Homily for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

The grass was fine until it looked greener on the other side. How many times have you looked on social media or the internet and admired pictures or videos that make life look perfect? Oftentimes we don't know those pictures story or how long it took to make it look good. As humans, we tend to look at other people's life and assume that having a certain life like theirs would make ours better. We oftentimes think of the success that is portrayed and feel like it should be our life...and sometimes that leads to us getting mad when God's not in a rush to give us that same life. Why try to match what should be one of a kind? You're one of a kind, so enjoy the journey or season that you are in. God is in control and trust that He has you right where you need to be.

Readings from January 23, 2022:

1st Reading: Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10

Responsorial: Psalms 19:8, 9, 10, 15

2nd Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-30

Gospel: Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21

Homily for the Tuesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time

Jesus Christ is Lord of the Sabbath. We rest in him, not in our own works. His love binds us to himself, and he loves us for no other reason than that he wants to! He makes us new in himself, only because he loves us and has chosen freely not to be without us. Paul wrote, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! Today, in that place of refuge, in the security of God’s endless love for us, we are free to make him our priority. Therein lie the unshakable peace, joy, and fullness of life we so crave. Therein lies our true rest.

Homily for the Memorial of Saint Anthony, Abbot

Take up the shield of faith in every circumstance. If we drop it for any reason, we leave ourselves very vulnerable to the enemy’s attacks. The shield of faith comes from God alone, and we need to ask him to arm us with it to help protect ourselves from the devil. Today, having been inspired by St. Anthony, let us all therefore commit ourselves to the Lord anew with a renewed spirit and zeal. Let us all be ever more genuine Christians not just in appearances only, but even more importantly, in spirit and in all things. May God be with us always and may He empower us that we may walk with Him faithfully, and that we may find it in us to glorify His Name by our every words, actions and deeds.

Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

Oftentimes, moments in your life seem amazing and you are loving every moment of it. The sacrifices are easy because you are so much in love with all of the many possibilities. However, what happens when years go by, and things get a little off track? You may become sad or angry and that greatly resembles those empty jars like the ones John refer to in the Gospel at the wedding of Cana. Stone jars, just like a heart that hardens with time due to disappointments and a lack of forgiveness. 

Sometimes the obligations, the worries that love can bring, empties us like those jars. If the jars are not refilled with the wine of joy and forgiveness they become worthless; they are the mere semblance of what they were, like our withered and angry hearts. Today, ask yourself what am I going to bring to my life? Do I want to bring empty jars with worries and struggles, or do I want to bring new wine? How much wine is left in your jar? Is there some left or should you organize yourself for a miracle?

Readings from January 16, 2022

Isaiah 62:1-5

Psalms 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

John 2:1-11

Homily for the Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

The story about the wedding at Cana is important because it was the first miraculous sign that Jesus gave. It was the first time that Jesus revealed his glory when he walked this earth. It is also when the disciples began to believe in him. When he called them, they knew something was different about him, but this first miracle helped them to really see. Even though they would see much more later! Today, when you see miracles, healings, or answer prayer, take time to rest in your gratitude to God. Don’t get so caught up in “what happened” that you forget who made it happen.

Readings from January 16, 2022

Isaiah 62:1-5

Psalms 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

John 2:1-11

Homily for the Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

What happens when we awaken to find ourselves in the nighttime of life? When life seems to get hard, or things happen that we never wanted to happen, it's difficult to keep the faith sometimes. In those times it seems as if there is only darkness and Jesus is nowhere to be seen. Some will assume he has forsaken them, so they will abandon their faith. They will give up on the Church and Jesus himself. So what do we do when Jesus sneaks off and we feel all alone just like Peter did?

We learn that this is not about Jesus escaping or getting away, but it’s about prayer; his and ours. It’s no longer about what is happening around us or to us but what is happening within us. Regardless of how dark it may seem, Jesus never leaves us. He may withdraw but that does not mean he is absent. His withdrawing is in reality an invitation for us to move to a new place, to the deserted place. He calls us out of the comfort of the house into the vulnerability of the wilderness. It is a deserted and desolate place; a place where there is only prayer. There, we are alone with the Alone.

Jesus doesn't let us sit in comfortability; oftentimes, He moves us to the uncomfortable. Our hearts either searches for the Lord diligently, or we go back to what we're used to doing. Today, let your hearts be as stretched as Peter's heart was in wanting to be with Jesus so you can encounter and receive Him.

Homily for the Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Oftentimes we find that goodness is no longer normal. It tends to be like this extraordinary ability that is reserved to a few. However, goodness can be seen in our actions, but our heart also has to be pure. The goodness of Christ is to be demonstrated in our lives every day. Psalm 23:6 says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

God calls us to be filled with goodness from the inside out, being holy in what we do and say because Christians should have a heart that seeks goodness. We are not to just do good works, because doing good works without a good heart is empty. Today, ask God to use you to grow in the fruit of goodness so we can live a fulfilling life full of righteous love.

Homily for Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

The first reading in the Book of Samuel tells us of a young woman named Hannah who was married to a man called Elkanah. They were very much in love; however, Hannah was infertile. 

Hannah trusted God without doubt or concern. Hannah’s story teaches us that our faith in God allows Him to bless us. Her trust in God as she turned to Him, her deep desire for children and her faithfulness in bringing Samuel to God as promised are all evidences of God working in Hannah’s life.

Every person experiences circumstances that cause grief. Many times, we simply don’t understand why the desire of our hearts is not met. But in the life of Hannah we see that God knows our hearts, that everything has a purpose and that trust in Him is never misplaced.

Homily for the Friday after Epiphany

God is not sitting back watching you live your life, He's living your life with you. We don't have a God who sits idol and who is passive. God has already given us eternal life, grace, and salvation and wants to be actively involved in our process of daily conversion, and our process of coming back to Him. He desires to be present with us, moving with us in every step of the way. Today, ask yourself how has God been active in your life and in your heart. How does he continually give you the encouragement to keep you going? In asking and in times of doubt, remember His promises. Remember who He has always been. Even in doubt and uncertainty, if you keep going to Him, He will continually show Himself to be trustworthy.

Thursday after Epiphany Holy Communion Service Reflection

Luke 4:14-21 is the opening scene in the ministry of Jesus. It is Jesus’ manifesto for the work ahead. Jesus was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit as he returned to His native town of Nazareth. Jesus chooses to read from Isaiah 61:1-2 that refers to the Spirit of God, the same Spirit who brought him to Nazareth. After he reads all this, Jesus goes and sits down. Then he has a mic drop moment where he says, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 

What would be some of the thoughts going through your mind at this point, if you were sitting beside Jesus and he said that? The issue is of Faith. Looking at the chances that this carpenter’s son, who was born in Nazareth, during their life time, and was the Messiah, might have seemed too unlikely. However, as we reflect on our vocation being “called to proclaim” the gospel, think about your own life. Having faith in Jesus is one of the core beliefs we all share. Do you find yourself shying away from opportunities to proclaim or share because of your own insecurities? Today, dig deep in your heart and try to find the things that can help strengthen your core beliefs so that you feel more sure of the gospel and more at liberty to share it with others.