflected on who we are: beloved children of God. On the second Sunday, we reflected on why we are here: our mission, to be a light to the nations. And today, Jesus shows us how to live that mission. By trusting Him. Now, if Jesus were to ask you today to do something important for His mission, how would you respond? Will you step forward immediately or will you step back and take time to think, analyze, consid...
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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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Homily: December 28, 2025, Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph (Dreams)

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 “The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you.’” As a young man, Joseph must have had beautiful dreams about his future family. He could have imagined a helpful and capable wife, children playing around the house and growing up to be well respected people in the community, a vision of a stable and peaceful life. When he got engaged to Mary, it seemed like his dreams would become reality soon. Many of us, married or not, can identify with the dreams that Joseph could have had. Yet like Joseph, the realities of our lives would have unfolded quite differently from how we have dreamt it. Joseph’s family life turned out totally unlike his own dreams, yet he continued to dream, now with God’s will revealed and God’s plan unfolding in the reality of his life. The hardship he went through in Bethlehem, with the birth of Jesus, did not end there. Today’s Gospel shows another unexpected cha...
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Homily: December 28, 2024 Feast of the Holy Innocents (Suffering).

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"Rise, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you." Just three days ago, we celebrated Christmas - a joyful commemoration of the day God came to live among us in our world, it is a when divine light entered human darkness, it is a day for rejoicing. The Christmas season continues for the Church up until the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. However, if we read and reflect on the details of Christ’s birth and events surrounding this season of joy, we see poverty, simplicity and suffering. Just before our Lord was born into this world, His earthly parents went through hardship just to find a place to rest, He was then welcomed into physical and material poverty, the day after His birth, we celebrated the death of the first martyr, St. Stephen, followed by the feast of St. John the Evangelist who suffered persecution and isolation till a ripe old age. And now today, we observe the feast of the Holy Innocents — a sorrowful event when hundreds of...
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