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Fr. Imo’s Homilies, Fontana, CA (2026)

09/06/2026

HOW OFTEN MUST I FORGIVE MY OFFENDER

Human beings are created to live as brothers and sisters in love and harmony, yet our fallen nature often disrupts relationships. Though we desire to love, weakness leads to anger, disputes, and offenses. Because relationships become strained, we must learn both love and forgiveness. Sirach teaches that forgiveness is necessary, and that unforgiveness is a tangled web of emotions. Jesus, in the Gospel, teaches His disciples how to resolve offenses without placing limits on forgiveness.

Wrongdoing provokes anger, and anger contaminates the heart. In the first reading, Sirach says, “The sinner hugs wrath and anger tight,” showing how anger clings to us and blinds us. Anger and unforgiveness are intertw**ed: forgiveness gives up resentment, while anger stores it. Understanding forgiveness requires understanding anger. Anger signals that we believe we are treated unfairly. It grows from what we think or feel about the offender—arrogance, lies, malice, or lack of remorse. These inflame resentment and lead to hostility. Anger is not automatic; it is a choice. We can choose to let go, but the angry person rarely admits he is angry.

Holding onto anger is destructive to health and relationships. Jesus warns that anger can make us killers in spirit (Matt 5:21–22). Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to suffer. The only remedy for anger is forgiveness. Scripture urges us not to let the sun set on our anger, lest the devil gain a foothold in our hearts (Eph 4:27).

In the Old Testament, rabbis taught that a sinner could be forgiven up to three times—a generous standard. Peter extends this generosity by suggesting forgiveness seven times. Jesus responds, “Not seven times, but seventy times seven,” meaning forgiveness must be limitless. Peter’s question was not only about numbers but about when his anger would be justified. Jesus rejects any attempt to quantify grace. Forgiveness is not merely an action but a disposition woven into Christian living.

Like Peter, we often want to limit forgiveness—either by number or by type of sin. We wonder whether grave sins such as homicide, infidelity, kidnapping, or abuse deserve forgiveness. Yet Jesus gives no distinction between sins to forgive and sins not to forgive. He simply commands us to forgive as God forgives us (Mt 6:12). Even when the offender does not deserve forgiveness, God deserves our obedience. We forgive for God’s sake.

Forgiveness is not condoning wrongdoing or minimizing its gravity. It does not depend on the offender’s repentance, as Jesus forgave His executioners (Lk 23:34). Forgiveness is strength, not weakness; courage, not cowardice. Delayed forgiveness often becomes denied forgiveness. Peace is impossible without reconciliation.

Jesus illustrates limitless forgiveness with a parable of two debts. One man owes an impossible sum—greater than a province’s revenue—yet is forgiven. He then refuses to forgive a neighbor a tiny debt, one hundred thousandth of his own. The contrast exposes the absurdity of withholding forgiveness when God has forgiven us so much. Jesus teaches us to break the unforgiving spirit that seeks limits.

The message is clear: if God has shown mercy to us, we must show mercy to others. Forgiveness is difficult but not impossible. Time is the remedy that allows wounds to fade. Jesus’ command to forgive “seventy seven times” invites us to give time room to heal and let offenses disappear from memory. In this way, forgiveness becomes the path to peace, freedom, and restored relationships.

08/30/2026

TAKE UP YOUR CROSS AND FOLLOW ME

Last Sunday, Peter shone brilliantly when he proclaimed, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). It was a moment of grace, insight, and revelation. But today, Peter stumbles. He fails to grasp what it truly means for Jesus to be the Messiah. His confession was correct — but incomplete. Professing the faith is only the beginning; living it is the real test. If Peter could “talk the talk,” Jesus now teaches him what it means to “walk the walk.”

The Jews of Jesus’ time expected a Messiah who would bring instant glory — military victory, national pride, prosperity, and power. So when Jesus spoke of suffering, rejection, and death, the disciples were shocked. This was not the Messiah they imagined. Peter, unable to hide his dismay, pulls Jesus aside and rebukes Him: “Heaven preserve you, Lord! This must never happen to you!” (Mt 16:22). But Jesus responds sharply: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Many people have wondered why Jesus used the word “Satan” when he addressed Peter? Does he mean that Peter is Satan? The word “Satan” in Hebrew literally means “adversary” or “opponent,” not the devil himself. It refers to anyone who stands in opposition. When Jesus went into the wilderness to prepare for His public ministry, Satan tempted Him to follow a path different from the one chosen by the Father, acting as an adversary.

Later, when Peter opposed Jesus’ teaching about the cross, Jesus recognized in Peter’s reaction another temptation and rebuked him as an adversary. Jesus calls Peter “Satan” because Peter, out of love and fear, tries to stop Him from embracing the cross — and thus becomes an adversary to God’s saving plan, echoing the same temptation Satan had already tried: avoid the cross, choose comfort, abandon the mission.

Jesus speaks this way because He sees the cross not as defeat but as the salvation of the world. He does not focus on the weight of the cross but on the victory it will accomplish. He looks beyond suffering to the purpose for which He came — to save humanity through sacrificial love. Jesus wants His disciples, and all of us, to understand something essential: to live in this world is to carry a cross. No one is exempt. Sometimes suffering comes from our choices; sometimes from the choices of others; sometimes from circumstances beyond our control. Many explanations have been offered for human suffering, yet none fully solves the mystery. What Jesus teaches is simple and honest: life in this world will always involve some measure of pain.

Therefore, when Jesus instructs us to take up our cross and follow Him, He is calling us to more than wearing a crucifix or hanging one in our car. He is inviting us to embrace self denial and sacrifice as part of daily life. He is asking us to believe that God can bring good even from the crosses that come our way. Often, these crosses keep us close to God or teach us obedience through discipline. In this way, the cross becomes a sacrifice offered for something of value: for God’s glory and for the good of our neighbor.

The message today is simple and unavoidable: we cannot live in this world without experiencing some form of the cross. Jesus had His own share of it. The world is the place for the cross; heaven is the place for the crown. Here we taste a bit of both. Hence the invitation: “Take up your cross and follow me.” Each of us must ask: What shift of values, what reordering of priorities, what refocusing of vision must take place in my heart so that I may carry my cross according to the mind of Christ? And may every sign of the cross we make remind us of the sacrifice we are called to embrace — the sacrifice that leads, through dying, to life.

08/23/2026

“WHO DO YOU SAY THAT I AM?”

In this Sunday’s first reading, the key to the authority of the house of David was taken from Shebna, who served only himself, and entrusted to Eliakim, who served God and ruled with fairness and integrity. By this authority, Eliakim becomes the chief steward of the Davidic kingdom. This matters because this authority foreshadows the role Jesus gives to Peter in today’s Gospel.

The Gospel scene unfolds in Caesarea Philippi, a region filled with shrines to false gods and a cave believed to be the entrance to the “gates of Hades.” In this place of competing gods and rival claims, Jesus asks His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They answer with public opinion: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

But Jesus is not satisfied with borrowed answers. He asks the deeper question: “But who do you say that I am?” The disciples fall silent until Peter speaks with conviction: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus chooses this location intentionally. Peter’s confession becomes a public renunciation of every false god worshipped in that region. It is a turning point; a moment of clarity that reveals who Jesus truly is and what the disciples’ mission must become.

Jesus stands in the prophetic tradition of Elijah, Jeremiah, and John the Baptist, but He is not merely “one of the prophets.” He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. God does not simply send Him; He is God’s presence among us. He does not merely point to salvation; He is our Savior. Recognizing this, Jesus entrusts Peter with a mission that mirrors Eliakim’s: “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.”

But the heart of this passage is not only authority but openness to revelation. God entrusts responsibility to those who are willing to listen. Peter is impulsive, often mistaken, and sometimes fearful, yet he is open to God’s revelation, open to being taught, open to letting God reshape his understanding. He returns to Jesus again and again. This openness allows him to see Jesus clearly, even in a place filled with confusion.

Today, like the people of Caesarea Philippi, many of us live in confusion about what is right, true, moral, human, sacred, family, love, and even who God is. Countless voices tell us who we should be, what we should believe, and where we should place our trust. We may serve God faithfully, attend Mass, pray novenas, volunteer in ministry, yet still not truly know who God is or how He responds to the concrete realities of our lives. This confusion makes faith fragile and leads many to ask, “Where is God in all this?”

So how do we gain the knowledge Peter had? We gain it by reading Scripture not as information but as revelation. Often we read the Bible the way we read a newspaper for facts, stories, or inspiration. Revelation, on the other hand, teaches us how God thinks, acts, and how God responds to human struggles. Only when Scripture becomes revelation does it become formation.

We achieve this knowledge that lets God reshape our lives through obedience. The deepest knowledge of God does not come from study; it comes from doing what He says. Obedience teaches God’s faithfulness, timing, protection, and wisdom. When we obey God in small things, we begin to understand Him in big things. This is why Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” Obedience opens the door to revelation.

We can also gain the kind of knowledge of God that changes our lives through trials. It is in trials that we learn God’s comfort, strength, silence, surprises, and faithfulness. Trials reveal God in ways success never can. This is why faith that survives suffering becomes faith that can guide others.

If at the end of this Mass we go home and become more intentional in our resolve to know God more intimately and experientially, then when Jesus asks us, “Who do you say that I am?” our answer will not come from the world, but from revelation. He can then entrust us, like Peter, with responsibilities in our families, community and parish, and by that make us, in our own small ways, “a peg in a sure spot” that people can rely on.

08/16/2026

DO NOT GIVE CHILDREN’S FOOD TO DOGS

The Gospel today gives us one of the most surprising lines Jesus ever speaks: “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” At first hearing, it sounds harsh and cruel. It sounds unlike the Jesus we know. But when we listen carefully, understand the culture, and see the whole conversation, we discover that Jesus is not rejecting this woman. He is instead revealing the power of her faith and the wideness of God’s mercy.
Jesus’ statement illustrates the divine plan of salvation history. The “children” represent the household of Israel, who were the first to receive the covenant, while the “dogs” metaphorically refer to the Gentiles. “Bread” represents the miraculous healing, blessings, and salvation brought by Jesus. Most scholars agree that Jesus used this dialogue not as a cruel insult, but as a pedagogical tool. The Greek word used (kynarion) implies a small household pet rather than a wild street dog, while others view it as a deliberately stark cultural boundary test.

As it were, Jesus is naming the order of salvation history: God began with Israel. The Messiah was sent first to Israel. The covenant started with Israel. However, Jesus is doing more than stating history. He is testing her faith. He is drawing out the depth of her trust. He is inviting her to step into a conversation that will reveal her heart.

When we look at her response, we do not see humiliation. She does not get offended or walk away. She simply says: “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” What humility. What persistence. What courage. What faith. She is saying, “Lord, I know who You are. I know Your mercy is bigger than boundaries. I know Your grace overflows the table. And even one scrap of Your goodness is enough to heal my daughter.”
Though she was not supposed to be part of the story, but moved by her profound faith (O woman, great is your faith), Jesus heals her daughter. Why does Jesus do this? Because He wants the disciples to see that God’s mercy is not limited. Because He wants the Church to understand that faith can be found in unexpected places. Because He wants us to know that no one is outside the reach of God’s love.

This Gospel is not about calling someone a dog. It is about revealing the heart of a woman who refuses to give up on God. It is about a woman who believes that God’s mercy is for her too. It is about Jesus opening the door wider than anyone imagined.
So today, let us ask for two graces. First, the grace to trust that God’s mercy is for us — even when we feel unworthy, even when we feel outside, even when life makes us feel like we are begging for scraps. And second, the grace to welcome others with the same wide mercy Jesus shows here - to make our hearts, our homes, and our parish truly “a house of prayer for all peoples.”

May the faith of this Canaanite woman inspire us. May her humility teach us. And may her persistence remind us that when we stay with Jesus, when we keep praying, when we keep hoping, His mercy always finds a way.

08/09/2026

CALL OUT TO GOD AND FEAR NOT

The readings this weekend present us with the ever-present presence of God and man’s struggles to perceive it when faced with difficult times. These readings feature three men who are weighed down with concerns because of their difficult experiences. In the first reading, Elijah experienced depression because his miraculous deed to protect his people's faith backfired. He became scared by the threats of the wicked Queen Jezebel and fled for his life. In the second reading, the Israelites' refusal to accept salvation in Christ led Paul to frustration and grief. In the Gospel, the disciples rowed off into the chaos of a storm on the lake. They became devastated and feared for their lives when their struggle to reach a place of safety failed.

What is at stake in these challenges is not necessarily the magnitude of their experiences but how each one responded to them. This is important because our strength during difficult times is measured not by how much we suffer, but by how we respond to our suffering. While Elijah responded with fear, Paul responded with frustration and grief. The disciples also responded with fear. Even Peter, who later made a leap of faith, allowed fear to overtake him.

Where did these three men go wrong? Elijah's mistake came when he forgot the God who sent fire from heaven and focused instead on the queen who sent a death threat. He carried unrealistic expectations and misunderstood how God works. In Paul we see gift-consciousness, which made him think he could change the world overnight. God gave him ability to make converts, but he failed to realize it was not his power but God’s favor. He trusted too much in his own gifts. And when their expectations failed, fear set in. In Peter, we see ambition and acting without thinking. In this context, he acted on impulse and emotional fervor without counting the cost.

As we can see, these life experiences help to teach us that life is full of adventures, accidents, and harsh experiences. The world is not a safe place. As such, our lives are always in danger - terrorist attacks, tornadoes, earthquakes, political upheavals, hunger, and death, to mention but a few. These experiences do not just come our way because we are saints or sinners but because we are living in the world. So, while here on earth, we are paddled on every side by forces hostile to the kingdom. Though by our nature, we do not like harsh conditions, we are always looking for a better life.

The question now is, how should we respond to difficult times without giving in to fear? The way out is to fight fear with faith and truth. In the face of our struggles with fear, faith can help steady us and enable us to walk through raging waters. This is what Peter did in the moment of his failure: though shaking with fear, he clutched at Jesus and held him firmly. What is required is trust in his foreknowledge that “the hairs of your head are all numbered, fear not” (Lk 12:7).
The good news is that every one of them found help the moment they called out to God. The irresistible truth is that our being in this world is like walking on the waters of success and/or adversity, and the only way out is to realize that Jesus is always with us and call out to him. God never abandons the cries of his children who sincerely call upon him. Our problem is that at times we get consumed by wonder and surprise at our experiences and fail to cry out as Peter did.

So, in these unique readings about Elijah, Paul and Peter, the Church wants us to realize that no one is self-sufficient. No matter how smart, strong, gifted, or experienced we may be, every one of us reaches moments when fear rises, strength fails, and the waves of life begin to swallow us. Even when we are convinced that God is leading us and we are doing His will, we must never imagine that we can walk on water by ourselves. Therefore, let us leave this Mass today renewed in our desire to be God’s faithful people who depend and keep their eyes fixed on Jesus. He alone is our life. He alone is our hope. He alone is our strength. He alone is our salvation. And as long as our gaze remains on Him, no storm can ever overcome us.

08/02/2026

GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT

One evening, Anderson, a prosperous and God fearing farmer, was praying with his young son. As they knelt beside the bed, Anderson said, “Let us pray for that poor man down the road, that the good Lord may come to his help.” His son looked up and replied with disarming simplicity: “But Dad, we don’t need to bother God about that. We can do it ourselves.” The child preached a whole homily in one sentence.

Anderson meant well. He wanted to show concern. But his son reminded him and all of us that sometimes prayer is not enough. Sometimes, when we pray for someone in need, God’s answer is very simple: “You can do something yourselves.”

This is exactly what happens in today’s Gospel (Mt 14:14–21). A large crowd gathers around Jesus—sick, hungry, tired. Evening approaches, and the disciples, overwhelmed by the situation, say to Jesus: “Dismiss them so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” But Jesus, moved with compassion, replies: “No. Give them something to eat.”

How would you and I respond to a similar situation? Our reactions today are not much different from those of the disciples. Like the disciples, some of us do not believe that we can do anything except to ask them to go and work for their living. Some think what they have is too little to make any difference. Some blame people with low incomes for their condition. Some pray for the needy but never take a step toward helping them (James 2:15). Often, what stops us from acting is the belief that our little cannot possibly matter.

Yet the world’s hunger is real. Today, nearly one billion people suffer from chronic hunger. Some roam our streets. Some beg for their livelihood. Some move about angry. Some turn to crime. The need is overwhelming, but ignoring it is not an option. To pretend it does not exist is a lie. To look away is to fail in charity.

Giving, as we know, is not merely an economic act; it is a moral decision. It is about the heart. A selfish person says “no” before thinking. A generous person believes there is always a way. The miracle of the loaves and fish teaches us that what we have never truly ends when there is a willing heart. God multiplies what we offer.

This is why compassion is essential. It was compassion that made Mary notice the empty w**e jars at Cana (Jn 2:1ff). Compassion opens our eyes. Compassion moves our hands. Compassion gathers resources—money, clothing, food, goodwill—and turns them into nourishment for the poor, the homeless, the jobless, the refugee, the child without support. A miracle is not God working instead of us. A miracle is God working with us.

The Good News today is simple and liberating: You do not need to be wealthy to help the poor. You only need love - love translated into action. To refuse to help because “they should go and work” is not Christian charity. Faith believes something can be done. And if we cannot do everything, we can do something. If we cannot see what is done, we can do what can be seen.

As we go home, let us ask God for three graces: The grace to recognize that everything we have is a gift (1 Cor 4:7). The grace to use what we have, however small. To lift those who lack the necessities of life. The grace to understand that Christianity is not only a set of doctrines to recite, but a way of life to be lived. May the Lord open our eyes to see the hungry, open our hearts to feel their pain, and open our hands to “give them something to eat.

07/26/2026

THE ONE THING WE NEED TO BE CONTENT

The discernment about how to choose between want and need is what is at stake in the readings of this Sunday. The first reading invites us to ask the question: Among all the things I desire in life, which one do I consider will help me in my responsibilities? This is what Solomon understood when God asked him to make a request. As a young king, Solomon had many legitimate needs. He needed wealth, military might, fame, security, prosperity, long life and happiness. But he chose wisdom. He knew that with wisdom comes every other good thing he needed. God confirmed this by giving him both wisdom and other needs of his life.

The Gospel gives us three parables and three personalities and what they did to possess these kingdom values. For the first person, the Kingdom is a surprise discovery, “a treasure buried in a field;” for the other, it is a prized acquisition secured after a painstaking search, “a pearl of great price.” We even have a third group, who are of mixed personalities, “a net thrown into the sea,” which calls for sorting, separating and, in fact, assessment.

According to this Gospel, this kingdom treasure has two distinctive marks: it is a treasure of great value that is worth possessing, and which will be possessed by giving up something. Both the treasure buried in the field and the pearl of great price are not mere images but valuable ones. They are not only good but with each one come other good things. On the other hand, there is a cost to be paid to possess them.

The price refers to how the discoverers responded to what they found. Solomon undertook to forgo the desire for fame and fortune for understanding/wisdom as a great treasure to rule his people (1 Kg 3:5, 7-12). The finder in the Gospel realizes the value of what was found, sees it as a “need” and sells everything he had to obtain it.

As a matter of fact, the price abounds. It can be about wealth, talent or time that stand in the way of our faith that we need to forgo, or any sinful habit to give up to obey the Commandment, or fear to give up to embrace faith. It may be self-denial, sacrifice, abstinence, forgiveness, selfishness, anger, games, profession, or any lifestyle that needs to be given up. In fact, all it costs is everything we have – the entirety of our lives and all we possess! We either give our lives over to him entirely or we keep them for ourselves.

What is the one thing when possessed meets our other needs? The pearl that will require us to sell all we have to possess is Jesus. In Christ, God offers his kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy as an incomparable treasure at a price we can afford (Rom 14:17). He is the Pearl of great price. He is the Hidden Treasure that is discovered by a few. He and only he is worth our giving up everything. When we exchange our life for the life which God offers in Christ, we receive a treasure beyond compare.

Today, the Church is asking us to look around for any part of our lives where the reign of God is yet absent – social, moral, political, economic, etc. and subject it to His reign. In this way we will not only achieve satisfaction but fulfilment. It is Jesus who fulfils our every need. We are to desire not only his gifts but Jesus himself, the Pearl of great price. As we celebrate this Eucharist, we are expressing our faith in Jesus as our “Pearl of great price.” Jesus is worth everything to us, and allowing ourselves to be united to him in Communion is the greatest gift we can give to ourselves.

07/19/2026

LIVE AND LET LIVE

The main point of today’s readings is patience. The first reading, written about 100 years before Christ, presents a picture of a time when some Jews were forced by the Greeks to abandon their faith for the Greek religion. In the passage we read today, the author of the Book of Wisdom struggled with why God allowed such evil to prevail. But when he later realized that God’s intention was not to destroy sinners but to show them mercy, he praised God’s clemency toward sinners and his patience in allowing them to repent.

Today’s Gospel contains three parables of Jesus plus an allegorical interpretation of one of them: the wheat and the w**ds planted in a field. He represents the good with wheat and the bad with w**ds. Though the bad can corrupt the good if allowed to grow together, uprooting them too early can destroy the good plants. Jesus uses this parable to explain the nature of the kingdom of God on earth.
Similarly, the kingdom of God on earth consists of good and bad people. In the field of this world, the good seeds (wheat) are the children of the kingdom, and the w**ds (bad seeds) are the children of the evil one (verse 38). As such, we are to put up with all humans without discrimination or antagonism. Jesus tells us that the Kingdom of God is a mixed bag in which sinners and saints rub shoulders. As a result, no attempt should be made to w**d out any of them. Jesus adopted this attitude to teach us that redemption is possible. Sinners can repent, while the person considered a saint today can become a sinner tomorrow.

Today, the Gospel is loud and clear: if you want to be a faithful servant of God, you must be prepared to make room for those you perceive as evil. We must heed the words of the Master: “Let both of them grow together until the harvest” (verse 30). So, let our acknowledgment of the presence of evil in the world deepen our gratitude for God's mercy, and let it help us be patient and lenient toward sinners, with the hope that, through our good works and loving concern, sinners may be converted to God.

It is also important to remember that evil is not so much in the world as in the human heart. Any effort to trace the cause of sin and evil will take us to the human heart, where both good and evil exist. The best we can do today is to look into the field of our lives to see what is growing there. This reminds me of what an elderly Native American once taught his children: “There is a fight going on inside me. It is a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf is evil and creates anger, fear, envy, despair, arrogance, lies, false pride, resentment, and competition in me. The other wolf is good and noble and generates love, faith, peace, joy, hope, humility, kindness, truthfulness, and compassion in me. You, too, have this same fight going on inside you. In fact, the fight goes on inside every person on earth.” The kids thought about it for a moment, and then one of them asked, “Which wolf will win, Grandpa? The grandfather replied, “The one you feed.”

So, while w**ding out all the evil seeds around us is a difficult and painful process, our choice of the good and our tolerance will go a long way toward creating an atmosphere of peaceful coexistence. A bit of yeast makes the whole dough rise. Jesus says that a little seed of good can create immense goodness. Therefore, let us heed Paul, who says: “Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21).

07/12/2026

THE WORD OF GOD DOES NOT RETURN VOID

God’s word has power. Every farmer knows that when a seed is planted, something begins - even if nothing is visible at first. Today, through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord reminds us that His word works the same way. “My word shall not return to me void.” Whenever God speaks, something starts growing – starts happening, why? There is power in his word.

Even when we do not see results immediately, God’s word is quietly at work—softening hearts, healing wounds, challenging our knowledge, convicting conscience, teaching wisdom, guiding decisions, and planting seeds that will one day bear fruit. Nothing God says is ever wasted.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower to describe the spoken word of God, the same word that Isaiah says never returns empty. In the first reading, Isaiah compares God’s word to rain: it never falls in vain. It always accomplishes something. Even when life feels dry or complicated, God’s word is quietly working beneath the surface of the lives of believers.

Jesus then shifts our attention to the receiving agent - the soil. He uses the different types of soil to describe the condition of the human heart. Some hearts are rocky and prove impenetrable; some are thorny, choking what is sown in them; some are distracted and lack concentration, are discouraged, or are overwhelmed. And some hearts are ready—open, receptive, and willing. With this, the Gospel teaches us that the state of our hearts affects how the word of God germinates and how effective it becomes.
St. Paul adds another dimension. He speaks of creation groaning, waiting for redemption. Many of us know that feeling. We carry burdens, uncertainties, and quiet struggles. While such a condition impacts our appreciation and reception of the word of God, Yet Paul reminds us that these groanings are not signs of failure. Often they are groanings provoked by the word, stretching, pushing, preparing to bear fruit

The take-to-heart message of today is that God does not speak casually. His word has a mission, and until that mission is fulfilled, He continues to work. This calls for anticipation in the listener—a desire to hear, a readiness to receive.

The word of God is calling us today to offer God an open soil each time we listen—open hearts, open ears, open lives. We must trust that the One who speaks will surely bring His word to fulfilment. This is the kind of anticipation David expressed when he said, “I rejoiced when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord.” When we come to Mass with the intention of encountering God, we prepare ourselves to listen - and we leave with a testimony of what He has spoken. But if we come with the attitude of “business as usual,” we leave with no message and no transformation.

The good news is simple and beautiful: God never stops sowing. He never gives up on any heart. He sees possibilities where we see limitations. He sees future fruit where we see present struggle. But this truth also places a responsibility on us. If God is always sowing, then we must come ready to listen. The word is always speaking – the question is whether our hearts are prepared to receive it. We must be intentional in our hunger for the Word: eager for its nourishment, open to its correction, and willing to let its light shine into the dark corners of our lives.

When this happens, something remarkable takes place. We begin to discover that every time we come to Mass with expectation… with appetite… with a desire to encounter the living God… the seed of His Word finds room to take root. But if we come distracted, indifferent, or simply going through the motions, we leave with no message and no transformation.

So, the Word of God never returns empty. God is still sowing. The seed is still powerful. The only question that remains is this: Am I ready to receive?

Fr. Imo’s Homilies

09/06/2026

08/30/2026

08/23/2026

08/16/2026

08/09/2026

08/02/2026

07/26/2026

07/19/2026

07/12/2026

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