LATEST HOMILY
21st SUNDAY of EASTER
August 23, 2026

 “The recognition of Christ as the Son of God is the revealing of the splendor of truth. ”

A. Peter’s Confession & True Conversion

Peters’ confession is more than just a revelation, It is also more than just confession as well. It is conversion; it is a realization of who Jesus is, and most importantly who Jesus is to him. The other disciples were still searching for Christ, hence why they said what others say who Christ is. But Peter realized that he found the Christ and, that Christ founded him first. Today’s Gospel, Is a beautiful prototype to Saint Augustine’s deep, And moving conversion he had in garden when he, Had encountered the Love of Jesus for the first time. Peter’s profession of Christ was the recognition of, Of love at first sight. Like Peter, when we recognize who Jesus is, we seek, The highest form of praise, the most sacred form of, Worship and the deepest intimacy of prayer.

B. Oh, What Wonders to Be Revealed to The Truth!

Peter found before him the Word that spoke and Placed, all living things into being, And motion. Who stood before him, Was the one who walked with Adam in, The garden. The one who wrestled with, Jacob and named Him Israel. The one,  Who called His children out of Egypt, And had them pass on dry land, Between the waters of the Red Sea. The one who spoke with Moses in, Burning bush and gave him the Law. He was standing before Peter’s Face. It was more than obvious that flesh, And blood could not reveal this to Peter, Because what he recognized in the, Incarnate Word was more the just, The Messiah but the most intimate and, Personal presence of the Father, A reality of Love no creature can, Duplicate nor deny. He saw before him, Where all good things dwell and, Flow from and where existence and order find its, Balance. You are the Christ, the Son of the living, God. When we recognize that Christ is the presence, Of the Father, the Son of the living God, Like Simon- Peter, we have no other desire but to, Live a new life. To encounter this new love. When we encounter the true God, life cannot be the, Same as we know it to be and how we live our lives, Cannot be the same. Like Peter, when Jesus reveals, Who he is to us we no longer govern our lives, The Lord does and He gives us the gift that He has, Always longed to give us. Why do I speak about, Peter’s profession in this way? Peter’s profession is, More than him taking office as the Pope. His profession reveals a converted soul won by Christ and, His Church. Peter’s profession are the same as Saint Paul’s, Oh, the depths of the riches and wisdom of God! How inscrutable are his judgement and how, How unsearchable His ways! Peter and Paul sing praises of conversion! They sing the praises of Christ and His Church. And they have been proclaiming this same, Experience for the last 2,000 years. That is why, Christ established a Church on the shoulders of, Peter, so that he may profess to the world the same, Wonders and Beauty Jesus brought to Him and the, Other Apostles. The Church is the bride that brings all, God’s children to experience the splendor of Christ, Who is the Father’s Loving image. Everything the, Church does everything the Church expresses is, The gift of Jesus and the mystery and wonder of His.

C. The Truth Revealed in Catholicism!

Love. Has any of us ever wonder why Catholicism is, So different from other Christian communities? Why our worship, our devotions, our music, right, Down to our architecture is so different from, Everyone else? For one, it is because the Church has never strayed, From Christ’s teachings and has always, Done what He asked us to do. Most importantly to, celebrate His passion, death and resurrection,  Through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. But one thing that we do not mention, that we do, Not talk about is the beauty of the Church.  The sheer beauty that Catholicism has. It the same beauty, Peter and Paul recognized in the Lord. Non-Catholics who convert to Catholicism do not, Convert because they want to simply belong to a, Community of faith. It is because they have found, The faith, the same faith place in Peter, the same, Faith placed in Paul. Where else can you find an institution, That is consistent with the teaching of Jesus? Where else can you find a church that has held on, The tradition of the Apostles and the Patristic Fathers? Where else will you find prayer and, Devotions that convict, The heart and soul to deep and, Moving conversions? Thousands of martyrs, Centuries of persecutions and oppression and yet, It still stands! Because the truth and beauty, Revealed to those who saw it new that the gates, Of hell shall not prevail against such truth, such, Mystery, such love. I cannot tell you the number of stories of persons, who hated the Church, despised it, and prayed, Against it and realize it was in Catholicism God had, Granted there every heart’s desire. Where they, Encounter something other worldly. Where they encountered the Son of the living God, In bread and wine. My dear friends we have gift in, The Church and that gift is Jesus. And just how Peter and Paul encountered the Son, Of God, Christ ask that people may encounter Him, In us. In the way we live our lives, in the way we, Speak to people, and how we treat them. If people know that we are Catholic but yet we have, Disgusting attitude towards persons for no reason, That we live a life contrary to the Gospel, Then we have hindered our neighbors from, Experiencing the truth and beauty of Christ. But if we understand and truly live out the beauty, Of Catholicism,  Then non-Catholics, Will understand how Peter recognized, The Son of the living God, And how, Paul basked in God’s, Splendor. They will see, That same truth revealed in and through us! 

AMEN.