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Today’s homily is based on Matthew 25:1-13.

Do you feel like you’ve been running on empty? “Running on empty” is a phrase we use to refer to people on the brink of exhaustion–be it physical or emotional. It’s a reference to automobiles running so dangerously low on fuel that it might just stop running any moment now. It basically means you’re on the verge of a breakdown or burnout.

“Running on empty” is a modern metaphor, but I propose that our Lord’s parable today could be very well about that–even if he told his story long before the invention of automobiles.

This homily is based on Mt 5:1-12.

Believe it or not, one of the most spiritual movies I’ve seen is “The Matrix,” which came out in 1999.  Written and directed by brothers Larry and Andy Wachowski, this futuristic science fiction film is filled not only with great special effects and some fascinating action sequences, but also with a lot of religious and philosophical symbolisms.  Its two sequels have managed to surpass the special effects and the box office earnings of the original, but when it comes to depth of meaning, in my opinion, they don’t even come close to the first.  

This reflection is based on Matthew 22:34-40.

I know what you’re thinking. It’s what I’m thinking too: These are two impossible commandments the Lord gives us.

When our Lord is asked in the Gospel about the single greatest commandment, he gives not one but two answers. He says: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”

And as though that’s not hard enough, Jesus adds: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

In today’s Gospel reading, our Lord utters his famous line:  “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and repay to God what belongs to God.”  At first glance, he seems to be proposing a division between our usual lives and our so-called spiritual lives.  Sort of like Sunday Christianity, when people act like Christians only when they go to Sunday services.  As for the rest of the week, they act “normally”–that is, not in any particularly religious or even moral way.

This reflection is based on Matthew 22:1-14.

There are many things about this Sunday’s parable that are, frankly speaking, quite unbelievable. If we didn’t know it was one of our Lord’s parables, we’d probably dismiss its plot as laughably implausible.

Think about it: A king throws a wedding party for his son. It’s a royal wedding, so think Harry and Meghan, William and Kate, Charles and Diana, or even any Hollywood royalty couple.  Such a wedding will surely be full of pomp and extravagance, one of the biggest events of the decade, one that everyone will want to see and/or be seen at. The reception will be painstakingly planned and the banquet promises to be unforgettable. Needless to say, the guest list will be carefully drawn and will certainly end up reading like the “Who’s who?” in high society.