From Denial to Love/Service (2025-06-29, Sts. Peter and Paul)

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Solemnity Peter, Paul ♦ 2025-June-29  ♦ Vigil: John 21:15-19  ♦ Day: Matthew 16:13-18

Homily for the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul  Theme: Love, Leadership, and Humble Service

Today, June 29, we celebrate the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul—a feast that reminds us of the strength and frailty, the boldness and humility, of 2 of our Church’s most important saints. We honor them both, but this morning I’d like to reflect especially on the apostle Peter: fisherman, follower, failure—and forgiven leader of the early Church.

 1. Peter: From Denial to Love

Peter's biography is not one of flawless integrity. It’s a story of transformation.

 We remember that after Jesus was arrested, Peter—afraid and uncertain—denied knowing him 3 x. This triple-play “blow up” was not the end. After the resurrection, Jesus doesn't shame Peter. He doesn't say, “Why did you fail me?” Instead, Jesus asks a simple question:

 “Do you love me?”

And 3 x, Peter replies, **“Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”**

This is not just a moment of forgiveness. It is a commissioning. Jesus tells him: “Feed my sheep.”

What Jesus wants from Peter—and from each of us—is not perfection, but love. Love that is honest, humble, and willing to be transformed.

 2. Confession and the Courage to Begin Again

Peter’s reconciliation with Jesus is a powerful image of what we experience in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Like Peter, we each come to the Lord with our faults, denials, and regrets.

Confession is not about explaining ourselves perfectly. Peter didn’t have the perfect words. Jesus took the lead.

It begins with love—“Do you love me?”—and leads to healing.

There are times we examine our conscience and ask, “What did I say? What did I do? What did I fail to do?” But the deeper question is:

“Do I love Jesus, and am I ready to follow Him again?”

Even when we fall short, God invites us to stand up, walk forward, and take part in building the Church—just as Peter did, to be connected to our Savior through knowing his mercy and presence through the sacraments of the Church.

 2.1. Intro to Section 3 Example

In the Gospel Jesus proclaims: “You are Peter and upon this rock, I will build my Church”.

          The Church was built – as families are built – on a common purpose and identity to recognize we do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

          Missionaries – beginning with Peter and Paul and continuing in women and men today – still teach this purpose and identity. St Paul’s words about himself apply to me: “woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel” which again requires me not to do everything by my own wisdom and power but to trust  in the Holy Spirit working through the Church.

          In this regard, for example, to pray and to fast are not burdens for me to carry but actually ways of resting and trusting in God’s work.

          Service in this way is not my own doing but God’s call which requires me not only to be a worker in the vineyard but also to be like the waiter at the wedding at Cana who simply fills the water jars and lets Jesus change water into wine.

          Priests do not change water into wine, though family and friends have asked me to do this countless times. I’m just saying!

          Our service to each other is not based on our own power but our connection to the Holy Spirit.

          Do you – do I – trust in such connectivity and wisdom?

          [pause]

          I  think we do this naturally and logically – in every day life – when we encounter and prestige and power in earthly form, in the material world.

          Here is an example. Consider for example the New York Yankees major league baseball team in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium.

          The Yankees are  powerful  and prestigious not just in 2025 but for many years. Arguably, in 1955, they were even more the top dog in New York sports than today. And, in 1955, my father started working for the Yankees as a high school student.

 3. Example: Our Leadership: Humble, Not Heroic

I cite this and example of service with humility will also produce connectivity.

When my father was a high school student in the late 1950s, he had a job as a batboy for the New York Yankees. No, he wasn’t a player, but he wore the uniform, helped in the dugout, handed bats to professional baseball players, and occasionally traveled with the team.

It was an remarkable experience for a teenager from the Bronx who really had no special connection to the team prior to this.

 One day, while on a trip to Washington, D.C., he invited 4 of his friends down. They crammed into his hotel room, and in the morning, they were starving for breakfast. So what did he do? He said, “Come with me,” and walked straight into the Yankees’ dining room as though they all belonged there. He signed them all in—breakfast on the Yankees’ tab! And it worked.

His friends were thrilled. The Yankees didn’t even notice.

But here’s the thing: my father had no money of his own.

He didn’t buy the breakfast.

He didn’t earn the breakfast

He just knew someone. He was connected to the team.

This is a small image of grace.

We don’t feed the world by our own power. We don’t serve others with our own brilliance. We serve because we are connected—to Christ. Peter didn't lead the Church because he was the smartest or the bravest. He led because he was connected to Jesus, who called him and forgave him.   à And so are we.

4. Pope: Peter’s Successor, Our Servant

That same connection continues today through the Pope. Whether it’s Pope Francis today, or Pope Leo XIV whom we pray for at each Mass, the Pope is not a celebrity or a political figure. He is, like Peter, a servant—called to feed the flock, protect the Church, and witness to Christ’s mercy.

Popes are not perfect. Peter certainly wasn’t. But their calling is real. We pray for them not because they rule us, but because they serve us. And like all leaders in the Church—priests, bishops, deacons, teachers—they need the grace and the prayers of the people they serve.

          Even Saint Paul, with his fierce intellect and bold preaching, constantly asked for prayers from the communities he visited.

5. Church and State: Partners or Rivals?

Some say religion should stay out of politics. And yes, our Constitution wisely protects freedom of religion and prevents the government from establishing any one faith.

But faith must inform how we live—even in public life.

For centuries, missionaries—often sent by popes—have served the poor, educated the young, and defended the vulnerable. Many of them, like the North American Martyrs—Saint Isaac Jogues and his companions—came not to conquer, but to protect indigenous peoples.

Even today, the Church is called not to control governments but to witness to truth, justice, and compassion.

Saint John Henry Newman once said that the government’s idea of salvation is about immediate rescue—ambulances, recovery, repairs. And these are good. But the Church’s mission is deeper: to heal souls, mend broken lives, and restore our relationship with God.

6. You Are Called, Too

Peter was an individual fisherman, and played a role in the larger Church.

Your role—whatever it is—matters in God’s Church.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, nurse, student, grandparent, or neighbor—God calls you to feed His sheep.

To serve others not because you’re perfect or powerful, but because **you’re connected to Christ.**

And Christ is the one who feeds us, heals us, and leads us.

7. Closing: Pray for Unity, Live with Love

So today, as we honor Peter and Paul, let’s pray:

For our Pope and all Church leaders.

For our parish community, that we may serve one another with humility.

For the courage to admit our failures and seek God’s mercy.

And above all, for the love that Christ asks of each of us:

 “Do you love me?”

That’s the question. And your life is the answer.  [__end__]   

This is my body given up for you (2025-06-22, Corpus Christi)

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♦ Corpus Christi ♦ 2025-June-22  ♦ Genesis 14:18-20 ♦ Psalm 110 ♦ Luke 9:11b-17 ♦ 

[1] Opening & Liturgical

This Sunday is Corpus Christi, celebrated 1 week after Trinity Sunday. Corpus Christi means “Body of Christ” — the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus. You might ask, “Isn’t every Sunday about this?” Yes — at every Mass, we the bread and wine are consecrated for Holy Communion, which is the re-presentation of Jesus’ sacrifice, also called the Holy Eucharist.

[2] Vocabulary / Theology

A quick note on vocabulary: Holy Eucharist and Holy Communion refer to the same sacrament. Eucharist means “thanksgiving”; Communion emphasizes our union with God and one another. This sacrament is celebrated by a priest, who stands in the person of Christ. That’s why you stand as Mass begins — to honor Christ entering — and why you bow or kneel at Communion, receiving Jesus, our High Priest.

As a priest, I’m humbled by this role and grateful for your prayers. A mentor once told me: the words of consecration — “This is my body, given up for you” — aren’t just to be recited, but lived. I am called make them my own. And so are you. These words are for all of us: to give of ourselves in love, as Christ did.

[3] Walgreens

I was reminded of the meaning of this sacrifice recently in Newark - not in the cathedral, but in a CVS pharmacy. I was standing in line, several people behind a woman at the register. Her transaction was clearly taking longer than usual. At first, I felt impatient, wondering about the holdup. Then I noticed her age, she was elderly moving slowly and strictly buying health care items that medical necessities — clearly not for herself but for someone else at home. A spouse? Relative? Friend?

She was a public and  silent witness of love to the words: this is my body given up for you.

[4] Marriage & Daily Life

These words — This is my body, given up for you — apply to husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, as they strive to love and care for one another, faithful to their vows: in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. Corpus Christi reminds us that Jesus loved us not only unto death, but beyond death.

[5] Genesis Connection

A brief note on our first reading from Genesis: The Eucharist re-presents Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, celebrated with bread and wine brought to the altar.

          Why bread and wine? Yes, the bread and wine come from Passover, but they also come from Genesis

In Genesis 14, we meet Melchizedek, a priest who offers a sacrifice of bread and wine after Abraham’s victory in battle. Melchizedek prays, and Abraham prevails in recovering stolen goods. In gratitude, Abraham gives him a tithe — 10% of his possessions. From this ancient encounter, two important traditions emerge: the offering of bread and wine as a peaceful sacrifice, and the practice of tithing. Melchizedek does not bring weapons or precious metal, but only the simple gifts that foreshadow the Eucharist. His actions point us to Christ, the eternal high priest, who offers himself as the true bread of life

[6] Eternal Life, Soul, Heaven

Jesus offers peaceful gifts of bread and wine, saying, This is my body… This is my blood. Through the Eucharist, we are called to a life of prayer and to recognize God’s living presence within us. It’s easy to forget that we are not just physical bodies—we have immortal souls, destined for eternal life. Even when life seems stable, we are called to remember that our time on earth is brief. We are called to repent, receive God’s mercy, and prepare for the life to come.

But do we truly imagine heaven as it is? Often, we picture it as a better version of this world—greener grass, cleaner air, faster Wi-Fi. But heaven is not comfort; it is communion with God. Like an unborn child who cannot fathom life beyond the womb, we struggle to grasp the glory beyond this life. Yet through Christ’s death and resurrection, we glimpse eternal life.

We glimpse eternal life not only in the Eucharist but also in moments when love conquers fear. (1^st John: perfect love casts out fear).  Think of rescue workers or firefighters in times of crisis. Facing danger, they act not for reward, but out of love. Their courage reflects the heart of eternal life — where love, not fear, rules. In such moments, we see what it means to give oneself for others: This is my body, given up for you.

 

[7] "Mass is Not a Repeat"

The Holy Eucharist is not a repeat of last year’s Corpus Christi or even last Sunday’s Mass. You might say, “Padre, I know that — the readings and Gospel change, the homily changes, maybe even the priest changes.” And you’d be right. Each week, the Liturgy of the Word is different: Genesis one week, Exodus or the different Gospels. The reflections offered are different too, shaped by the priest, the season, and what’s happening in our lives.

But even the part of the Mass that seems the same — the Eucharistic Prayer, the consecration — is not simply a routine. Why? Because you are not the same. I am not the same. Each week, we come with new needs, wounds, hopes, and burdens. We are in continual need of Jesus' healing, of His Body and Blood to strengthen us.

 

Yes, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was once for all — for past, present, and future sins and sinners — but the Eucharist makes that one sacrifice present to us here and now. It is not repeated, but re-presented — offered again for our healing and conversion today.

[8] Mozart Analogy

How does Christ’s sacrifice continue — and why does it matter? Father Ronald Knox once offered this analogy based on the composing of music. Consider Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I remember this about the movie, Amadeus that Mozart – brilliantly – would first have the notes of music complete in his mind. Then, he would write it on paper — still complete, but not yet heard. When performed, the music becomes fully alive, reaching and moving those who listen. And though Mozart died centuries ago, his music lives on, brought to life each time it is played.

So it is with Christ’s sacrifice. It was completed once and for all on the cross — but through the Mass, that sacrifice is made present again. Not repeated, but re-presented.  The plan for our salvation was complete and perfect in God’s mind, then visible in Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross.

Each Eucharist is like the symphony of His Passion performed anew — the same offering of love, alive and active, touching hearts in the present moment.

At Corpus Christi, we don’t just remember or listen to Jesus’ gift. We receive it. His Body. His Blood. His living sacrifice — here and now.

 

[9] Conclusion

Jesus offers himself in mercy and love for us so that we might change, so that we might be converted back to him, so that we might recognize and hear these words, this is my body given up for you, and that we might go and do likewise.   

[__end__]   

Trinity. Mystery (2025-06-15, Trinity Sunday)

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[_v.6_]   Homily – June 15, 2025 /  Trinity Sunday (+John 16:12-15) ● 

 [__01_]  In the Gospel, Jesus is speaking about the Trinity, and this is Trinity Sunday, a moment for us to reflect on the central mystery of our faith that God is three persons in one divine nature, the Father Son and Holy Spirit. This is the foundation of our faith. How do we regard foundations?

This past week, due to the hot weather, I went to Home Depot and bought a couple of fans and 1 window air conditioner. I was somewhat worried, because one of the fans required assembly. It required me to follow instructions to put the fan together, and I was able to successfully put the fan together.

But I often feel intimidated by these instructions, these pieces, these assembly instructions.

I noticed that the first thing I was supposed to do was put together the foundation of the fan. I didn't want to work on the foundation because I thought the foundation would be easier and I could do this later. But it turned out better to work first on the base of this fan, the foundation, first because once I worked on the foundation, I was able to understand how to put the other parts – the fan blade, et cetera, together.

The Trinity is the foundation of our faith, the foundation of our understanding of who God is.

[__02_]    Today is **Trinity Sunday**,  and Jesus speaks this fundamental message from John Chapter 16:

 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth… All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”

Here Jesus gives us a glimpse into the very heart of God. The Father gives everything to the Son. The Son receives all and gives it back to the Father. And the Spirit takes all that is from the Father and the Son and makes it known to us.

It sounds like a really efficient corporation or coordination, but it's not just a corporation or coordination, but it is a communion, a community. And we are invited into this community.

We can connect to many different communities, online communities, in person communities, but the community of the Trinity is the most important community we're a part of, and is the basis for all the other communities we are a part of.

[__03_]    But how do we speak of the Trinity? It’s tempting to reach for analogies. A triangle. A shamrock.  Saint Patrick if often shown holding a 3-leaf clover. We reach for these to help understand—but each one falls short. As Frank Sheed said, some images don’t clarify the Trinity—they obscure it. A triangle doesn’t love. A clover doesn’t give itself away.

And love is the key.

The Trinity is not a math puzzle to solve. It is a mystery to enter—a mystery of **unbreakable, overflowing, self-giving love**. The kind of love that never fails, as St. Paul says. The kind of love that gives life.

          And, is not every relationship you have – as a sibling, as a spouse, as a child, as a friend – a mystery.

          They are TRINITIARIAN – 3 person mysteries.

[__04_]    We love mysteries. We’re drawn to them in life. For example: how do we explain that two children of the same parents and same home grow into very different adult persons and personalites? There’s something mysterious about the soul. We do not know everything. But we can know **something**—and we can live in mystery.

The Trinity is a mystery. We cannot fully understand how God is 3-in-1—but we can live in that reality, we can trust it, we can rejoice in it.

And what is that reality?

It is this: that at the core of everything, at the center of the universe, is a relationship, a relationship that is self-giving not self-centered.

          God is not an isolated being sitting far above in some detached heaven. God is relationship. God is community. God is love.

[__05_]              And the amazing thing is this: God invites us into His family, His community, not because we are “pre-approved” but because He proves his love for us by His sacrifice on the Cross and invites us to love as he did, not self-centered, but self-surrendering. He doesn’t just want us to believe in Him. He wants us to live in Him.

In the Trinity, we see that **God is not distant**.  He is not just a creator who sets things in motion and walks away. He is a **Father who gives**, a **Son who sacrifices**, and a **Spirit who remains**.

[__06_] The words of John 3:16 remind us also of the Trinity:

 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life.”

Eternal life is not just endless time. It is being **drawn into the life of God Himself**, into the eternal giving and receiving of love between Father, Son, and Spirit.

So, the choice to forgive someone who has trespassed against you is a step towards “eternal life” – recognizing there is life beyond this moment or this momentous difficulty, a life after this life;  the choice to repent of our sins is more than just an apology to get through today’s trouble, but a profession of faith in God’s mercy that goes beyond our current faults and failures.

The Trinity is about both generosity and eternity.

So today, let us not try to solve the mystery of the Trinity as if it were a math problem. Let us receive it as a gift. A gift of love that gives life. A gift that tells you: you matter, you are known, you are wanted, and you are loved.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Integrity. (2025-06-08, Pentecost)

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 [v.6]  Homily: June 8, 2025 /  Pentecost Sunday ●  Integrity and the Holy Spirit

[__01_] This Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, and we hear in Acts Chapter 2 of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. They are gathered in the upper room, the same room where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper. While they are there, a mighty wind comes and shakes the house—a divine storm, God's own spiritual nor’easter.

At first, the apostles are frightened. But then something incredible happens: they are filled with the Holy Spirit and begin speaking in different tongues. People from many nations understand them. This is more than a miracle of speech—it is a miracle of connection.

 

What the Holy Spirit accomplishes in them is not just about communication, but transformation. The same Spirit wants to work that transformation in you and me —so that we may live with integrity.

*Pause*

Integrity calls us to be proactive.

Several years ago, a poor homeless man in D.C. made the news because he found an envelope containing 12,000 dollars in cash, returned the money and also wanted no reward or credit or publicity.

Do we report- such incidents because we are intrigued by integrity as though it is somehow extraordinary or unattainable? The Holy Spirit is given to us to reconnect in loving God, and in loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

[__02_]     What Is Integrity?

In a biblical sense, integrity means more than just honesty. It means wholeness—to live in harmony between what we believe and how we act. The opposite of integrity is not ignorance or sin—it’s hypocrisy.

Jesus, interestingly, does not condemn tax collectors or publicly known sinners with the harshest words. He reserves that for those whose outer lives do not match their inner convictions—the Pharisees and scribes. The word hypocrite comes from a Greek term for an actor wearing a mask. The outside doesn’t match the inside.

 

That has sometimes been me. I’ve had times when I wanted to appear more spiritual, more capable, or more successful than I really was. I have failed to live up to my own values. I have been a hypocrite.

Have you ever experienced that gap in your own life—between who you want to be, and how you act?

 

[__03_]    God Looks at the Heart

We see an example of integrity in the Book of Samuel and Book of Kings when Samuel is called to choose a new king. He sees David’s brothers—strong, tall, impressive—and thinks, “Surely one of these is God’s anointed.”

But the Lord says to him: “Do not look at his appearance or his height. Man looks at outward appearances, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Integrity is about looking into the heart—both ours and others’. It’s the Holy Spirit who helps us do that. And it reminds us that we are not called to judge, but to connect, to care, and to serve.

[__04_]    Integrity Is Not Perfection

Now it’s important to be clear: integrity does not mean a flawless record. It doesn’t mean never making mistakes. If we seek to live with integrity, we must be willing to admit when we’ve failed, confess our sins, and try again—with God’s help.

Integrity is not a product we manufacture or sell. It’s not a title we earn. It’s a process. It’s a power from God to which we surrender.

Let me share a moment from my life when I lacked that integrity.

[__05_]    4. A Missed Visit—and a Lesson

In college, one of my roommates became a close friend. I came to know his family—his father especially, who was warm and welcoming, and at times became a father figure to me.

A few years after graduation, I got a call: my friend’s father had suffered a terrible fall that left him paralyzed. He was being treated just a few miles from here : Kessler Institute in West Orange.

I was sad. I was shocked. But I did not visit

At that time, I was focused on my own future—my work, my goals. And despite having spent plenty of time in that area for sports or social events, I couldn’t find the time—or the heart—to visit the man who had been so kind to me.

I look back on that decision with with regret. I didn’t follow through on my own value regarding friends and family.

the immobility and brokenness wasn’t in him—it was in me.

 

[__06_]     Wholeness Is a Gift

The word “integrity” is linked to the word integer—a whole number. Integrity means **wholeness**, not fragmentation.

And ironically, it was that experience of failure that started to change me. Over time, I began to see how much I regretted that decision—not only for what it said about me, but for the missed opportunity to give someone else comfort.

It helped me see the value in being present to others who are suffering to visit the sick, to sit at the bedside of someone who is hurting, not to have all the answers, but simply to show up.

That realization became one of the nudges in my own call to the priesthood.

 

And then—God, in His sense of humor—sent me here to West Orange, where Kessler is located. Not once, but twice. First as an assistant in 2006, and now again as your pastor.

[__07_]    The Holy Spirit Is Still at Work

You don’t have to be a priest to live with integrity. You don’t need a title or vestments. You just need to respond to the Holy Spirit.

And that Spirit is calling all of us to be whole.

Integrity isn’t just about not doing bad things. It’s about allowing the Spirit to transform our hearts—so that we can live more authentically, more fully, and more compassionately.

It’s about being attentive to others—especially those who are suffering. It’s about letting our lives reflect our deepest values, even when it’s uncomfortable.

 

 [__08_]    In 15^th Psalm, King David asks this question about who is connected to and part of God’s people – it also a question for you and me – the Church – about the meaning of integrity and its attainability and sustainability

David asks: Lord, who shall dwell in thy tent? or who shall dwell on your holy mountain?  God answers David: He that walks without blame, and works justice:  He that speaks truth in his heart, He that does these things shall not be not be disturbed

          Come, Holy Spirit into our house, our lives, our world.

[__end_]  

Ascension / Back to the Future (2025-06-01)

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[_v.9-Ascension_]   Homily –  Section 1. Back to the Past, Forward to the Future

This Sunday is the Solemnity of the Ascension of our Lord. In the Acts of the Apostles, we read that the apostles are looking up, craning their necks, watching Jesus disappear into the clouds. They're stunned. But the angel says: “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?” In other words: don’t dwell there—go forward.

In the Gospel, Jesus gives His final earthly words: “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.” The Ascension is not just about Jesus going up—it’s about us going out.

With the Good News of the Ascension, I’d like to stop, look, and listen with you to our Lord’s message. He calls us to move forward in faith, but also to reflect—without erasing—where we’ve been.

Part of perseverance in the spiritual life involves not eliminating our past but reconciling and integrating it in Christ. The spiritual life calls for memory—not nostalgia, but integration. We’re invited not to dwell in the past but to bring it to the Lord for healing and redemption.

A well-known 1980s movie offers an interesting and humorous lens into this integration of past with the present. It starred Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a high school student who travels back in time to 1955 in the film Back to the Future. There, he meets his parents as teenagers before they had met each other. It’s a reminder that even those closest to us have histories we may not fully know.

One reviewer observed that while Marty traveled with a DeLorean, we “time travel” through memory—especially in prayer, through the Examen or the Examination of Conscience. In doing so, we ask the Holy Spirit to show us God’s presence in our past—how God has walked with us and how we’ve responded.

So even as the apostles crane their necks toward the sky, the angel challenges them—and us—not to remain frozen, but to go forward. Jesus ascends, but His mission on earth continues through His disciples. That includes us.

 

Section 2. Jesus Ascends, Yet Remains

In remembering the Ascension, we return to a moment that is both triumphant and uncertain. The disciples are left staring into the sky, their Lord now beyond their sight. But Jesus does not abandon them—He entrusts them with a mission.

We, too, are not meant to live in the past but to place our trust in God’s mercy. That mercy radiates from the Sacred Heart of Jesus—a heart that beats not only in Heaven but also here on earth, in the Eucharist, in the tabernacle, and in the celebration of the Mass.

The month of June is traditionally dedicated to the Sacred Heart. Jesus’ heart has not left us—it continues to beat for us, for the world, especially in Holy Communion. In fact, in today’s bulletin you’ll find the Litany of the Sacred Heart printed—a powerful series of invocations that bring to mind both the sufferings and the boundless love of Christ.

 

I encourage you to pray this litany for a loved one—whether deceased, dying, estranged, or someone from whom we need forgiveness.

Is there someone you’re no longer speaking with? Someone you wish you could reach? Someone from whom you are separated by distance or by hurt?

Pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart for that person—or for yourself. God’s love bridges distances we cannot. Through this litany, we let the love of Christ do what we cannot do on our own: heal relationships, bridge gaps, and soften hearts.

Section 3. Sacred Heart and the Power of Memory

Examining our lives daily through prayer and repentance doesn’t mean reliving the past—it means inviting God into our memories to heal, redeem, and renew. We reflect not to stay stuck but to move forward, now reconciled.

One example of this redeeming love in action is the life of Father Damian of Molokai, whose feast we observe in May. He entered into ministry with great uncertainty and even, at times, without full support from his superiors or the Church.

Born in Belgium, Father Damian traveled to the Hawaiian Islands in the 1800s. At the time, they were not yet part of the United States. He volunteered to serve among the people exiled to the island of Molokai—men, women, and children afflicted with leprosy and cast out from their communities.

Molokai was not a paradise. It was a place of deep suffering, stigma, and death. Yet Father Damian didn’t stay at a distance. Despite being told not to touch anyone, he moved toward the suffering. He tended the sick, comforted the dying, and lived among them as one of them.

His presence was not only medical—it was pastoral, sacramental, and deeply human. He gave proper funerals when the dead had been left unburied. He helped restore dignity, not just in death, but in life. One of the first things Father Damien did that actually brought great comfort to the people was that he actually gave proper funerals and buried the dead. The dying and the dead were not treated with respect, not being buried, and when those who were suffering saw others being buried with dignity, this gave them great hope, that there is life beyond this world. This is also the message of the Ascension!

He helped build homes, chapels, gardens, schools, and even orphanages. He taught music and virtue.

There’s a touching image in the film about his life: two musicians who had each lost the use of one hand to leprosy—one still had use of her right hand, the other the left hand. Together, they played the organ in full accompaniment and harmony. That’s a beautiful symbol of cooperation, of shared humanity, and of hope.

Father Damian eventually contracted leprosy himself and died at the age of 49. He left many projects unfinished. But his life reminds us that we are not called to perfection—we are called to presence. To show up. To serve. To love.

As you may know, the U.S. Capital Building in D.C. has a statue hall with 2 statues of notable figures from each state. One of the 2 statues for Hawaii is of Father Damien, placed there in 1969:  several (!) years before he was beatified (1995) and canonized (2009).

Father Damian shows us that sometimes, we will only pass through a place or moment once. But if we give ourselves in love, the impact can endure.

Note: In this homily, I also mentioned Damian of Molokai and excellent 1999 Hollywood of his life – it’s available free on YouTube – Click here.   It's also a DVD you can purchase, but try the free option!

Section 4. Living the Ascension Today

As we remember Jesus ascending into Heaven, we also remember that His heart has never left us.

Not a heart that left us behind, but one that remains with us—in the Eucharist, in the tabernacle, in our daily prayer. His Sacred Heart continues to beat—for you, for me, for every person on this earth.

Let us stop looking into the sky, and instead go out—carrying His Sacred Heart within us. Let us go forward in faith and with the courage to forgive, to reconcile, and to serve.

Let us go forward with the Gospel, inspired by saints like Father Damian who remind us how to live with mercy and mission.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Come, Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled (2025-05-25. 6th Sunday Easter)

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[_v.01_]   Homily – May 25, 2025 /  6^th Sunday Easter ● Acts 15:1-2, 22-29 ● Psalm 67 ●  Revelation 21:10-14, 22-23  ●  John 14:23-29  ● 

 Theme: “Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled”

 1. When Our Hearts Are Troubled

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.” These are words we all long to hear, especially in moments of fear, anxiety, or uncertainty. But let’s be honest—there are many times when our hearts are troubled or we we feel we are “in trouble or in distress”. I’d like to begin with a recent example that was reported to me –as many troubles are via the phone.

About a week ago, I got a text from my sister who lives in Massachusetts. It was simple: she was in the hospital having her appendix removed. I hadn’t even known she was in any danger. Thankfully, the doctors caught the issue early. The surgery went well, and she was back home the next day. But she described how it began—with intense pain that woke her in the middle of the night. At first, she didn’t know what was wrong. It was frightening, confusing. Her heart—and her body—were troubled.

          Did this ever happen to you? To one of your loved ones?

          In Gospel, Jesus speaks these words to His disciples at the Last Supper—just before His arrest, His suffering, and His death. He knows that their hearts are deeply troubled. He knows they will soon see Him betrayed and crucified. And yet, He says to them, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

What does Jesus mean? How can we find peace in times of suffering?

2. A Spiritual Path: Examination, Medication, Reconciliation

Let’s explore this through three spiritual steps that echo the medical journey: examination, medication, and reconciliation.

a) Examination: Facing the Truth Honestly

Just as a doctor begins with a diagnosis, the spiritual life begins with self-examination. When we are in pain—physically, emotionally, spiritually—we must ask, What is going on inside me? What is the source of this trouble?

At the Last Supper, the disciples found themselves under an unspoken examination. Jesus spoke honestly with them about betrayal, about leaving them, about the challenges ahead. It was a moment of truth.

I remember a time after I graduated from college. I didn’t yet have a full-time job, and every evening at dinner my father would ask, “Did you get a job today?” Night after night: “Did you get a job today?” It became something of a ritual—an uncomfortable one—but it was also an examination. He wasn’t trying to shame me; he was inviting me to live in the truth and not remain passive in uncertainty.

Jesus invites us into that kind of examination—not to condemn us, but to awaken us. Where is your heart troubled right now? What pain are you carrying? Maybe it’s worry about your health, your job, your family. Maybe it’s guilt or grief. Whatever it is, name it. Bring it before God. That’s the first step toward healing.

b) Medication: Accepting God’s Mercy, Not Substitutes

After examination comes treatment. In the hospital, after hours of uncertainty – before finding out it was her appendix, my sister finally received medication and began to feel some relief. In the spiritual life, God also offers healing—but we have to be careful what we reach for when our hearts are in distress.

The temptation in our culture is to self-medicate. And I don’t just mean pills. We self-medicate with food, alcohol, drugs, shopping, media—anything to numb the pain or distract us from the truth. A little chocolate might be harmless. But when we rely on these things instead of facing our wounds honestly, they can become dangerous.

Sometimes, the medication becomes the replacement for the examination. We don’t want to feel pain, so we skip the step of asking what’s wrong. But Jesus doesn’t offer a quick fix—He offers something deeper: peace, the peace that the world cannot give. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you,” He says. It’s not the peace of escape or avoidance. It’s the peace of knowing that you are loved and forgiven and never alone.

c) Reconciliation: Coming Home to God, Others, and Ourselves

And this brings us to the final step: reconciliation.

Jesus says, “In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places. I go to prepare a place for you.” That is a promise. It is the promise of home—not just in heaven, but a home here and now in the heart of God.

To be reconciled means to come home. To come home to God. To come home to our true selves. To come home even to those we have been distant from—our neighbors, our family, those we’ve wronged or been hurt by. Reconciliation is not easy. It means admitting that we are broken, and yet believing that God’s mercy is greater than our sin.

We see this in Jesus’s own Passion. When He stood before Pontius Pilate, He was examined. Pilate wanted to know, “Are you a king?” Jesus answered, “You say I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world: to testify to the truth.” That was Jesus’s trial, His examination, and He passed it by standing in the truth.

          Jesus came not to be my truth or your truth, but to be the Truth for all of us. He came to reconcile us with God by showing us what it means to live fully, honestly, and lovingly. He sends us the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, the Spirit of truth—to guide us in this path.

 To make an analogy, when you have an illness or you need treatment, it is a fact that you may need a customized dosage or prescription. You may need the exact number of milligrams of medication, a treatment plan for your age, your height, your weight, etc, your profile. But you also don't just want your truth in the medication. You want the truth about the condition, about how it applies objectively in general.

 3. Final Word: Trust the One Who Prepares a Place for You

Brothers and sisters, when your heart is troubled, go back to Jesus’s words:

 “In my Father’s house, there are many dwelling places… I go to prepare a place for you.”

That is not just a promise for the end of your life. It is a promise for *today*. God is preparing a place for you—even now, even in the midst of uncertainty.

Let us then allow ourselves to be examined by Christ. Let us receive His mercy as our true healing. And let us seek reconciliation—with God, with others, and with ourselves. Because in the end, Christ does not come to take away all trouble. He comes to walk with us *through* it—and to lead us home.

 Do not let your hearts be troubled. Have faith in God. Have faith also in Jesus.