Homily for the Thursday of the Fourth Week of Lent

The guidelines are there so you won't go off the road. The Jesus road is open to you. It leads through the valley, but it brings us into the bright sunshine of Heaven on the other end.

Homily for the Tuesday of the Fourth Week of Lent

Nothing is impossible for Christ. He can heal the sick; he can also forgive their sins. All it takes is for this sick man to reveal his weakness – and he does so with detail, like a true confession: how he has attempted to enter the pool, how as he has tried, someone else has beaten him to it. The sick man’s admitting both his personal weakness and desire to plunge into the pool moves Jesus to compassion. This is the remedy to all of our illnesses: presenting ourselves to Christ as we truly are, with all of our weakness, and thus moving him to compassion.

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent

Of the three characters in this parable, the focus seems to be on the undisciplined son, with whom we tend to identify -- and we like the story for its happy ending. We sometimes strain or break our relationship with God and being the recipients of the Father’s loving forgiveness is, indeed, very consoling. As for the other son, we have contradictory sentiments about his situation. On the one hand, as sinners who repent, we disapprove of his resenting the father’s generosity; on the other hand, because most of us tend to have a good image of ourselves, we sympathize with his lament that the father never threw a party for him.

Notice the father. We never actually put ourselves in his shoes. After all, the father in the story is seen extending His loving mercy to his son, a sinner. But there is a way in which we can also imitate the father.

The parable of the prodigal son can challenge us to reflect on whether or not we have gone out of our way to greet those who have offended us and whether or not we can accept them without rehashing all the alleged offenses of the past. In reality, every day is a day to forgive and welcome someone back into friendship and family – to imitate what the father in the story did and what God does for us all the time.

Readings for March 27, 2022

1st Reading: Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms: 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

2nd Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

Gospel Reading: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Homily for the Friday of the Third Week of Lent

Almost 40 years later, in a May 1982 letter to Pope John Paul II, Sister Lúcia gave an interpretation of the third secret. She wrote: “The third part of the secret refers to Our Lady’s words: ‘If not, [Russia] will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated.’ The third part of the secret is a symbolic revelation, referring to this part of the message, conditioned by whether we accept or not what the message itself asks of us: ‘If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world.’”

Homily for the Thursday of the Third Week of Lent

Continuing after the First Secret, this “second secret” is closely dependent on the first one, which has a primordial importance. Prediction of the end of WWI and a prediction of the beginning of WWII as well as a request to consecrate Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Homily for the Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent

During the apparitions of Fatima between May and October 1917, the Virgin Mary entrusted three child shepherds with three secrets. The first secret was a vision of hell that Mary showed to the children, full of lakes of fire with screaming souls in torment.

Homily for the Third Sunday of Lent 

There, in the desert, Moses is called by name: ‘Moses, Moses’! He realized that he is needed. In the solitude, the vulnerability and powerlessness of desert-life, he is called. In spite of his earlier mistakes and sins, God calls him. 

God sees the potential in Moses. God calls him in spite of his weaknesses. God does not always call the qualified. He qualifies those who are called. To those who say, ‘I am not worthy’, God says, ‘I will make you worthy’. Your weaknesses and your history will not stop God from using you. You need to say “Yes” and God will break you, form you, reform you, mould you and use you. You need to surrender yourself into God’s hands as clay in the potter’s hand. During this week of Lent, acknowledge your sins and your hideous past. Repent and accept a new call.

Readings for March 20, 2022

1st Reading: Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 103: 1-2, 3-4, 6-7, 8, 11

2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12

Gospel Reading: Luke 13:1-9

Homily for the Thursday of the Second Week of Lent

Oftentimes, we let our lives dictate so much of what we have to do that we let so many opportunities pass. Where do you set your eyes? Today, ask yourself what am I sowing in my every daily life. Is it love, care, concern, peace, joy, and generosity or is it negativity, self-centeredness, greed, and criticism? We will eventually reap what we sow. Which seeds we will choose to sow in our lives today and tomorrow? Let us be mindful of our choices.

Homily for the Friday of the Second Week of Lent

Every one of us has been given a vineyard by God. Our families, our communities, our work, our church, our environment are all parts of our vineyard. We are given everything we need to make our vineyard flourish and God lets us manage the vineyard as we choose - but we do not own the vineyard. We will have to give up what it produces at the time of reckoning. What fruits will you produce and how are you using the gifts He gave you to help others?

Homily for the Wednesday of the Second Week of Lent

In the Gospel, Jesus is aware that the religious leaders are planning on condemning Him and that He will end up dying as a result of their actions.  He is willing to go forward with this because He knows it is part of God's plan. When James and John agreed that they would drink from the same cup as Jesus, they also agreed that they would face suffering and opposition in order to continue Jesus’ ministry. Jesus explains to his disciples that, to get a position of honor in the God’s kingdom, they won’t be judged by the number of people serving them but instead on the number of people they served. 

This applies to us in our everyday life. We are all called to serve and meet Jesus in those who we serve if we are to be fit for heaven. Not putting labels on each other but simply serving one another because they are beloved sons and daughters of God. Hopefully, our service flows simply from our desire to care for and help another. True service is not about power or acclaim. If our service or help to another flows from our love and our desire to help them, God also is there!