Homilies and Other Writings

  “ Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many [ of you] were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth” (Cf. 1 Corinthians 1:26-31). According to St. Thomas, St. Paul is not saying that not many of the Corinthians were wise, but that not many of those who initially preached the Gospel and called them to the faith were wise. Matthew was a learned man, most probably, as St. Paul himself, but the rest were most likely fishermen. This is why St. Paul continues by saying that “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise,” that is, God chose for preaching His own truth mostly people who were foolish regarding worldly wisdom, and weak, and low, etc. so that it may be clear to all that human glory does not come from anything humanly possible but from God alone. St. Paul proceeds in three steps. 1. “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise.” Human wisdom is confused by the foolishness of preaching. “Greeks l...

Christmas Homily 2024 “Come to me,” said once the Messiah, “Come to me, all of you who are wearied and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” ( Matthew 11:28). Jesus calls us all, on this holy night, to gather around the manger: “Come to me.” If Jesus had known that, besides the Shepherds, so many other people were coming, he would have been born in a bigger place, a bigger barn perhaps, the size of this church. He would have been right here, where the altar is. And “ all we like sheep ,” would have come to the center, to the front. Perhaps there were no sheep in the stall of Bethlehem, but let’s pretend there were a few. They were probably sleeping, but let’s imagine that a sheep woke up with the noise and decided to get a midnight snack. She went to the manger and, behold, food was gone and there was a human baby. The sheep was coming to the manger looking for some comfort, but all she found was a little baby, sobbing with cold. “Come to me, all of you who are weari...

  Baptism of the Lord Today, we celebrate what could be considered the beginning of Jesus’ public mission. Jesus comes to establish a Kingdom, He comes to bring forth justice. It is not about an earthly kingdom, but the Kingdom of God; it is not about legal, political justice, but about holiness, a spiritual justification. Let us reflect upon each of today’s readings. 1.   We enter Jesus’ kingdom not by natural birth but by baptism, a spiritual rebirth. As St. Peter says (cf. Acts 10:34-38), “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Jesus’ message is not one that puts nations against each other, but a message that unites all nations under one King and Lord, God: “You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ — he is Lord of all.” Today’s readings and today’s feast of the Lord’s Baptism, allow us to reflect upon the liberation that Jesus ca...

  Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh They offered gold, as for a king; frankincense, because they recognized Him as God; myrrh, because, despite being the immortal God, as a man He was going to die. 1. They offered frankincense, because Jesus is God. For some people there is no problem in saying that Jesus is God, because God, for them, is “up there” in heaven and does not bother too much with the earth and how things are going here. Religion, for them, is an escape from reality, like something you want to think about when things on earth become too hard. Religion, for them, is about “God,” about something “spiritual,” about something so tenuous that cannot touch the hard reality of matter and the world. That God, they think, might be called King of Heaven, but He does not rule on earth and does not rule in our lives. From Heaven, God has sent his commandments, but here on earth there is no law enforcement for those commandments. 2. However, to this God, the Magi offered myrrh. ...

  New Year’s Homily The Lord said to Moses, after indicating the way of blessing the people of Israel: “So they shall put my name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them” (cf. Numbers 6:22-27) They were not yet redeemed from slavery, but God still loved them and blessed them. How much more will He bless us now, that we are no more slaves, but truly children of God! St. Paul says: “God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law ,” that is, to deliver them from slavery, “so that we might receive adoption to sonship… So you are no longer slave but son, and if son then also heir, through God” (cf. Galatians 4:4-7). The slave does not own the inheritance and will never own it, because it belongs to his master. The slave does receive a roof over his head and food on his table, he might be even loved by his master, but not as a son. The master does not share his own things, his own life with the slave. When God made ...

  1. Christmas and Freedom - The mystery of the Incarnation does not appear as something dazzling or imposing, which would force us to accept it; nor does it appear as something common, or so easy to understand that it would become unworthy of our attention. It is not about a God who agrees with me on everything and walks with me no matter what I do, nor is it about a God who forces His will upon me. The mystery of the Incarnation is presented to us as something relevant, different, and extremely important because it gives meaning to our lives. It is presented to us with clear signs, with miracles and wonders that awaken us from the numbness of the ordinary, with unmistakable indications of God's presence in our midst. God manifests himself clearly to humankind. But He does not overwhelm us with miracles: His body shines only once (in the Transfiguration, for three people only), His voice thunders only once (but from the cross), He heals all who approach Him but tries to hide i...