Homily: May 3, 2026 Fifth Sunday of Easter (Dwelling place)

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 “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places… I am going to prepare a place for you.”

Think about that. Heaven will not be a vast space where we roam or float about. We will have a home, a place to rest, to take root, to be safe and comfortable.

And Jesus is preparing it for us. This is not a general promise, but something personal. Christ has you specifically in mind. He will prepare it in a way that is just right for us.

So, are we also preparing ourselves for this future dwelling place? Jesus is the Truth, His promise is real. Heaven is real.

We too have made a promise to God at our baptism, renewed at every Easter. Is our promise real?

God has set aside a home for us, His children. We need to claim this gift, but not just with lip service. We need to claim it with our action, by how we live.

Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life."

Follow Jesus and we will get there. Trust Jesus and we will get there safe. Live like Jesus now and we will get there happily, joyfully, eagerly.

Because the way to heaven is not a path we invent. The way is a person. The way is Jesus. And to follow him is to walk as He walked, to live as He lived, forgiving when it is hard, loving when it hurts, staying sober when it is just so comfortable to slumber.

Following Jesus is not difficult, we just need to be intentional.

One day, we will stand before Christ, who is Truth itself. And in that moment, nothing will be hidden. We will see clearly, the good and not sp good in us. The truth in us will be visible.

What will be seen is no longer our exterior, but all that was in our hearts will show clearly.

But Jesus assures us, “Do not let your hearts be troubled."

Because the Gospel is not about fear. It is about hope. Jesus has already done the hardest part. He gave his life for us. He has opened the door, we are all invited, just accept, walk towards it and enter confidently.

Saint Peter also reminds us who we are: “A chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation.”

This is not what we might become someday. This is who we are now. We are not wanderers, we have a direction, a destination. We have a home waiting for us.

So let us live confidently as heir to a bright future and walk surely towards God's House. Jesus is there, hands outstretched, door open.


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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 26, 2026, First Holy Communion Mass

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 “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” There is a famous English comedian, Rowan Atkinson, who is well known for his act as Mr. Bean. He once shared that sometimes people went up to him to comment that he looked like Mr. Bean. To which he would respond, “I am Mr. Bean.” But they would insist, “No, no, you just look like him!” It sounds funny but this is exactly what is happening in today’s Gospel. The people asked Jesus, “Tell us plainly, are you the Christ?” They had seen His works and heard His profound teaching. There had never been anyone like Him. No one had performed the miracles He performed. No one had fulfilled the prophecies from old, only He did. Everything pointed to Him as the long-awaited Messiah. Those who knew the Scriptures should have recognized Him easily. Then why were they still asking? Simple answer. They were in denial. They knew, but they refused to acknowledge it. They probably thought they were too intelli...
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Homily: April 27, 2026, Monday of the Fourth Week of Easter.

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 “I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me… and I will lay down my life for the sheep.” This is the truth. And it is beautiful. We have a God who knows us by name. To Him, we are not just a member in a big church community, not just as a number in a big group - but we are a specific person to Him. He knows us personally, intimately and fully. There is a quote: Satan knows your name but calls you by your sin. God knows your sin but calls you by your name. And not only does He know us, He loves us so much, He lays down His life for us so that we can live. It is the truth. It is also a mystery of love. As St. Paul says: “May you have the strength to comprehend… the breadth and length and height and depth… and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge.” It is a love beyond understanding. Recently, I watched a short video about the vastness of the universe. To travel to the nearest galaxy from our Milky Way, at the speed of light, it would take about 2.5 millio...
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Homily April 29, Memorial of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

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 “And all day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Christ, Jesus”. Even after being flogged, all day long, the disciples continued teaching and preaching everywhere… Amazing, isn’t it?  These past few days, we have been reading from Acts of the Apostles. We see how the Jewish leaders and high priest tried to stop the apostles from preaching in the name of Jesus. But they failed. The Pharisee Gamaliel rightly said, “if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” How true. The church is from God. The disciples did not stop teaching and proclaiming. They even rejoiced at being flogged for what they were doing. They were on fire for Jesus. They were so eager and excited to tell everyone about Jesus. What about us? If there is a new restaurant serving delicious food or a store is having a great end-of-summer sale, we would hear many people talking about it. Some w...
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Homily: June 27, 2025, MSolemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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 “As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep.” Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. And yet, if we look closely at the readings, we don’t see any explicit reference to the heart of Jesus. However, in the second reading, we read about the love of God through Jesus and in the first reading and Gospel, we are given a clear description of the love of a good shepherd for his own sheep. The good shepherd in these texts refer to Jesus, so what we celebrate today, is the loving, self-giving heart of Jesus, our good and true shepherd. We celebrate His unwavering protection, dedicated care and sacrificial love for us, His flock. Sheep are vulnerable, they do not have any sense of direction, totally cannot protect themselves or each other, but quite amazingly, they respond to the voice and instructions of their shepherd. They cannot survive on their own, they need their shepherd. So, the good shepherd w...
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Homily: April 26, 2026, Fourth Sunday of Easter (Life in Abundance)

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 “A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” These words of Jesus are very clear. There are two types of people you can allow into your life. One will give you fullness, peace, and joy in life. The other will come in then leave you with emptiness, sorrow, and destruction. Who will you invite? Jesus says: I came to give you life - life in abundance. What is life in abundance? The world offers abundance too. It promotes and promises happiness through prosperity of material wealth and possessions, great power and control through high position and status. Thus many people keep working hard, they compete and fight, some even try to outsmart the system. Over time, more often than not, all these things will pass, deplete, fail and leave us empty, not one bit happier than when we were innocent children with nothing to our name. The worldly culture promises freedom, but it actually leads to slavery and sadness. So...
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Homily: May 1, 2026: Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker

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 “Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds? Is he not the carpenter’s son?” In today’s Gospel, Jesus is identified by His work. He was known as the ‘carpenter’s son’. St. Joseph was a carpenter. Most likely, he was well known in Nazareth. His work defined him in the eyes of the people. And Jesus, in His hidden life, shared that identity. We do not know much about Jesus’ life in the years of His infancy till His public ministry. But we can imagine it could be very simple and humble. Jesus would have spent those years close to Joseph, watching him work, learning from him, assisting him and finally, possibly taking over the trade when Joseph passed on. In His humanity, Jesus learned how to work, to be an industrious member of society, following the example of His earthly father, Joseph. In the beginning, the first Adam was placed in a garden of the world to labor and care for it. Now, the new Adam, Jesus, was also placed in the carpentry of the world to labor and build for ...
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Homily: June 1, 2025, Ascension Sunday

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 “He put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” Today’s second reading concludes very clearly the role and relationship of Christ and us, the church. This day of solemnity is not merely a commemoration of Jesus the Son returning to the Father. It is a firm proclamation of our identity, our mission, and our destiny as Church. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church. We, the Church, are His Body. And where the Head has gone, the Body will follow. The opening prayer for today’s celebration puts it beautifully for us: “Where the Head has gone before in glory, the Body is called to follow in hope.” Our destiny is heaven, confirmed. But we are not going alone as individuals, we are going as one united Church. When Jesus ascends into heaven, He goes in the same human body He took on through the Incarnation, the body which still bears the wounds of His sacrificial love, in...
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Homily: March 27, 2026, Saturday of the Fifth Week in Lent (Hardness of Heart)

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 “So from that day on they planned to kill him.” These are very strong and shocking words from today’s Gospel. During this season of Lent, we have been praying often in the responsorial psalm: “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” Every morning, priests and religious pray this line in the Divine Office. It is like a daily reminder, a warning—to keep our hearts open to God. But in today’s Gospel, we see the opposite. The Pharisees and the chief priests witnessed so many miracles of Jesus. And the final one—the raising of Lazarus after four days in the tomb—is something truly extraordinary. That one miracle alone should have led anyone to faith. But instead of believing, they decide to kill Him. Why? Because their hearts had become hard. They chose not to see. They chose not to listen. They chose not to believe. They closed their eyes to the truth and shut their ears to God’s voice. And this is where today’s Gospel speaks to us. Hardness of heart does not happen in o...
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