Father Weerackoon’s Homilies and Talks

Third Sunday of Easter

As Jesus walked with Peter on the shore, Jesus wasn't upset that Peter denied Him. Jesus didn't tell Peter that He would forgive Peter, but make John the first Pope instead. And the reason why Jesus is so forgiving and reaffirms Peter in his role as the first Pope is because Jesus healed from His wounds and he healed quickly. As a result, Peter healed quickly. So the question is - are we willing to take a walk with Jesus on the shore so we too can heal quickly?

Divine Mercy Sunday

After the apostles had locked themselves in the upper room on Easter Sunday, Jesus breathes for His peace upon the apostles so He can unlock the doors to their hearts that had been filled with fear and shame. And Jesus shows His wounds to them so that we may have the courage to show Him our wounds and filled with only the peace that He can bring, because there is no sin that is beyond Divine Mercy.

Easter Sunday

Even though Peter had thrice sworn he didn't know Jesus, it didn't stop him from being the first person in John's Gospel to enter into the empty tomb. We too aren’t meant to lie buried in the tomb of our despair and discouragement, buried in our sins, so let's run in search of the risen Christ who says: "I am the Resurrection and the Life, and whoever believes in Me will never die."

Holy Thursday

The Last Supper is the first Mass, the institution of the priesthood, and the institution of the Eucharist. But it's also a wedding. What if we saw every Mass as a wedding, so that as we walk down the aisle to receive Communion, we realize we are met by Jesus our divine bridegroom who longs for us to live in communion with Him and who gives up His body and blood for us.

Palm Sunday

Only Luke’s Gospel tells us that the Lord turned and looked at Peter when Peter commits the biggest sin and worst mistake in his life. But our Lord's look at Peter wasn't a look of anger or condemnation or disappointment. It was a tender look of love to help Peter not to give into despair. So this Holy Week, meet Jesus's gaze and see the look of mercy in His eyes so that we may one day see Divine Mercy face to face.

5th Sunday of Lent

The woman caught in adultery stood nearly naked and humiliated in the midst of Jesus and the Pharisees and scribes and couldn’t escape from the fact that she was being dragged her death. But she encounters and receives Divine Mercy, who Himself will be utterly humiliated and naked when He is placed in the midst of two thieves and raised up high on the cross in taking on not just her sin, but all of our sins and shame in suffering death for our sake in an act of supreme love engraved on the wood of the cross that no wind could ever erase.

4th Sunday of Lent

The sons of the merciful father in the parable sadly didn't know their father's heart, but the father wanted his sons to have a heart like his. So too do we stand to inherit a heart of our Father who art in heaven if only we ask Him, because our Father tells us everything I have is yours.

3rd Sunday of Lent

Jesus addressed the Samaritan woman personally because He knew her shame and humiliation. Jesus also wishes to come into our private lives - not to embarrass us or judge us or condemn us - but to free us, to change us, and to offer us what we really need: the living water of the Holy Spirit because Jesus thirsts for us.

2nd Sunday of Lent

Lent is meant to be a time of transformation for each of us. Lent is not primarily about things we just give up – it’s about what God wants to give us. Lent is not just about what we have to do for God – it’s about what God wants to do for us. He wants to do great things for us. He wants to change us, to transform us, to transfigure us so that we become like Christ, so that we come to realize that our citizenship is in heaven.

1st Sunday of Lent

Jesus went out into the desert as to a field of battle to conquer temptation for us. So in the name of Jesus Christ, we need to renounce the temptations and lies from the devil by sending those temptations to the foot of the cross, and pray asking the Lord to lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.