Omaha, Farewell!

With deep gratitude, I give thanks to the Jesuit Community and the Ed.D. Department at Creighton University, Omaha, and the wider community of God’s people in Omaha, especially at Sacred Heart Parish, St. Benedict the Moor Parish, and the Sri Lankan Community. Over these past years, they have gifted me with friendship, faith, and a generous spirit.

Fr. Dave Korth, summing up my life-work in Omaha during the Sunday Mass at the Sacred Heart Parish, Omaha: https://youtu.be/n7nPrgG2TVI?si=Iy6q5JYjLwcbkpY5

The Sacred Heart Parish Choir, singing 'The Summons' for me during the Sunday Mass: https://youtu.be/FyCI9Q7QZyw?si=0qygimRY66zsac9J 

The final send-off and the blessing at the Sunday Mass at the Sacred Heart Parish, Omaha: https://youtu.be/c8xjeD-5jx0?si=437eUWyLqrJNiWbB

The farewell bid was not only a goodbye but also a reminder of the bonds that remain strong in Christ’s love. As I move into the next chapter of my journey at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, I carry each and every one of them and the cherished memories so close to my heart.

Adios! Until we meet again!

Unless You Hate Your Father and Mother | Sunday Homily

Here is the link for my valledictory homily on the Gospel text of the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time at St. Benedict the Moor Parish, Omaha, NE, USA: Unless you hate your father and mother

To read the texts click on the texts: Wis 9:13-18; Pslm 9b,10, 12-17; Lk 14:25-33

Authority Through Availability | Daily Reflection

Authority Through Availability

To read the texts, click on the texts: 1 Thess 5:1-6, 9-11; Lk 4:31-37

Today’s readings remind us that true authority does not come from titles, power, or human recognition, but from being open and available to the call of the Lord.

In the Gospel, the people are astonished because Jesus teaches with authority. Unlike the scribes and religious leaders of His time, His words carry power—not because He imposed Himself, but because His life was fully aligned with the will of the Father. His authority came from His availability to God’s mission. It is the authority of love, rooted in His complete openness to God.

St. Paul, in the first reading, urges the Thessalonians to remain alert and sober, living as children of the light. Authority, in this sense, is not about controlling others but about encouraging, building up, and guiding one another toward salvation. This readiness—living in the light, staying awake to God’s presence—is itself a form of spiritual authority, because it speaks louder than words and transforms others.

Psalm 27 reminds us where this availability comes from: “One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.” True authority flows from a heart rooted in prayer, in constant communion with God. When we gaze upon the loveliness of the Lord, our lives become grounded in His presence. We no longer act out of fear or self-preservation, but out of trust and courage, knowing that the Lord is our light and salvation.

Authority without availability becomes empty—mere control, influence, or fear. But authority born from availability to God becomes life-giving. It builds up, heals, and sets people free, just as Christ did in the synagogue. Hence, let’s introspect:

1. Am I truly available to the Lord’s call?

2. Do I create space in my life to listen to His voice in prayer, in Scripture, in the needs of my brothers and sisters?

3. Or do I allow myself to be distracted, caught in the illusion of “peace and security,” as St. Paul warns, forgetting that the day of the Lord comes unexpectedly?

 

Ordination Anniversary

Eight years ago today, I laid my life at the altar, not fully knowing where the journey would lead. Looking back now, I see how much has changed in me, how much I’ve been stretched, challenged, and blessed along the way.

I’ve learned that the priesthood is less about what I do and more about who I am becoming in Christ. Some days I’ve carried the ministry with joy and energy; other days, I’ve felt tired, inadequate, even uncertain. Yet in all of it, God has been faithful. He has met me in my weakness, lifted me in prayer, and reminded me that this call is His gift, not my achievement.

I think of the faces I have encountered, the names that nourished my vocation, and the events and stories that have shaped these years—the Civil war in Sri Lanka since my birth in 1983; the Tsunami in 2004, the year of my joing the Jesuit Order; the loss of my grandma on the first day of my theological studies in Paris in 2014; the death of my priesthood companion, Fr. Nilan Prasanga Fernando, S.J., in 2018; the Easter Bombings in my parish church at Katuwapitiya, Negombo, Sri Lanka in 2019; the Covid-19 lockdown in 2021; the recession and people's struggle (Aragalaya) in Sri Lanka; the loss of my dad in July 2025 as I was defending my doctoral dissertation in the USA—and the people who welcomed me into their lives, who allowed me to stand with them in grief and in celebration. They’ve been living reminders that my priesthood is not my own but belongs to the people of God. Each Mass celebrated, each homily preached, each hand I have held in moments of sorrow or joy has reminded me that the priesthood is not my achievement, but God’s work through me.

Tonight, I feel both humbled and grateful. I know I still have so much to learn, so many places in my heart that need softening, so many ways I need to grow in love. But I also know the Lord has never stopped walking with me.

Eight years in, I want to keep saying yes with more honesty, more availability, and more trust. May I never lose the sense of wonder at this vocation.

Thank you, Lord, for calling me, for staying with me, and for making my imperfect offering pleasing enough.