05/10/2026

You know, I play soccer. I played soccer twice a week, and this past week was the final game for my soccer league. I farewelled my teammates because I am kind of “retiring”– not because I got old but because I have a busy schedule before I leave.

I was grateful to play soccer and get to know many friends from outside the church. And one of them said, “I haven’t been a friend to a priest and played soccer before. I think this is a message that it’s time for me to come back to the faith." And he did! He returned to church. It is a humbling privilege when people see something "special" in me simply because of my vocation.

But, think about it. If someone asks you what you do for a living, you would say, “I’m a priest.” But you don’t need to reveal yourself first as a priest while you play soccer. So at first, of course, I didn’t tell anyone on the team that I was a priest.

This led me to a bit of a “troublesome” situation; One of my soccer leagues was co-ed. And a girl on my team low-key had a crush on me, but I I was completely oblivious.

It was right before Christmas, she texted me, “Hey Peter, do you like cookies?” I should've noticed it at that moment, but I was too naïve.

So I responded, “Yes, of course.” And she said, “I made some cookies, and I can deliver it to you. Can you give me your address?” I thought she was gonna deliever the cookies to the whole team. So I gave her the church address, 20 Old Rd. Providence, which was St. Augustine’s church. When she arrived, I walked out with a cleric shirt. She was frozen, freaked out, holding a big container of cookies. And she stammered, “Sorry… I didn’t know you’re a priest.” She never came back to the team after that. But the cookies were delicious.

You know, I unintentionally disappointed her, but we can think of the nature of love: For love to be "complete," it must be mutual. And the mutual love involves mutual patience, mutual support, and sacrifice for each other; It is on this shared ground that love truly grows.

This is true for human relationships, but it is even more profound in our relationship with God. In today’s Gospel, Jesus openly reveals His love for us. He says, "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth." He promises, "I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you."



Jesus promises his constant presence with us, especially through the Holy Spirit. He promises that the Holy Trinity will dwell within us, and that we will become the Temple of the Holy Trinity, the Holy Tabernacle.

But we must ask ourselves: Are we accepting this promise?

Is His love allowed to reach "completion" in us? Or do we, perhaps, leave His love unrequited? God has moved toward us, giving us His very self. How sincerely do we "dwell" on His words and love? How intentionally do we make a home for Him in our hearts, just as He makes a dwelling within us?

Accept, answer, and enjoy his love, and let us complete the circle of that love by giving Him our "Yes" in return.