Father Weerackoon’s Homilies and Talks

4th Sunday of Easter

Jesus says "I am the gate" to give us passage from death to life, so that we can be freed from our own tombs and our shame because the Good Shepherd came that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

3rd Sunday of Easter

God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden before they ate the fruit from the tree and their eyes were opened to their shame. But God walked with Cleopas and another disciple, and their eyes were opened to God through the breaking of bread. Will we open our hearts to Him and ask Him to stay with us?

Divine Mercy Sunday

It's unlikely Thomas's biggest doubt was that Jesus had risen. It's more likely his doubt was whether God loved him. But Jesus appears to Thomas and shows His wounds to Thomas and to us so that we will never be afraid to show Christ our wounds, because Divine Mercy forgives, heals, and restores.

Easter Sunday

Mary Magdalene tells the 11 apostles that the tomb is empty, but only two of the apostles run to the tomb. So why did the other nine apostles remain in the tomb of their own making in the Upper Room and not go see the empty tomb of the Risen Lord?

Holy Thursday

What would you do if you knew you only had a few hours left to live? Jesus showed what He would do in washing the feet of His disciples and gifting us the Eucharist and the priesthood, because He loved His own in the world and He loved them to the end.
 

Palm Sunday

The crowds who greet Jesus with loud cheers of “Hosanna to the Son of David” as Jesus processed into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday turn to mocking cries of “Hail, King of the Jews” five days later. The crowds who acclaimed Jesus with “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” on Palm Sunday cry out five days later “Let him be crucified!” 
The reality is - we are like the crowds who are fickle. But can we use our voices for good? Will we use our voices to pray at Mass? Will we use our voices to confess our sins? Our actions will speak volumes.

5th Sunday of Lent

Martha and Mary send a very simple message to Jesus: “Master, the one you love is ill." And yet, Jesus chooses not to show up until Lazarus has been dead for four days. Sometimes, we might feel as if God let us down. But our tears are God’s tears also. He cries with us. The Lord doesn’t abandon us in our time of suffering. He suffers with us and shares our pain, because He’s the one who promises I am the resurrection and the life. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
 
 

4th Sunday of Lent

We often cast judgments on others and see them in a negative light because we see only a part of the picture. Sadly, almost all the characters in the Gospel about the man born blind are blind to who Jesus and the blind man are, and so ironically enough, the only person who truly sees is the man born blind.
If we want to overcome our spiritual blindness, then take the person you find hardest to love and imagine you and that person standing at the foot of the cross, imagining how Jesus looks at you from the cross and ask for the grace to see that person you struggle to love by praying: "Jesus, open my eyes that I may see. Give me your eyes so I can behold that person as you do, and give me heart to love that person as you do" so that we no longer see the appearance, but become like the Lord who looks into the heart.

3rd Sunday of Lent

Why did Jesus go to Samaria? To encounter one person and affirm her dignity, to show her that despite all the relationships and things she had chased after in life, nothing else could fulfill her except for the God who thirst for her, who thirsts for you, and who thirsts for me.

2nd Sunday of Lent

Jesus was transfigured to strengthen Peter, James, and John, but He was also transfigured to strengthen us and show us the glory that awaits us. If we are willing to ask ourselves "What is my biggest sin?" and seek to incorporate methods of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to help us overcome our biggest sins, then we will be transfigured and transformed, and one day, we will enter into eternal glory.