Fourth Sunday of Easter
(After reading this homily, please share your comments and reflections. You may post your comments at the end).
I was at the movies this week to see the movie“Letters to God.” The movie depicts the true story of Tyler, a young boy whose life is put on the line when he is diagnosed with cancer. Quite uncharacteristically, though, instead of losing faith and hope, he begins to write a letter a day to God. He writes to God about his illness, his family, his friends, and even a school mate who dislikes him. Through his letters to God he soon becomes a surprising source of hope and inspiration. These letters changed the meaning of life for his family, his neighborhood, the local church, the mailman and anyone else that came in contact with him.
On the periphery, this is a very simple movie, I might even say a little too simplistic. It does not answer the deeper questions that emerge in our minds. It does not deal the “why” and “what” of suffering. But what it does is that it lays out the basic tenets of evangelical protestant faith – unconditional faith in Jesus, enduring all things in faith, asking the question “WWJD,” accepting Jesus as one’s personal Lord and Savior etc. It is a ‘back to the basics’ kind of movie. For me, that is the attraction.
Third Sunday of Easter
(After reading this homily, please share your comments and reflections. You may post your comments at the end).
Here are three scenarios I present to you. First scenario: sex-starved celibate clergy, on the prowl, greedily eying children or anyone whom they can sexually exploit. Second scenario: emotionally unaffected celibate men, holy priests in every sense of the word, who by some supernatural power are able to live exemplary lives all the time – every one of them. Third scenario: Catholic priests, human in every sense of the word, who strive to answer to the call of God and the church community to the best of their ability, weak and vulnerable as any other person, yet most of them exhibiting extraordinary sacrifice, commitment, and love. I hope it is obvious to you that scenario one and two are both exaggerations. The third scenario is closer to the reality.
Second Sunday of Easter
(After reading this homily, please share your comments, experiences and reactions with us. Please post your comments at the end.)
The Easter vigil service last Saturday night was an unforgettable experience for many reasons. First of all, we had thirty-three people who were, either baptized, confirmed, or received into the Church. It was an immensely solemn and touching ceremony. But then, twice we had to completely halt the service. During the reading from Scripture one of the servers holding the candle for the readers blacked out and fell hard on the floor. We waited about fifteen minutes for the medics to arrive and safely take him to the hospital. And then during the laying on of hands for Confirmation, another person blacked out. We halted the services again for about 10 minutes for the medics to arrive. A third person was very close to joining the bandwagon but she averted the potentially third crisis.
Easter Sunday - The Resurrection of the Lord
(After reading this homily, tell us why YOU believe in the Resurrection? What does Easter mean for YOU? Post your comments at the end).
This has been an incredible Lent for me. From heart wrenching retreats to tough Lenten penances to the sheer exhaustion of hard work – this Lent has been a very fruitful journey. This morning, after the practice with the elect from the RCIA, after the practice with altar servers, and after taking meticulous care of the preparation for this celebration, I was hungry and exhausted. I went into my room, stood there for a minute, looked up and I said, “You better have risen from the dead!” Well humor aside, if Christ is not risen from the dead, then not just this lent, but my entire life thus far has been wasted; if Christ is not risen from the dead, then you are wasting your time here in this Church tonight; if Christ is not risen from the dead, these thirty-three RCIA elect have wasted a whole year in frivolous pursuit; if Christ is not risen from the dead, then every person that died and we buried last year, we better have given them a good farewell because we will never see them again. If Christ is not risen from the dead...
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion
(After reading this homily, please take the time to post a comment or share an experience)
Suffer... Suffering... I do not like the very sound of these words. I don’t like the thoughts that these words trigger in my mind. I don’t want to imagine or think about it. There is not a single moment that I have spent trying to figure out what life would be like if I had a lot of suffering. I have imagined my life without suffering... not ever getting old, not getting a single grey hair, not ever having to deal with wrinkles, not ever having to go the hospital, not ever having misunderstandings... but I try not to spend time imagining suffering. And yet, even as I stand here and preach, there is no denying that for one reason or another, I suffer. And I am aware that each one of you, for one reason or another, in small or greater degree, suffer.
With the celebration of this Eucharist we are entering the most sacred events As we enter Holy Week, we are entering into a week that dramatizes the stark realities of the human condition. Within the Jesus story we find intrigue, malice, prejudice, hatred, betrayal, bribery, corruption, and bloody murder. Intertwined in this sad story is the life of a man who took the consequences of human sin upon himself and transformed it into love, forgiveness, peace and eternal life. He did so by becoming the “suffering servant” of God – a concept introduced to us both in the first and second readings. By becoming the “suffering servant,” Jesus changed the very meaning of human life. Human quest for permanent happiness and eternal life can only be fulfilled in Jesus.
Fifth Sunday of Lent
(Homily based on Year A readings)
Last Wednesday, I had an unusual funeral. I was burying Paul West, who leaves behind his 82 year old wife, Tee. Had Paul made it to June of this year, they would have been married 50 years. Since I did not know Paul and Tee, the bereavement couple had given me extensive notes on Paul. Based on that information and the Scripture readings, I had prepared a nice homily. But when time came for me to deliver the homily, I realized that Tee could not hear me unless I spoke with her real close, one on one. To make matters even more difficult for me, her grief was so overwhelming that I realized that my homily would be ineffective. Quite to my own surprise, the homily turned out to be a personal conversation with Tee. While my theme for the homily was “care,” Tee said to me that between Paul and her, it was not just about care, it was about “love.” When I said to her that I am sure there were difficult times through which they must have loved each other, she said to me, “It was not hard at all.” But she also understood that love and care would mean something totally different from now on. I said to her, “Tee, but God takes “care” of Paul in death. Only God, I said, could love and care for us beyond our death.” I saw the relief on Tee’s face, as she nodded her head in faith.
Third Sunday of Lent
“Have you accepted Jesus as you personal Lord and Savior?” It is not uncommon that either at work, or a stranger at the door, or at a grocery store has asked you that question. Catholics often scoff at evangelical Christians who ask that most celebrated question, “Is Jesus Christ your personal Lord and savior?” “Well, Yeah!” any Catholic will proudly answer. And yet, ask any Catholic to explain their personal relationship with God – they are at a loss. An evangelical Christian, on the other hand, you could not stop them talking about their personal Lord and Savior. It is not that Catholics do not have their strengths. What defines Catholics is the sense of community – the sacraments, particularly Sunday mass. The difference between evangelicals and Catholics is that Catholics do not think of themselves as lone individuals on a personal journey toward salvation. Catholics think of themselves as part of a mass of humanity moving together toward God. But I wonder if Catholics should also focus deeply on their personal relationship even as they live that faith in a community.
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
You know that I look forward to every trip home to be with my parents. However, in this very traditionalist part of India, there is something I do not look forward to – being the kind of priest that I am. Many of my relatives do not want a jeans-clad, long-haired “hippy priest.” Even when I am at home they expect to see me dressed in my collar, constantly exercising my priestly duties, perhaps, on my knees in prayer. Yet, when I raise some of the social issues that plague our society, like the dowry system or caste system, they think I should just be a priest and not a rebel. My own home town is the most difficult place for me to be a priest. I usually do not worry about these things but I hate for my parents to hear anything negative said about me. I think they hurt for me.
On my last visit, however, I decided to take a different approach. Instead of focusing on the negativity, I decided to focus on my reaction to people’s expectations and criticisms. I began to evaluate my own ability to tolerate criticism. Most of all, I began to focus on my own ability to understand people. In this sense, I understand Jesus’ dilemma in today’s gospel reading as he visited his own home town of Nazareth.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Today's Scripture
I am going to make a confession. I was at loss this advent because none of things that normally tug my heart in preparation for Christmas did anything for me this year. Somehow I felt a dis-connect with everything traditionally Christmas: carols, decorations and gifts. Not that I did not take advent seriously. I did everything I preached to others over the last three weeks. And then, I read the short gospel for today’s liturgy – Mary visits Elizabeth. Something finally clicked. As we get closer to Christmas I feel totally mesmerized by Mary. It is almost as if this year it is going to be a Mary Christmas for me. In fact, I read the entire story of the birth of Jesus to get a clearer glimpse about Mary’s role in the incarnation. I read every passage where Mary is mentioned in the gospels. And then I began to write this homily. The result in the end was rather surprising.
Third Sunday of Advent
Today's Scripture
At the volunteer party last Sunday, Santa came by and gave the children their gifts. Guess what I got this year – a big lump of coal. I guess, I have not been very good this year. I don’t think I deserve Santa’s coal. I think Bernard Madoff or Tiger Woods should get it But since I am in the dog house I guess I will join them in saying, “What must I do?” That is what the people in today’s first reading and the gospel reading did.
Second Sunday of Advent
Today's Scripture
“Why believe in God? Be good for goodness sake.” Such and other ads are now common on the Washington DC and New York Metro trains and buses. Here is another one: “Don’t believe in God: You are not alone!” Billboards along the busy highways in Dallas and Fort Worth offer this message. The American Humanist Association has begun an extensive ad campaign to promote atheism. The timing is clever – just as people’s minds begin to focus on religious feasts, just as the Church begins the season of Advent, there is a concerted move to counter God, faith, and religion. Add to this the economic downturn and the personal struggles of people – despair makes us question God. I met with a man last week whose life has fallen apart since he lost his job with General Motors. He now drives a school bus for four hours a day and is unable to meet the needs of his three children. None of them have health insurance. There are others who are compelled to take jobs outside their expertise, jobs they dislike or move away from family for the sake of jobs. During such times faith is bound to be at risk. God does seem far away. Despair can set in easy.
First Sunday of Advent
Today's Scripture
You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout and I’m telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town.
He sees you when you’re sleeping
He knows if you’re awake
He knows if you’ve been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake.
Would you believe me if I said that this song is straight from scripture?
The Solemnity of Christ the King
Today's Scripture
The feast of Christ the King was instituted as a feast by Pope Pius XI as late as 1925. More than purely spiritual considerations, it was world political events that prompted the Pope to institute the feast. World War I (1914-1918) was barely over and the memories of the blood bath was still fresh in the minds of people. Nine million soldiers were killed and an unspecified number of civilians were also killed. After the war unprecedented nationalism and Fascism spread throughout Europe and the world. Both Mussolini and Hitler were flexing their brute power. While the war was over, conflicts continued to simmer. Twenty-one years later (1939-1945) the II World War would break out and this time sixty million people would be killed. The fact that the feast of Christ the King was instituted between the two World Wars says much about Pius the XI’s intentions. First, he wanted to turn Europe’s attention from petty nationalism and destructive Fascism toward God. Secondly, he wanted to point out to an alternative way to exercise power in a world that was increasingly hostile and divisive – the power of love. Thirdly, he wanted to turn the world’s attention from the atheistic secularism that was sweeping the West and focus its attention once more on God.
Thirty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
This week one of the most awaited movies of the year was released. I have not seen it yet and maybe I will or maybe I won’t. The movie is called 2012. This movie is based on certain cultural and astronomical assumptions. First, the year 2012 represents the end of the 5,126 year calendar according to the ancient Mayan civilization. The ancient Egyptians also seem to have predicted that cataclysmic events will take place in the same year. Part of the 2012 mystique stems also from astronomy. On the winter solstice in 2012, the sun will be aligned with the center of the Milky Way for the first time in about 26,000 years. NASA predicts a solar storm will occur between 2011 and 2012 but sees this as a natural phenomenon. Some Christian doomsayers are now predicting the end of the world in 2012 just as they did at the turn of the millienium. They suggest that the events in the book of Revelation will come to pass. I even read messages from Mary, the Mother of Jesus asking Catholics to prepare themselves spiritually for the events of 2012. By the way, there are internet stores that are already selling products to survive the destruction.
Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
I have been waiting for the right opportunity to share this story. In the collection basket we received a rather small but heavy envelop. Cindy, our parish secretary, gave this to me later and said that I must see it. So here it is – an envelop with 13 cents stuck inside with a tape. The note reads, “Won $1.27 playing cards 1st time for a long time.” This card was sent in jest because I am so associated with the Blessing of Ten program. But it is the attitude of this lovely lady that I am most touched by. What if she made only a dollar and fourty cents! She finds a reason to express her gratitude... and humor. As they say, “Small is beautiful.”
Solemnity of All Saints
Today's Scripture
I am going to begin this homily by sharing my grandma, Sarah Antony’s story. She died recently at the age of 93. Grand ma had a hard life. She was a widow for 63 years. Grand pa died when she still had a suckling baby in her arms. She worked hard at the farm to provide for the needs of her children. When her oldest son was getting to the age where he could support the family, she lost him. He died from a reaction to a flu shot. She never really got over that. About five years before she died she buried her youngest daughter who died from cancer at the age of 59. For the last two years she had gotten extremely weak. The last two months were perhaps the hardest. She spent these two months in the hospital and gradually faded away. However, it was her and death and the events that followed that are incredible. Because she was in a Catholic hospital, my mother who stayed with her was able to attend mass each day at the hospital. Mom prayed hard that her death may be peaceful. One such morning, mom had just come back from mass and within moments, drawing three small breaths, grandma passed away ever so peacefully. My uncles were all present as well. For them, those few moments of peaceful death, as it were, made up for sixty-three years of pain. But it got even better. When I reached India for the funeral, it had been raining for days because of the monsoon except of course, from ten in the morning to about five in the afternoon the Wednesday of the funeral. Because there are no funeral homes in India, the family takes the body to the church in a coffin. Any rain would have made this impossible. But on that day, just for those hours we had clear blue skies with the sun shining brightly over us. It started raining again that evening and it hadn’t stopped till I left on Friday morning. The peaceful death and the clear skies communicated to us the presence of God. God’s presence at the moment of her death and her funeral made up for sixty three years of hardship and challenges.
Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
Here is a testimony I received on the Ite Missa Est (Immaculate Conception Adult Faith Formation Ministry) website (www.itemissaest.org) recently. I am quoting word for word. “I would like to ask that we all pray for a young woman I met yesterday as I was going about my busy life. I stopped to get a haircut and was wearing my discipleship t-shirt from the retreat. She asked me what it meant and I explained to her that we as disciples of God strive to Act like Jesus, Speak like Jesus and Think like Jesus. She then when on to tell me she had just been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of twenty three and had already been told that she would never have children. As I listened to her talk, memories of my own past came flooding and back and knew exactly how she felt. We talked for a long while and when she was done I asked her if there was some place quiet that we could go. We prayed together there in a room at the hair dressers. For the first time in my life I knew what it was like to Act, Think and Speak like Jesus. I am asking that you please keep this young woman in your prayers and let her know that not only I care but my community of brothers and sisters also care."
Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time At the beginning of one of my homilies three years ago, I made light of the fact that I had brought some lottery tickets. My intentions were not selfish. In fact, I do not want any of the money for myself and you must believe me when I say that. Rather, I would like to pay off the parish debt, make our school financially secure, and try to make sure that children go to bed not worrying about food the next day. However, it is what happened after my confession that is really funny. People still send me lottery tickets along with my birthday and Christmas gifts. Some parishioners bought tickets in my name at the parish raffle. Others still buy the lottery for my cause and I even get a regular report about it. The news often is sad! Here I stand before you as poverty stricken as ever. I have this suspicion that had all that money been put in the “Blessing of Ten” box, we would be that much closer to paying off the debt. How tempting it is to hope that our problems would be solved like magic.
Today's Scripture
Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Sunday Scripture
My homily this week is very uncharacteristic of me. I am going straight to three points to think about. This is not only because we have very thought provoking stories of Solomon and the rich young man, but also because I want to enter into some depth about what these readings are teaching us.
a) This rich young man in today’s gospel had a gift. His gift was that he was aware of his innermost longing. He did not live an unreflected life. There is another man in today’s first reading from the book of Wisdom who had that same gift. Solomon’s longing was not wealth, power, or the kingdom, but rather, he yearned for divine wisdom. My dear friends, there is no human heart that is not created without its natural longing for God. Every soul gasps for God. Some people become aware and feed their soul with God’s breath, with God’s love and life. Others ignore it or live unawares of their dying soul. After all if we are not trained to pay attention to the soul how can we become aware of our need for God? Some people cannot explain why there is the gnawing emptiness inside them. So they keep TV constantly on, their radio is always playing, they are on their phones even in the bathroom, if not shopping there are constantly checking out things they don’t need at the mall, their biggest obsession is that latest score or gossip. Fortunately, there are enough breweries try to quench their undying thirst. I do not want to condemn the man in gospel for later failing to follow Christ. He was far ahead of most people in today’s society. He was aware of his innermost longing.
Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Scripture
As I read the first reading for today’s liturgy, I breathed easy. I relaxed. I felt good. I have read this reading many times, but for the first time I came to a new realization - the realization that God wanted the first human person to be happy and contented. In fact, God went out of God’s way to find a suitable companion for Adam. I guess God wanted Adam to be contented. Isn’t this we seek most – to be happy and contented?