Mercy Triumphs: Weekly Homilies of a Catholic Priest

I remember speaking to a mother who was lamenting her failure in raising her children in the Faith; that she was a poor role model when her kids were young, which resulted in their disinterest in the Faith as adults but that she still hoped for them. I responded, “Do you see how amazing a role model you are now? You worship God at Mass; you go to confession; you pray for them ceaselessly. Now , you are an amazing role model for them, and I have no doubt they notice. No matter your past, what matters is how you live now; and right now, you’re doing an excellent job.” That mother’s desire to intercede for her children reminded me of Abraham in the first reading. Abraham was also interceding: Pleading on behalf of the people of Sodom. And God clearly listened to Abraham: God kept widening the path to mercy, agreeing to spare the city for fewer and fewer righteous people. …In the Gospel, Jesus teaches His disciples that God blesses persistent prayer. And, isn’t that what Abraham was doi...

A few years ago, I was preparing to go on a trip and, in my preparations, I was watching one of those Rick Steves videos; Rick Steves is like a tour guide.   And, at one point, he mentioned the issue of pickpockets, which made me a little nervous. So, I started watching YouTube videos on how to avoid getting pick-pocketed. And, I learned, there’s all these techniques, like how to tie your backpack to the leg of a table, or how to keep a secondary fanny-pack under your shirt. And, as I was clicking on these videos, one popped up on how to not get mugged in New York City. So, I clicked into that. And, in that video, a guy was explaining that, if you are passing a stranger, and they, in a very friendly way, say something like, “Hey, come here,” or, “Can I ask you something,” the wise response would be to raise your hands and, in a very loud voice, say, “No thank you,” and keep walking, and, in that way, you’re drawing attention to the situation and you’re not getting any closer. ...