Mercy Triumphs: Weekly Homilies of a Catholic Priest

Growing up, my mom always had my siblings and me pray the rosary with her, and she’d always say, “Pray for the souls in purgatory.” So, when my grandfather on my father’s side passed away, I prayed for him every single night for a long time. He died when I was in the fifth grade. I would pray six Our Fathers, six Hail Marys, and six Glory Be’s each night for him. Maybe a year later, while I was still saying those prayers for his soul, I had a dream, and my grandfather was there. We were inside some sort of country club looking dining room. And he hugs me and he is crying so hard, and, amidst his sobbing, is repeating, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” I understood him to be thanking me for those prayers. …When he was still alive, we did not have a warm relationship at all. I honestly felt like I was more of an annoyance to him than anything—I’m sad to say that. But I knew he loved me. He really did care, but he just was not warm. And that’s why that dream made even more of an...

There’s a Catholic evangelist and social media influencer named Paul Kim who recently lost his five-year-old son, Micah. Trusting that his little boy is in Heaven, Paul began asking for Micah’s intercession. And one story he shared really moved me. About a month after Micah passed, a mother lost her eight-year-old daughter. Some friends arranged for Paul to speak with this mother, and he shared with her about Micah and the things that had given him hope, although, of course, that couldn’t take away her grief. So, after their conversation, Paul asked Micah to pray for this grieving family. Paul also asked Micah to find this mother’s little girl in heaven, saying that maybe they could play together, and Micah could show her around. And then Paul asked Micah if he and that woman’s daughter would visit her family on earth. About a month later, the mother sent Paul a message. She had been putting her six-year-old son to bed when her son asked, “Mom, can you show me pictures of Micah?” S...

My youngest sister was married two years ago, and she and her husband chose this Gospel passage to be proclaimed at their wedding ceremony. And, within their wedding homily, I shared that the command to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind is often eclipsed by the second command, which is to love your neighbor as yourself. Jesus makes it really clear though: The first and most important command is to love God. Yet, through the years, I’ve heard people tell me that, since they love their neighbor as themselves, that’s all that really matters. And I think it’s another way of saying, “I’m a good person. I don't need to go to church.” But, we know, being nice to other people doesn't make prayer, Mass, and the rest of what Jesus taught unnecessary. And I was honored and so pleased that I could use my sister and her now husband as a beautiful example of what that looks like.  Growing up, I noticed that, when my sisters dated boys, the boys usually did not go to Mass,...

I remember sitting in seminary when the recent news of a terrible crime was being discussed. And one of the students raised his hand and shared that he believed that the criminals should have to suffer the same kind of death they imposed on their victims. And he added, “I’m not sorry to say that either. …What that student shared was a perfectly understandable and honest reaction to a horrible crime. But even understandable outrage cannot alone decide what punishment is morally acceptable. For example, the woman caught in adultery was brought before Jesus, and her accusers appealed to the law to demand her death. Jesus’ response was to challenge them, sparing her life, and calling her to turn away from sin. With the death penalty in the news, this is a good opportunity to remember what the Church teaches. The Church authoritatively teaches that the death penalty is inadmissible and calls us to work for its abolition because even the guilty retain their human dignity. And, as people ...

A Marine was sharing a story about how he accidentally cut off another vehicle while driving. When they arrived at a stoplight, the other driver got out, approached the Marine’s window, and started screaming at him. The Marine said the man was much smaller than he was. He could have gotten out and confronted him too. But he kept his window up and simply said, “I’m sorry. I messed up.” And the other man’s demeanor totally changed. He said, “It’s OK,” walked away, and got back in his car.  …What does it mean to forgive? I think the definition we can draw from today’s Gospel passage is this: To forgive is to release someone from our debt, specifically, releasing them from the grudge and the desire to get even. The Marine apologized for his carelessness, and the other man forgave him. The Marine also had to forgive the other guy for escalating the situation. They both let it go. Now, those are relatively minor offenses. They happen all the time. But what if the wrong done again...

“This is the best decision we’ve ever made as a couple.”…“I don’t know what I’m going to do after it ends.”…“It makes me love learning about my faith.” Those are quotes from three young adults right here in our own parish who have decided to become fully initiated into the Catholic Church last night. They’ve been coming each week for the past few months to Catholic formation classes as they prepare to be fully initiated into the Church, and that is what they had to say about it. And if you’ve seen any headlines about the renewed interest people have in the Catholic Church, I think it’s largely because young people want truth. No matter how unpopular some of the teachings of the Catholic Church may be portrayed, young people just want to know the truth. And they want to follow it, because they realize it brings them joy and peace in a way that nothing else can. And it's not a coincidence that when we follow the truth—peace and joy come into our lives. Because the truth is a perso...