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HOMILIES

RACHEL AND FREDDIE (04 July 2015)

This homily was delivered on 04 July 2015 on the occasion of the wedding of Freddie Austria and Rachel Consunji (now Austria). This is the unedited (and lengthier) version.

Photo from Jamie Lihan
Photo from Jamie Lihan

You can tell a lot about a wedding as much from the couple who’s getting married as from the reactions of the people around them.

And let me tell you, this wedding of Freddie and Rachel has elicited a whole repertoire of responses—from the expected mixture of surprise and gladness to—I kid you not!—hysterical screaming, the likes of which you probably last saw on the now-defunct Oprah Winfrey Show.When Quito, her brother-in-law, first heard the news, his immediate reaction was: “Ang suwerte naman ng mapapangasawa ni Rachel!” But I’m told that there was also some foot-stomping in certain quarters—and not exactly out of jubilation—but that’s okay: I have promised Rachel’s mom that I would not disclose that person’s identity.

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HOMILIES

BEG, STEAL, OR BORROW

hem-of-his-garmentThis reflection is based on Mark 5:21-43.

Today we witness two healing miracles of Jesus, one properly solicited, the other virtually stolen. The synagogue official, Jairus, worried sick over his dying daughter, pleads with the Lord to come to his home and lay his healing hands upon her that she “may get well and live.” An unnamed woman with a twenty-year hemorrhage quietly pushes her way through the crowd and reaches out to touch Jesus. “If I but touch his clothes!” her simple faith tells her.

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HOMILIES

YOU CAN’T STILL A STORM YOU STIR

This reflection is based on Mark 4:35-41.

The gospel story about Jesus stilling the storm at sea takes on new significance with the recent release of Pope Francis’ much-awaited encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si. The Pope minces no words and spells it out for us. It is not easy to hear. Listen:

“The Earth, our home, is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.”

Francis braves the wind and rain at open air Mass in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippine.
Francis braves wind and rain at open-air Mass in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines.
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HOMILIES

LITURGY OF THE WORLD

This homily is based on Mark 14:12-16, 22-26 on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. 

The intersection of Zhongxiao East Road and Dunhua South Road is probably one of the busiest in Taipei. I visited the city last month, and so much has changed since the first time I had lived there twenty years ago. For one, there is a great MRT system, and maybe as a result, the roads now have fewer motorcycles.

But that intersection? It has remained as busy as ever: Pedestrians congregate around the corners waiting impatiently for the lights to change, and the moment they do, we race each other to cross the street as the traffic light countdown begins.

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HOMILIES

A WINDOW TO PENTECOST

This homily is based on John 20:19-23 for Pentecost Sunday.

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The Oratory of St. Francis Xavier on the campus of Xavier School Nuvali

There is a mysterious, but beautiful stained glass window in the Oratory of St. Francis Xavier in Nuvali. There are over twenty such windows in that chapel, each one designed by artist Carlo Tanseco, and each one a piece of art in its own right. Every time I walk into the chapel, I never fail to be surprised to find myself suddenly bathed in the light and colors streaming through the windows.

Yet there is one particular window that you won’t see unless you go into the reconciliation room, where it is installed behind closed doors. It’s an image as mysterious as it is instructive because it teaches us a couple of valuable lessons about the Holy Spirit in our lives.

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