Sermon for 1st Sunday in Lent – Year C Homily

March 8, 2025March 8, 2025 selvam Year C

The 3Ps: Pleasure, Possessions, Power!

1st Sunday in Lent – Cycle C
We say the Season of Lent lasts forty days, as the Latin word, ‘Quadragesima” suggests. When I was a young seminarian – sceptical as I was – I took the calendar and wanted to make sure for myself if there were indeed 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. To my surprise, I found there are actually 47 days (including Easter). I had reasons to be sceptical, after all! So I had a question for the teacher of liturgy, who himself was taken by surprise. Later he came up with a meaningful explanation: even on Sundays in Lent, we celebrate the Resurrection of the Lord, as we do every Sunday; and hence they are not counted as days of fasting and penance. So Lent does have forty weekdays […]

Sermon for 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C Homily

February 21, 2025February 21, 2025 selvam Year C

7th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Cycle C
Christian Perfection is Compassion

Recently, I led a team of colleagues from our college on a benchmarking visit to another Catholic-led University. We were amazed at the way the university grounds were so clean. In our conversation with the Vice Chancellor, we asked him what the secret was. He spoke about the founding Vice Chancellor of that institution who would pick up pieces of rubbish, if any, as he walked up and down the corridors and the lawns. Eventually, everyone – staff and students – started to pick up the wrappers and pieces of paper around, and they also stopped throwing them around. By and by the university community got into a culture of cleanliness that is so impressive to this day. In the beginning days, […]

Sermon for 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C Homily

January 18, 2025 selvam Year C

God is here: There is abundance! (Jn 2:1-11)
What I have always admired in African weddings is the spirit of abundance! There would be a lot of noise, plenty of food, and overflowing drinks. Of course, singing and dancing would not be wanting. In the first wedding I ever attended in Africa, I requested a drink – I do not remember if it was a bottle of beer or a ‘soda’! As I kept enjoying the spectacle that was going on all around us, and trying to engage in a conversation with my neighbour, I had finished my drink. At one point, as I turned round I saw a new, full, opened bottle of the same brand of drink that I had just finished. This time I slowed down my drinking pace. Meals were served. After the meal I managed […]

Sermon for 1st Sunday in Advent – Year C Homily

November 30, 2024November 30, 2024 selvam Year C

They will see the Son of Man coming (Lk 21:27)
1st of Sunday of Advent – Year C
One of the advent hymns that I like most is:
We long to see thee so!
To see Thee newly-born.
We long for Christmas morn.
The sands of time run slow.
I like this hymn because it arouses in me the nostalgia for homecoming, or actually going back home. As a young boy studying in boarding school this song reminded me of the joyful time of going back home for Christmas. I remember how the sands of time ran so slow, especially just before Christmas. In the past years, especially as a priest being busy during Christmas, and as I unwrap the celebration of Christmas of its nostalgic feelings I have also begun to appreciate its spiritual depth. I am not in anyway playing down the importance […]

Sermon for Feast of Christ the King – Cycle C Homily

November 15, 2022November 17, 2022 selvam Year C

34th Sunday of the year – Feast of Christ the King
Jesus, the Suffering King

Alternative Sermon 1 <<CLICK HERE>>
Alternative Sermon 2 <<CLICK HERE>>
I remember in the early 1990’s, being driven around some tea estates in Limuru-Kiambu area not far from Nairobi in Kenya, and being told by the driver that some of that prime land belonged to the then president. And I remember a verse from the Bible popping up in my head. The verse was from 1Samuel 8:14, “This is what the king who is to reign over you will do… He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards and your olive groves and give them to his officials.” It is not surprising that the three families that have fielded the presidents for Kenya, feature among the ten […]