Mercy Triumphs: Weekly Homilies of a Catholic Priest

As I prayed over this weekend’s readings, one line from the second reading kept jumping from the page: In the letter to the Hebrews, we heard that the blood of Jesus, "speaks more eloquently than that of Abel.” Adam and Eve’s son, Abel, who was innocent and then killed by his own brother, foreshadows Jesus. In the book of Genesis, after Abel's blood is spilled by his brother Cain, God said to Cain, “Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.” In Jewish thought, spilled blood is never silent: It cries to God for justice. Hearing that, how can what happened at the school in Minneapolis not come to mind? How can we not think of the innocent blood spilled there, which cries out to God for justice, and cries out to us for a response? …Sadly, every time a tragedy like this happens, the value of prayer seems to be diminished and even mocked. Some have even said, “The children were praying, and yet they were shot.” But this misunderstands prayer: Prayer does not supp...

I was saddened at the passing of Hulk Hogan. Just a couple days before hearing that news, I was actually watching Rocky III where he’s in this charity match against Sylvester Stallone’s character: A boxer verses a wrestler…That was the first time the Hulk was in any movie. He was only 28 years old in 1982. From there, he grew to be ultra famous; ultra recognizable. But, like so many public figures, his life wasn’t without scandal. And, really, whose image could survive if it’s placed under the microscope of public scrutiny? Thankfully, prior to his passing, Hulk Hogan came to a place in his life where he became devoted to Jesus, which culminated in his baptism only 18 months ago. And, I think, that’s an example of what it looks for one to become rich in what matters to God: God doesn’t care about success or popularity; He cares about where your heart is. …We just heard Jesus share a parable about a person who had everything : Barns full of grain; years of comfort ahead. We would c...