The Holy Courage: The Boldness of Prayer and the Generosity of God

17th Sunday in Ordinary Time(Year C): July 27, 2025

Readings: Genesis 18:20–32; Psalm 138:1–3, 6–8; Colossians 2:12–14; Luke 11:1–13

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/wepJyRaSB3s

Prayer is a conversation with God. Prayer is opening oneself to the mercy of God. When we realize that we are made of finite, limited, mortal and dependent beings, naturally, there is an inner urge to look for something eternal, immortal, infinite, unlimited and independent. That is where we find the fulfilment of our lives. Only a higher being can satisfy our wants and needs. All that we hope to achieve is possible only by the grace of God. The readings of today are very special. They emphasize the breadth and depth of God, and moreover, the capacities of God. Even long ago, Abraham, the Father of Faith, made great strides in trying to convince God, in order, to save the cities in which he lived, namely Sodom and Gomorrah. On the other hand, Jesus teaches his disciples the simple truths of prayer. As we delve deeper into the readings of today, we see how God is truly caring for us.

1. “Lord, teach us to pray.”

St Luke writes (Luke 11:1–13) about the tender request made by one of Jesus' disciples. This request stems from a deeper longing and intimate connection with the Divine. The disciple did not ask, “Teach us how to preach,” or “Teach us how to perform miracles,” but “Teach us to pray.” It reveals a desire for intimacy with God, a longing to dwell in the mystery of His presence. In other words, the disciples had seen their master praying. So they wanted to imitate him, for they had seen the power of prayer in his preaching and healing. Often the world reminds us of our failures, inadequacies, and debts but Jesus gives us the liberating truth: You are not your past. You are not your mistakes. In Christ, your story has been rewritten.

Welcoming God with Heart and Listening with Love

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 20, 2025

Readings: Genesis 18:1–10; Psalm 15:2–5; Colossians 1:24–28; Luke 10:38–42

 To listen to my audio-video reflections via YouTube, please click here: https://youtu.be/YCSyLjyIrX4

What is the true rhythm of an authentic Christian life? It is the one that welcomes, listens, makes one feel comfortable, happy, and offers possibilities. On the 16th Sunday in Ordinary time, the Church invites us to conduct a true rhythm of a Christian life. The Word of God gives us immense possibilities to imitate those holy men and women who embraced the true vision of God. We see in Abraham the beauty of hospitality and the blessings that flow from welcoming God and others with a generous heart. In St. Paul, we are reminded that suffering, when united with Christ, becomes part of our mission to reveal His presence to the world. And in Mary, we discover the power of stillness and the importance of choosing intimacy with Jesus above all else. As we gather this Sunday in our churches, let us open our hearts to receive God's Word, embrace the call to serve and suffer with purpose, and find rest at the feet of Christ — for there we encounter not only the Lord but the fullness of life He brings. These three readings invite us into a rhythm of Christian life.

1. Hospitality as a Door to Divine Encounter

In the passage Genesis 18:1–10a, Abraham welcomes three unknown visitors at the oak of Mamre. Though he doesn’t immediately recognize them as divine, he hastens to offer generous hospitality. His openness to strangers becomes the very channel through which God confirms His promise of new life — the birth of Isaac. In theology, this episode is also likened to the concept of the Holy Trinity. Three people taking the hospitality of Abraham are richly rewarded with a new lease of life for Abraham.

Being a Good Samaritan: Go and do likewise

15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 13, 2025

Readings: Deuteronomy 30:10–14; Psalm 69:14–37; Colossians 1:15–20; Luke 10:25–37

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

Being self-righteous is good. However, being self-righteous may not necessarily mean being honest and truthful. Awfully self-righteousness might dupe us. It may not bring good to oneself and others as well. It could be just wishful thinking. Hence, practical wisdom combined with the experience of the realities of the world with a human touch is essential. This will make a person great. As we delve deeper into the liturgical readings on the 15th Sunday in ordinary time, they do exactly the same. The story of the Samaritan nursing the wounded Jew tells us that all the other characters, the priest and Levite, were self-righteous but not honest in expressing their human concern. They lacked the practical wisdom to nurse the fallen fellow Jew, while the Samaritan, who belonged to the opposite group, expressed concern and solidarity with the Jew who needed immediate care. We cannot save the world in one day. However, we can act with compassion in the situations we encounter even though they are rare!

1. Being a Wounded man on the street and the care from the Unknown.

In the Gospel reading of today, Luke 10:25–37, a scholar of the law approaches Jesus with a question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” It is a noble question, one that should stir the heart of every Christian. But Jesus, as He often does, turns the question back to the seeker: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”  The scholar responds correctly: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart... and your neighbour as yourself." Jesus affirms the answer, not as a theory, but as a way of life: “Do this and you will live.”

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. 

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.”

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.