Father Rick’s Three Minute Homily for Thursday, 2nd Week in Easter

May 1, 2025, John 3:31-36

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/050125.cfm

Wrath Of God – A Great Gift.

I remember seeing a man in his mid-thirties on the news. He was caught on camera stealing from a store during the riots in 2020. He said he went there peacefully but followed a leader who pillaged two stores. He had a rap sheet. 

But something happened when he got four years of probation. He repented and said he was turning his life around. He now has a job as a security officer. Thank the Lord someone believed him and trusted him.

The wrath of God isn’t something to be feared, but rather an opportunity for profound personal transformation. Consider it as the last resort, the Twelve Step Program for recovery from alcohol and drugs, for someone to turn their life around. 

Hitting the bottom is the wrath of God. The consequences of our choices catch up with us, and we can no longer run from them. God continually gives us invitations to turn our lives around. Should we refuse, He allows us to experience the hardship and suffering our sinful choices cause us and others. But only to the degree that we can barely bear them.

The wrath of God is his last cry for us to come to him like the prodigal son. This lad only changed his heart when he wanted some of the corn the pigs ate. He was so hungry after following his bad choices. 

Gospel Challenge:
All of us have the grace to turn things around in our lives. We don’t have to wallow in the pigpen of life. Go to your Father and ask Him to show you the number of times He has offered you to come home to His heart. Remember, His wrath is not what we can’t bear, but what Jesus did on the cross. It’s a manifestation of God’s mercy. Love Your Neighbor!

Fr. Rick Pilger, IC   
www.bscchurch.com