Lifeissues is mainly concerned with publishing thoughtful articles directly related to issues raised in Evangelium Vitae. However, from the very beginning, we have also published a few related homilies, notably by Fr. Al Cariño, O.M.I., Fr. Tony Pueyo, and others.
Please use the pulldowns below to select a homily by Liturgical Calendar date.
The older brother's attitude was very human. We count and we take measures. We note who is deserving and who is not deserving. We give merits and demerits. These are all normal human activities. We fill in evaluations, performance ratings, and promotional reports. We know who is where in the hierarchical ladder. This is the human way.
A few years ago, I was invited to a reconciliation meal. It was a case of neighbors who became alienated from each other because of the circumstances of war. Although they had lived together peacefully for many years, a situation came where an armed rebel group sought shelter overnight in a neighbor’s house. The other party belonged to local unit of an armed self-defense group. In the early dawn when both sides noticed the other’s presence, fighting broke out. People were killed on both sides.
How the parable ends for the older son we do not know. We have good reason to believe that the repentant younger son did return to work on his father's estate alongside his older brother and confess his sinfulness to his older brother as well. I think the father is counting on that outcome and the conversion of his older son besides. The father waits.
The disgrace of Egypt lasted for decades among the people of Israel. After they crossed the Jordan, God directed Joshua to roll away the disgrace. God heals us of such things as addiction, unhealthy religion and damage from racism, even though the effects can be long-term.