Father Emmanuel’s Weekly Homily
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3 / 30 / 25
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FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT My dearly beloved in Christ, In the parable of the lost sheep, Jesus assures us that there will be greater joy in heaven over the conversion of one sinner than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need repentance (cf. Luke 15: 7). Let us be agents of reconciliation, let us go in search of our lost brothers and sisters. However, if we cannot bring them back home, please, let us not become obstacles when they find their way back home. |
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3 / 23 / 25
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THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Each new day is a fresh opportunity for us to bear fruits and do something good for others. Since we are not sure of which new day will be our last chance, if you have something good to do, better do it now! |
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3 / 16 / 25
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SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT Yes, glory awaits us, but we must first overcome all challenges on our way. God has given us so many helps in the sacraments, sacramentals, prayers, fasting, almsgiving, and great witnesses. All we need to do is make the best of these channels of grace. As we continue this journey, let us pray that all the stumbling blocks we encounter may become steppingstones leading us from one level of glory to another until we come to our heavenly inheritance through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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3 / 9 / 25
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FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT My dearly beloved in Christ, the Christian life is not a destination but a journey. Let us take this season of Lent to constantly ask God, “What exactly do you want me to do now?” And let us pray for the grace to be humble enough to listen to the details of each instruction from God, and to carry them out according to his will so that at the end of our sojourn here on earth, he would welcome us into heaven with the words, “Welcome good and faithful servant, you did all I asked you to do. Now enjoy the eternal reward I prepared for you. Amen. |
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3 / 2 / 25
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EIGHTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. It is an invitation for us to courageously look in the mirror and address the person in the mirror; then, it will become easier to be a good example to others. In Jesus’ words, “Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye |
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2 / 23 / 25
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SEVENTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME My dearly beloved Christ, loving those who hate us is not as easy as it sounds. That is why we keep hanging on to God’s as we pray that God may forgive us our sins and help us to forgive those who sin against us until we come to our heavenly inheritance through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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2 / 16 / 25
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SIXTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME “Lord Jesus, thank you for bringing me here today. Please, deliver me from all forms of self-deception. Empty me of myself, and fill me up with you so that everyone I encounter today may experience you in me to the glory of God and for our salvation. Amen.” |
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2 / 9 / 25
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FIFTH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME My dearly beloved Christ, on that day in heaven, when Jesus comes and introduces himself and shows how much he paid, how much he gave up for us, what will you say to him? Will you say, “I surrendered all,” “I surrendered some,” or “I surrendered none”? The choice is yours. |
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2 / 2 / 25
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FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE LORD As St. Theresa of Calcutta would say, “I have found the paradox that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love.” May the light of Christ continue to overcome all the forces of darkness around us until we come to our heavenly inheritance, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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1 / 26 / 25
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THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME My dearly beloved in Christ, we must not take for granted the all-important ministry of listening to the Word of the Lord. Listening is part of that “full, active, conscious participation” that the Second Vatican Council requires of us in the Sacred Liturgy. Today’s Psalm reminds us that the words of God are Spirit and life. May our listening to God’s word bring life to all that is dead in us and around us, and may our hearing of God’s word in the Liturgy bring about the fulfillment of God’s promises in our lives both now and forever. Amen. |
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1 / 19 / 25
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SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME My dearly beloved in Christ, today’s passage shows Mary’s sacrifice to let go of Jesus for our salvation. Because she encouraged Jesus to perform his first public miracle, we turn to the Blessed Virgin Mary today and say, “Thanks, Mom!” |
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1 / 12 / 25
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BAPTISM OF THE LORD My dearly beloved in Christ, know yourself and be yourself. When you grow, become a better version of yourself, do not grow to become someone else. If you are bent on becoming someone else, there is no vacancy; everyone else has been taken, and you are the only one left. So, be yourself, pick yourself up, and move on! |
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1 / 5 / 25
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FEAST OF THE EPPHANY OF THE LORD My dearly beloved in Christ, please, be like the star of Bethlehem so that after our sojourn here on earth, Jesus would say to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant, now enjoy the kingdom prepared for you.” Amen. |
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12 / 29 / 24
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FEAST OF THE HOLY FAMILY The presence of Jesus was responsible for the holiness of the Holy Family. When his parents noticed his absence, they retraced their steps to get him back. On this Feast of the Holy Family, before we enter the New Year, the Church enjoins us as a family to return to Jerusalem to pick Jesus from where we left him, to return to that powerful tradition of family prayer/scripture readings, to return to that quality family time when the television is off, the iPad and phones are aside, where parents and children sit around the table to share stories and listen to one another, where the family reaffirms everybody and not push them to seek affirmation and approval from dangerous groups outside the house. May this celebration bring healing and growth to all families until we come to our heavenly inheritance, through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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12 / 25 / 24
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CHRISTMAS DAY (THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD) As we celebrate the birthday of Jesus, may all the stumbling blocks in our way become stepping stones leading us from one level of victory to another until we come to our heavenly inheritance through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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12 / 22 / 24
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FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT HOMILY At the end of the Mass, the deacon or priest also says, “Go in peace.” Jesus is that peace. We must not leave him in the Church or keep him to ourselves alone. Everyone we encounter should feel Christ’s peace, joy, and love. While we remain in this world, remember that we are all guests here. As they say, “Every guest makes people happy. Some guests make people happy when they arrive, others when they leave.” To which group do you belong? |
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12 / 15 / 24
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THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT HOMILY My dearly beloved in Christ, there lies the good news: God does not require us to do whatever is impossible for us to do. He wants us to be nice where we are. Zephaniah found joy even in his difficult moments. Paul invited his audience to rejoice even while he was in prison. John the Baptist helped his listeners understand how they could make heaven without changing jobs. So, we also have every reason to rejoice amid the changes and chances of this life, and we have no excuse to remain in sin. |
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12 / 8 / 24
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SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT HOMILY Today, on this Second Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist invites us to the desert to prepare for the arrival of Jesus Christ, who will come at Christmas to help us in our journey through the desert. Yes, the desert is a place of lack, a place of insufficient resources, and a place in need. If we come to God full of ourselves, we become empty of God, but if we come to God empty of ourselves, God fills us up with himself. God did not create anyone to be self-sufficient. We need God, and we need one another. May our trust in God never put us to shame amid the changes and chances of this life until we come to our heavenly inheritance through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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12 / 1 / 24
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FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT Jesus is coming at Christmas as an infant, very delicate. You make him smile when you show love to your neighbor, and you make him cry when you don’t. And so, I ask: will you make him smile or will you make him cry? The choice is yours! |
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11 / 24 / 24
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SOLEMNITY OF CHRIST THE KING My Dearly Beloved in Christ, as we end of this Liturgical Year, let us look back and see any areas in our lives where we did not give Christ the space to reign. In this coming year, let us entrust all that we are and have to him, for it is in him that we have the assurance of everlasting victory and peace. |
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11 / 17 / 24
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THIRTY-THIRD SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME Let us pray that the word of God may be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path until we come to our heavenly inheritance through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
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11 / 10 / 24
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THIRTY-SECOND SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME In our celebration of the Mass, Let us pray that God may “accept the sacrifices [we present on the altar] for the praise and glory of his name; for our good and the good of all his holy Church.” Amen. |
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11 / 3 / 24
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THIRTY-FIRST SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME My dear friends, are you still searching for God? Have you found God? Now you know where God is: in your wife, your husband, your child, your sibling, your parent, your in-law, your extended family member, your co-worker, your teacher, your student, the other human being, even the one you find difficult to understand; yes, God is there. Do not go any further, and I assure you, you will not be disappointed. |