Mercy Triumphs: Weekly Homilies of a Catholic Priest

A few years ago, I asked my pastor whether Jesus will be happy or not when He returns. And, without hesitation, he said Jesus will be very happy because Jesus is the God of joy.   And, I believe that’s true: Jesus is the God of joy. But, for those who do not follow Jesus, and are unrepentant, they, sadly, will not be as happy as our Lord. And that’s why the second reading from Saint Paul and our Gospel offer words of warning: Paul says that, if we are asleep spiritually, it’s time to awake. And, Jesus said, don’t ignore the spiritual reality of my return because you will end up like the people in Noah’s day who ignored God until it was too late. …Advent begins with this wake-up call, which is not just about preparing for Christmas or family gatherings; it’s also about preparing our souls to meet Jesus, whether He comes at the end of our lives or at the end of time. …One of the many blessings of being a priest is witnessing people sincerely preparing to meet Jesus. For example, ...

Normally, when I have a funeral, the family of the deceased chooses the scripture readings for the Mass, and, sometimes, the family lets me choose the Gospel reading. And, almost every single time, I will choose the passage we just heard, recounting Jesus on the cross forgiving a criminal. …And I choose it for a couple reasons. First, it gives me a lot of comfort knowing that Jesus so easily forgives a soul who cries out to Him for mercy. The second reason is: I think it gives a lot of comfort to the people who hear this.  And, before these funerals, sometimes, families will tell me their loved one wasn’t very religious and didn’t seem to have much of a relationship with Jesus. And I’m really saddened when I hear that. But, even so, that man on the cross didn’t have much of a relationship with Jesus either. Not to say that’s what Jesus wants…but how did Jesus treat that man? Very well. Jesus treated that man like he was his closest follower, giving him Paradise that very day. F...

I find this particular parable from Jesus to be one of the most comforting because it reminds me of Jesus’ mercy for me personally; that, although I am far from perfect, and a great sinner, Jesus is so happy to forgive me. And I hope that all who hear this gospel passage can feel the same way.   …It is so easy to condemn ourselves, especially when we don’t yet realize how deeply Jesus’ heart burns with mercy for us. Saint Therese of Lisieux put it this way. She wrote in her autobiography: “Even if I had on my conscience every crime one could commit, I would lose nothing of my confidence; I would go, my heart broken with sorrow, and throw myself into the arms of my Savior[ because] I know how much He loves the prodigal child who returns to Him.” Through Jesus’ parable, He also gives us warnings against two things: (1) Pride: Thinking we’re good enough; and (2) Presumption: Believing our sins don’t matter. For example, the Pharisee clearly struggles with pride; he really though...

HBO had a 10-episode mini-series entitled The Young Pope, starring Jude Law. I’m not endorsing it, but there was one scene that I think speaks directly to today’s readings. In an episode, the pope asks a nun why she doesn’t like going back to visit her home in India. She answers: Because all the suffering she sees there makes her question God’s existence. …We know that suffering is a problem, not just because none of us wants it, but because it can shake our faith.  Some experience suffering far worse than others but, all of us, whether in our own lives or on television, see enough of it to tempt us to ask the question: “Where is God?” Or, “Does God even exist?” And, you know who may have had the strongest reasons to ask those questions but never did? Mary, the Blessed Mother. Watching her innocent Son tortured, nailed to a piece of wood, stripped and mocked in public; if anyone could have asked, “Does God even exist if this can happen,” it was her. But, again, she didn’t. A...

My grandfather passed away when I was in the fifth grade. Now, I share this with the utmost respect for my grandfather, but we didn't have a great relationship: I remember sometimes feeling like I was an annoyance to him. I also don't remember our relationship being warm or affectionate. That's just how it was, although I did love him and I know he loved me. That said, when he died, I felt really inspired to pray for his soul. Every night, right before falling asleep, I decided to offer some Hail Mary’s, Our Fathers, and Glory Be’s for him. And, after offering these prayers each night for well over a year, I remember having a very vivid dream. And, in this dream, my grandfather and I were in what looked to be a large country club dining room, and, there, he hugs me and is crying so hard. And, through his tears, he repeats: “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” I woke up and understood he was thanking me for the prayers and sacrifice I offered to God for him.  …That experi...

In college, for me and the people I associated with, drinking was a big part of socializing.   Friday and/or Saturday was when we would go out all night, and, if we went out on a Saturday, I was sick in bed that Sunday. I lived at home most of my college years, so, on those Sundays, my mom would knock on my door and ask if I was going to Mass. I’d say, “No. I’m not feeling well.” And, I remember her asking me: “What’s more important: God or drinking?” I still didn’t get up but it was a good question that pointed out a big problem: Whether I wanted to admit it or not, drinking was more important to me than God because it was keeping me from following Jesus the way Jesus calls us to. For example, I was definitely ignoring Jesus’ command given at the Last Supper, when He took bread and said, “This is my Body,” and took the cup and said, “This is my Blood.” And, then, He commanded: “Do this in memory of me.” But I was choosing drinking instead. …In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns ...

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...