Sent with a Purpose, Rejoicing in the Truth

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 06, 2025

Readings: Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20; Galatians 6:14-18; Luke 10:1-12, 17-20

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/SGPQEWgG3wA

What is it like listening to a master and then the master asks the disciples to follow in his footsteps, including doing those unimaginable things like healing the sick and driving out the demons? Listening to the master means following what the master does. This is called true discipleship. For this, the disciples need a deep faith and a strong conviction. In fact, the disciple has to learn more from the master and unlearn what is not necessary, in order to possess the content and connection of the master. This is the experience of the disciples of Jesus when they were sent on a mission of preaching and healing. The liturgical readings of this Sunday are not only rich in content but also beautiful and tell us how God is nursing and caring for us through the Prophet Isaiah. And St Paul finds his abundance and fullness only in Christ Jesus of Nazareth. His radical love for Jesus is truly transformative and motivating for all of us who profess Christ as our Lord and Master.

1. Being moved to transform the world

In Luke 10:1-12, 17-20, Jesus sends out seventy-two of his disciples ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place he himself intended to go. It’s not just a logistical move—it's a deeply spiritual commissioning. These disciples are not simply messengers; they are the torchbearers of Christ’s peace, his patience, his perseverance, his presence, and his power. They go out with nothing but trust and obedience, called to rely not on earthly resources or managerial plans, but on the hospitality of strangers and the movement of God. They have to listen to God alone. 

This passage sends us a strong message that being a Christian is not about simply believing the right things or doing the right things or saying the right prayers. It is about being sent; being sent in the world of wolves and vultures, the world of sin and wickedness. It is about living what we profess in the midst of trials and temptations, suffering and sorrow. The Gospel is not just something to be treasured privately; it is something to be shared boldly, gently, and joyfully in the everyday life of thorns and thistles.

2. Peace and joy for those who work for the Kingdom of God

Jesus tells  the disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few.” He is not speaking only about preachers and missionaries. He is speaking to all of us. In every family, in every workplace, in every factory or farmland or neighbourhood, there is a harvest waiting—people waiting to be touched by kindness, truth, mercy, compassion and peace. The question is not whether God is calling us. The question is whether we are listening. Whether we are ready to embark on a journey, which Christ calls us to take.

In verses Luke 10:17-20, the disciples return rejoicing, marvelling that even demons submitted to them in Jesus' name. But Jesus redirects their joy—not toward what they could do, but toward who they are: “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” In other words, don’t build your identity around success, power, or spiritual experiences. Build it on your relationship with God. That is the deepest source of joy: not what we do for God, but who we are to God. It is more of being than doing. In fact, Jesus is telling his disciples that those who do good and listen to the voice of God have a place in heaven, a place in the heart of God.

3. Enormity of God's love in a world of wickedness

Writing to the Galatians 6:14-18, St Paul tells us that he finds meaning only in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ is his passion. St Paul's inseparable bond with the person of Jesus Christ is indestructible. Only in Jesus, St Paul boasts of peace and mercy. Jesus is his resilience. In other words, St Paul has experienced the tremendous care and love of God. Perhaps what Prophet Isaiah  66:10-14 says about the incorruptible love that has been poured into his people has been experienced by St Paul. God is always with us like a river spreading its prosperity around it or like a mother who nurses her child with abundant milk. It's incredibly so lovely to hear such words today as we see so many man-made tragedies affecting our lives, including bombs and bulldozers in war-torn places. 

So many of us profess faith with our lips, yet hesitate to live it fully. We say we believe in peace, but struggle to forgive. We speak of love, but often act from fear. We talk about grace, but are quick to judge. The liturgical readings of this Sunday call us not only to be hearers, but doers—those who practice the peace we preach, those who go where we are sent, those who return not proud of our deeds but grateful for God's love. And may we rejoice—not in power or prestige—but in knowing that our names are written in heaven.

Questions for self-reflection:

1. Where is God sending me today—to bring healing, peace, truth, or simply a listening heart?
2. Do I truly live what I say I believe?
3. Do I find my joy not in outcomes, but in my identity as God’s beloved?

Prayer:

Lord Jesus, You have called me, chosen me, and sent me—just as you sent your disciples long ago. Give me the courage to live what I profess, to bring peace where there is conflict, hope where there is despair, and love where there is fear. Teach me to rely not on my own strength, but on your Spirit moving through me. Help me to listen deeply, speak truthfully, and act with compassion. And above all, remind me that my greatest joy is not in what I do, but in who I am in You—your beloved disciple, whose name is written in heaven. I make this prayer in Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

02 July 2025

Preciousness of People and their Love in our Lives

People come into our lives and leave indelible marks. They are the precious people who have come into our short lives and made them beautiful. They continue to glow in our lives in spite of their passing. They continue to immortalize their love, compassion, care, and concern in our lives. In fact, they live in our lives through these aspects, which continue to keep their fresh memories in our lives.

This has been the experience of two of my friends who passed away: One recently in Russia due to a massive brain hemorrhage, and the other in Ukraine in a car accident in the war-stricken country a year ago. Both played a vital role in my Jesuit life. Both were family people. They had great compassion and love towards me, and they showed it in various ways. 

Death is a cruel nail in our lives. Death puts an end to our precious lives. However, death does not win. The life of the person wins as it continues to live by the acts and the intentions the person has lived by. When death comes into life so suddenly, there is not even much time to say goodbye to the person or at least to have some conversations before the person moves into the other world. This gives sadness and remorse. Sadness because the death came in so early in one’s life, whereas remorse because a feeling of emptiness continues to haunt, “wish if I knew I would have talked to the person, had responded to the person,” etc. The list goes on.

What is eternal is the friendship that we experience and cherish, either in person, living in close proximity or far away through communication channels. Both of my friends who are no more have been very special to me. We came from different countries, languages and cultures, but our bond as Christians brought us all the more closer. We have shared our joys and sorrows, our agony and beautiful moments of peace together. Listened to the painful episodes of life, but also laughed at the lighter moments and shared the meals, walks and eucharist together. All has its purpose. 

May they rest in peace!

Olvin Veigas, SJ

July 01, 2025

Grace and Grit: The Apostolic Fire of Saints Peter and Paul

Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles: June 29, 2025

Readings: Acts 12:1-11; Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9; 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 17-18; Matthew 16:13-19

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/zSmCDdKjDcI

Today, the Church invites us to celebrate two giants of our faith, two pillars of the Church, two very different men, called and united by one Lord—Saint Peter and Saint Paul. It is rare and beautiful that these two apostles are remembered together on one solemn feast. And this year, the celebration is all the more special—falling on a Sunday—when the Church gathers in her fullest form to honour them. Let us begin by falling in love with these saints—not just admiring their heroism from a distance, but allowing them to speak into our lives.

1. Saint Peter: The Rock who Fell, then Rose

Peter, the fisherman from Galilee, was impulsive, emotional, often confused, but deeply faithful. When Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered with a boldness that shook the heavens: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). And yet, this same Peter denied Jesus three times. He wept bitterly. But his story did not end in failure. The risen Christ looked at Peter not with condemnation, but with love, and entrusted him again: “Feed my sheep.”

We love Peter because he is so much like us—frail, fearful, but full of yearning. His story reminds us that grace builds on weakness, that mercy is stronger than denial, and that our past failures cannot cancel God's future plans for us.  Peter teaches us that even when we stumble, we are still loved. And love—divine love—can transform a fisherman into a shepherd, a denier into a martyr, a weak man into a rock.

2. Saint Paul: The Firebrand Turned Evangelist

Then there is Paul—scholar, Pharisee, persecutor of Christians. His hands were stained with the blood of Stephen, the first martyr. But on the road to Damascus, he was thrown down—not just to the ground, but into a new life. He heard a voice: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And everything changed. Paul’s conversion is dramatic, but not just about a moment. It was a lifelong race of preaching, suffering, writing, and loving. He travelled the ancient world, planted churches, endured prisons, beatings, shipwrecks, and ultimately martyrdom—all for Jesus Christ.

We love Paul because his passion is contagious. He shows us that no past is beyond redemption, no sinner is too far gone, and no one is so lost that Christ cannot find them. Paul turned every suffering into song, every prison into a pulpit. His 13 letters still echo with fire and faith: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

3. Two Saints, One Church

Peter and Paul were very different—Peter walked with Jesus, Paul encountered the Risen One. Peter represented stability; Paul symbolized mission. Peter was the rock; Paul was the voice. And yet, both poured out their lives in Rome, both died as martyrs, and together they remind us that the Church is built not on perfection, but on faith and surrender. We must confess our faith in Christ not only with our tongues but with our lives.

Their lives tell us: Christ calls us not because we are perfect, but because He is. What unites Peter and Paul is not their strength, but their surrender. Not their flawless records, but their undying love. Perhaps it is a great lesson for us that God never let's us down in spite of our failures or frailties instead, he lifts us up because we never give him up. Let us not just venerate Peter and Paul—let us walk with them. Let their courage fill our weakness. Let their love spark our hearts. Let their stories remind us that the same Spirit that moved them moves in us today. Let this be our takeaway today.

Questions for self-reflection

1. Are we willing, like Peter, to get up again after we fall?
2. Are we ready, like Paul, to let Christ turn our lives upside down?
3. Are we open, like them, to be used—fragile, ordinary, broken as we are—for God's extraordinary plan?

Concluding prayer:

Lord God, we thank You for the gift of Saints Peter and Paul— for their witness, their courage, and their undying love for You. May their lives inspire us to follow You more faithfully, to rise after every fall like Peter, and to run the race with passion like Paul.

Strengthen our faith, ignite our hearts, and make us fearless in proclaiming Your truth. Through their intercession, may we become living stones in the Church they helped to build. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Peter and Saint Paul, pray for us!

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

June 27, 2025

Corpus Christi: God's Love Made Visible and Tangible

Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi): June 22, 2025

Readings: Genesis 14:18–20; Psalm 110:1–4; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; Luke 9:11–17

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/hhGchiDmETQ

Friendship matters. Without love and care, our life here on earth would be boring. We are not material objects but human beings with flesh and blood. We connect with each other because of our emotions and other personality traits. Friendship is one of the most beautiful and meaningful relationships we can experience. At its heart, friendship is a bond of mutual trust, love, respect, and support between two or more people. It is a relationship that goes beyond obligation — it is freely chosen and joyfully nurtured. After the three great solemnities, the Ascension of the Lord, Pentecost, and the Most Holy Trinity, on this Sunday, we celebrate Corpus Christi Sunday, the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. It is a day to remember Christ's friendship with us. Christ left behind us something very tangible, concrete and special of his friendship with us. We will not be carrying a picture of Jesus, but the power of his remembrance of his Last Supper, the body and blood.

1. Corpus Christi: "Do this in memory of me!"

What a magnificent feast we celebrate today! On this solemn feast of Corpus Christi, the Church pauses to gaze upon the profound mystery at the heart of our faith — the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. It is a day to rediscover the sacred gift given to us not as a symbol, but as Christ Himself, truly present: Body, Blood, and Divinity. Corpus Christi is more than a celebration of a sacrament. It is a call to live Eucharistically. That means: To center our lives around the Mass — not as a weekly duty, but as the source and summit of our faith. To become what we receive — to be broken open in love for the world, especially for the hungry, lonely, and forgotten.

Trinity: Drawn into the Dance of Divine Love

The Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity Sunday: June 15, 2025

Readings: Proverbs 8:22–31; Psalms 8:4–9; Romans 5:1–5; John 16:12–15

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/mFtTJdC05l0

Working together builds and strengthens. It also talks about continuity, communication, and cooperation. Even though it is difficult to understand exactly the inner workings within the Holy Trinity, with our faith and inner eyes, and from our human experience, we can say that it is like various parts of the body working together. Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. It invites us not to get into abstract theological speculations, but try to understand the mystery of the relationship of love that overflows. God is not a solitary being, but a communion of persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This mystery, revealed through Jesus Christ, is not something to be solved, but to be entered and lived.

1. The Trinity in Us: Peace, Hope, and Love

St. Augustine, writing in his book "De Trinitate," tells us that the "Father is the one who begets, the Son is the one who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit is the bond of love between them.” There is a deep inner working within the Holy Trinity. It is the bond of love that unites them. One God but three persons has always intrigued the generations of Christians. With our human intelligence, we might find it a bit strange, still, we see the logic of God is perfect. The scripture supports this claim. 

Empowered for Mission: The Spirit of Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday: June 08, 2025

Readings: Acts 2:1–11; Psalm 104:1, 24, 29–31, 34; 1 Corinthians 12:3–7, 12–13; John 20:19–23

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/zOEzyVBRynA

Today, we celebrate this great feast of Pentecost/ the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. In fact, we are invited to open our hearts to the same Spirit. What happened in the Upper Room is meant to happen in us. Pentecost is not merely the Church’s birthday—it is the explosion of divine life into human history. It is the moment when frightened disciples became courageous witnesses, when the closed doors of fear were shattered by a rush of wind, and when human speech, once divided by confusion at Babel, was united again by the Spirit in the language of love. As we celebrate this liturgy of Pentecost, let us feel that same warmth and divine explosion within our hearts and communities. 

1. Holy Spirit: Divine explosion in the midst of fear

In Acts 2:1–11, the Holy Spirit descends on the apostles in tongues of fire. The image is powerful—fire that purifies, empowers, and lights the way. The disciples, who once locked themselves away in fear, are now energized to proclaim the Gospel to people from every nation. They are ready to move out of their comfort zones and take up dangerous and courageous missions. The Spirit does not give them safety or ease, but strength and clarity. The miracle is not only in the speaking, but also in the hearing—people from diverse backgrounds hear the Good News in their own language. 

Lifted to Live: Following the Ascended Christ on Earth

Ascension of the Lord: June 01, 2025

Readings: Acts 1:1–11; Psalm 47:2–3, 6–7, 8–9; Ephesians 1:17–23; Luke 24:46–53 

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/FZdeCn9IRII

Today, we celebrate the great feast of the Ascension—Jesus’ return to the Father after completing His earthly mission. It is a moment filled with awe and mystery, but also with challenge and commissioning. The Ascension is not a farewell; it is an invitation to deeper faith, bolder witness, and wholehearted discipleship. This Sunday's liturgical readings invite us to enter deeper into the mystery of Christ's ascension into heaven. A Christian with enlightened eyes sees the world with hope, lives without fear, and embraces every task as sacred. Christ’s Lordship over all things gives meaning to our life of hope.

1. Christ Entrusts Us with His Mission 

Before He ascends, Jesus opens the minds of His disciples to understand the Scriptures. He reminds them that the Messiah had to suffer, die, and rise, and now “repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in His name to all nations.” Then He declares, “You are witnesses of these things.” In other words, they are not supposed to think about the empty tomb and sit idle.

Peace I Leave with You: The Promise of Abiding Love

06th Sunday of Easter: May 25, 2025

Readings: Acts 15:1–2, 22–29; Psalm 67:2–3, 5–6, 8; Revelation 21:10–14, 22–23; John 14:23–29

What is it that belief makes it believable? What is it that believing Jesus the Son of God makes it believable? It is Jesus Christ himself. It is Jesus who makes himself believable through his words and deeds. As we almost conclude the Easter Season, Jesus continues to fascinate us. In him we find everything, the words of eternal life. Because he is the Word sent by God to be revealed in the human form. The liturgical readings on this Sunday especially the Gospel passage, convince us that Jesus is the person whom we must believe.

1. God’s Presence in Absence

Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John speaks about the intimacy that Father and Son enjoy. Whatever the Son does, it’s because of the Father. Both Father and Son are one. Jesus acknowledges that the Father is greater than the Son. In fact, it’s the Father who will send the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, the helper to be with the disciples once Jesus leaves them. 

Strengthened for the Journey: Called to Love with Courage

05th Sunday of Easter: May 18, 2025

Readings: Acts 14:21-27; Psalm 145:8-13: Revelation 21:1-5; John 13:31-35

What is our life if we live it for ourselves? With a capacity for intelligence and rational thinking, we are called to be someone different and make others' lives beautiful as we do for ourselves. This requires a certain amount of grace, in fact, divine wisdom. Even though human beings tend to be selfish and egoistic, there is a spark within each one to help others. As a result, we see wickedness has not prospered and good continues to grow. As we enter into the liturgy of the fifth Sunday of Easter, the biblical readings invite us to be embraced by the grace of God. The first Christians experienced the tremendous power of Easter and radiated through their life of service, veneration and love.

1. Strength in Perseverance

The Easter season continues to call us to new life—not merely in the joy of the Resurrection, but in the concrete and sometimes difficult journey of discipleship. Today’s readings remind us that the Christian path is not always easy, but it is deeply meaningful and gloriously rewarded. In Acts, we witness Paul and Barnabas returning to the very cities where they had faced rejection and persecution. Instead of retreating in fear, they go back to strengthen the disciples and encourage them with a bold truth: “It is through many hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God.”