June 2025

PENTECOST SUNDAY; June 8th 2025; Cycle – C

Acts 2: 1-11; 1Cor. 12: 3b-7, 12-13; John 20: 19-23

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Happy Pentecost!
Today, we celebrate the birthday of the Church—the day the Holy Spirit came down, not as a gentle whisper, but as wind and fire, shaking hearts awake and setting them ablaze for the mission of Christ! It’s been 50 days since Easter. We celebrated the Resurrection, the victory over death. But now—today—we receive the power to live it. The disciples were hiding in fear, behind locked doors. But when the Holy Spirit descended, they didn’t just believe—they began to speak, to move, to go out into the world. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21–22)

1. The Spirit Restores Our Hearts

In today’s Gospel, Jesus finds the disciples behind closed doors. Afraid. Ashamed. Paralyzed by guilt and confusion. Sound familiar? Isn’t that often us—hiding behind the locked doors of anxiety, past wounds, doubt, or unspoken sin? But Jesus doesn’t condemn them. He enters the room. And what’s His first word? “Peace be with you.”

Then He breathes on them and says: “Receive the Holy Spirit. “This is the moment of re-creation—like when God breathed into Adam. In that breath, Jesus restores broken hearts. He forgives their failures. He turns fear into freedom. St. Cyril of Jerusalem said:
“Like dry trees made green again by water, so too are sinful souls restored by the Spirit’s fire.”

2. The Spirit Unites What Is Scattered

In Acts 2, people from every nation are gathered in Jerusalem. They speak different languages, come from different lands. But suddenly—they all understand one another. This is the reverse of Babel. At Babel, pride divided humanity. At Pentecost, the Spirit reunites us—not by erasing our differences, but by giving us a common fire. “We were all baptized into one Body… and we were all given to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:13)

In a world fractured by race, politics, pride, and fear, the Spirit builds a family out of strangers. That’s the beauty of the Church. Different gifts, one Body. Many stories, one mission.

3. The Spirit Sends Us on Mission

Jesus said: “As the Father has sent me, so I send you. “The Spirit doesn’t come so we can sit still. He is the breath of movement, the wind that pushes the sail. The apostles didn’t stay in the upper room—they went out. Spoke with boldness. Healed the sick. Preached the Good News. And what about us? Too often, we stay inside. We keep our faith private. We hesitate to speak of Jesus. But Pentecost reminds us: you were born to go out!

So today, as we gather not in fear but in faith, let us ask for this gift again:

Come, Holy Spirit Into our wounds: to heal—Into our divisions: to unite—Into our doubts: to strengthen—Into our hearts: to set us on fire Let your prayer today be simple and ancient: “Veni Sancte Spiritus.” “Come, Holy Spirit.” Come, Spirit of power—restore us. Come, Spirit of communion—unite us. Come, Spirit of mission—send us. Let us go out today, not with fear, but with fire.

THE FEAST OF THE MOST HOLY TRINITY; June 15th, 2025

Proverb 8: 22-31; Romans 5: 1-5; John 16: 12-15

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate one of the most beautiful and mysterious truths of our faith, the Holy Trinity. Not a puzzle to solve, but a mystery to adore. One God, yet Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, eternal, united, and overflowing with love.

Today also happens to be Father’s Day, a day to honor the men who have reflected God's love, protection, and guidance in our lives. What better day to celebrate the Fatherhood of God, the first Person of the Trinity and all fathers who echo His steadfast care. Let us take this moment to thank, bless, and pray for our fathers, both living and departed.

As children, many of us were told, “The Trinity is like “Water” liquid, ice, and vapor.” Or like the ‘Sun’-light, heat, and energy. Those examples help a little, but they still fall short. Because the Trinity is not something to simply explain it is Someone we are called to know. So today, let’s reflect on three powerful truths about the Trinity and how this Divine Communion transforms our lives.

1. The Trinity is a Communion of Love

In the Gospel, Jesus speaks of His deep unity with the Father and the Spirit. He says: “All that the Father has is mine… The Spirit will take from what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:15) What a picture of total self-giving. The Father gives all to the Son. The Son gives all to the Spirit. The Spirit gives all to us. This is not a chain of command - it’s a circle of love. As St. Augustine said, “The Father is the Lover, the Son is the Beloved, and the Holy Spirit is the Love between them.” And here’s the wonder: you and I are invited into this circle. In baptism, we were claimed in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. In every Mass, we begin and end with that same name. Every time we make the sign of the cross, we are reminding ourselves: I live in the love of the Trinity.

2. The Trinity Teaches Us to Live in Relationship

The Trinity is not just unity it is a perfect relationship. There is no jealousy, no competition, no loneliness within God. That’s why we believe: we are made for community. The first reading from Proverbs describes how God’s wisdom was “playing before Him,” “delighting in the human race.” God delights in us, and He created us to delight in one another. The world today is hungry for connection but often settles for division, pride, and self-isolation. The Trinity reminds us: we are most human when we love, forgive, and serve one another, just as the Father, Son, and Spirit do.

Let me tell you a story about a boy named Michael. He was nine years old and growing up in a home filled with constant arguments. His parents were on the edge of divorce, and Michael often felt invisible trapped in the silence of his own sadness.

One Sunday, his teacher at parish religious education invited each child to draw a picture of God. While others drew clouds or a throne, Michael drew something different: three chairs, side by side. When asked why, he quietly said: “Because I heard Father say in church that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I figured if they’re always together, they must sit close. So, I drew three chairs… because no one sits alone in God.” His teacher later said she never forgot that drawing. Because it reminded her of what the Trinity means, not just mystery, but belonging.

3. The Trinity Pours Out Hope

St. Paul says in the second reading: “God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 5:5) This is not abstract. It’s personal. The Father created you. The Son redeemed you. The Holy Spirit lives in you. So, whatever you’re going through, grief, doubt, loneliness, sin, the Trinity is not far off. God is with you, within you, and for you.

The Trinity reminds us: You are not alone. You are not unloved. You are not abandoned.

So, dear friends, how can we live the Trinity?

• Begin every day with the Sign of the Cross, not out of habit, but with awareness: “I am wrapped in the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.”

• Build deeper relationships in your family, parish, and community based on the love we see in God.

• Be a bridge of unity in a divided world.

• And trust that no matter what happens, the Trinity is your home, home of mercy, communion, and peace.

And today, let us also give thanks for the gift of fathers, those who have protected, guided, and sacrificed for us. May they be strengthened by the example of God the Father, and may they lead their families in love and unity. Bless all fathers with wisdom, courage, and grace. Amen.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. This feast is a reminder that God didn’t want to stay distant, so He chose to become bread. Not only to be with us, but to become one with us. In every Eucharist, we encounter the real presence of Jesus Christ: Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity.

Today’s celebration invites us to reflect: What does it mean to receive Jesus, truly and fully, into our lives?

1. The Eucharist is the Living Christ in Our Midst

In today’s gospel we see Jesus satisfies physical hunger. But He does more than feed stomachs; He prepares His disciples for a deeper truth: “This is My Body… This is My Blood.” (Luke 22:19–20) What does that mean for us? It means Jesus feeds the hungry crowd not just to satisfy their stomachs, but to prepare them and His disciples for a greater truth: that one day, He will feed the world with His very self, under the appearance of bread and wine.

So, this miracle points beyond itself it’s a signpost toward the Eucharist, where Jesus fulfills our deepest hunger: the hunger for God Himself. Every Host raised at the altar is not a reminder of Jesus, it is Jesus. The One who healed the sick, forgave sinners, and rose from the dead now waits for us in silence and humility under the appearance of bread and wine.

2. The Eucharist Makes Us One

In the second reading (1 Corinthians 11:23-26), St. Paul reminds us that every time we partake in the Eucharist, we proclaim Christ’s death and resurrection. But this is not a private devotion, it is a communion. A uniting of all who receive Him.

One Bread. One Cup. One Lord. We may come from different backgrounds, carry different burdens, or hold different opinions but in Christ, we become one Body. The Eucharist is the glue that holds the Church together.

St. Augustine said: “Behold what you are; become what you receive.” When we receive the Eucharist with reverence, we are not just drawing near to Christ we are drawn into His Church, His Body, His mission.

3. The Eucharist Sends Us Forth to Serve

Jesus says to His disciples: “You give them something to eat.” (Luke 9:13) And now He says it to us. We receive the Bread of Life not to keep it hidden in our hearts, but to become living tabernacles in the world. To be His hands in the nursing homes, His feet in the streets, His voice in the silence of loneliness. Every Mass ends with a mission: “Go forth, glorifying the Lord by your life.” We are sent not empty-handed, but Christ-filled.

Today, on this feast of Corpus Christi, let us not be passive spectators. Let us be Eucharistic people: People of adoration, who recognize the presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. People of communion, who build bridges, not walls. People of mission, who carry Christ beyond the doors of the Church.

Let us echo the words of St. Peter Julian Eymard: “The Eucharist is the supreme proof of the love of Jesus. After this, there is nothing more but Heaven itself.”

Amen.

SOLEMNITY OF ST. PETER & ST. PAUL; June 29th 2025; Cycle C

Acts 12: 1-11; 2Tim. 4: 6-8, 17-18; Mt. 16: 13-19

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

Today we celebrate two towering pillars of our faith: Saints Peter and Paul. Two very different men, yet both chosen by the same Christ. One was a humble fisherman with a loudmouth and a tender heart. The other, a fierce scholar and former persecutor of Christians. But together, they show us how God's grace can transform weakness into strength and turn sinners into saints.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks a question that cuts to the heart: “Who do you say that I am?” This is not just a question for Peter, but for each of us. When Peter boldly says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus blesses him, not for being perfect, but for being open to God’s revelation. And then Jesus gives Peter a mission: “You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church.”

It’s interesting to note that Jesus chooses Peter a man who would later deny Him three times to be the rock. Why? Because Jesus doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called.

Let me tell you a story. There was a little boy named Daniel who loved rocks. One day, while hiking with his grandfather, he picked up a rough, broken rock and said, “This one is no good.” But the grandfather smiled and said, “No, this one is perfect.” He took the rock home and, over the next few days, polished it. The rock’s rough edges gave way to a glistening beauty underneath. When Daniel saw the result, his eyes lit up and he said, “I didn’t know it could look like that!”

His grandfather replied, “Sometimes the broken ones shine the brightest. You just have to trust the one doing the shaping.” That’s the story of Peter. That’s the story of Paul. That’s the story of the Church. And if we’re honest, that’s our story too.

Saint Peter denied Christ out of fear. Saint Paul persecuted Christ’s followers out of pride. But neither man was defined by his failures. Instead, they were redefined by God's mercy. Christ doesn’t ask us for perfection. He asks for our hearts.

Jesus asks us today, just as He asked Peter: “Who do you say that I am?”
And maybe your answer, like Peter’s, isn’t perfect. Maybe you've stumbled. Maybe you're afraid or ashamed. But Jesus doesn’t reject you. He’s still building His Church with people like you and me broken, forgiven, and called.

Dear friends, if Peter could become the rock of the Church, and Paul the firebrand of the Gospel, then imagine what God can do with you. Let Him shape you. Let Him use your brokenness for beauty. And when He asks, “Who do you say that I am?”, may your life answer boldly: “You are my Lord, my Savior, my everything.” Amen.