As graduation day approaches, may all of you who graduate be blessed by the gift that you are and will be in God’s wonderful world.
Category Archive: preaching
May
09
Meeting Jesus in Misery – Update
It was the worst news we could imagine. We never expected it to happen. We thought everything was just sailing along smoothly, in fact life had been better than it ever had been. Until now… This week had been a good one for me. I wrote an op-ed for the Buffalo News that got rave …
May
06
So Just Who the Hell is in Hell Anyway?
Most would find it unbelievable that the Catholic Church has never definitively claimed that anyone is in hell. Not Judas, Not Hitler, Not Stalin, Not Bin Laden. Now that also doesn’t mean that none of these people aren’t in hell either. It’s just that we can’t claim definitive proof. The Christian Century blog took up …
May
04
Is It Wrong to Celebrate Bin Laden’s Death?
Linton Weeks from National Public Radio emailed me after reading some of my comments on the need to forgive Bin Laden. And he wrote this outstanding column exploring much of the same questions. I’m quoted extensively in this so I’ll just quote from there and let you read the remainder of the column. Not ‘Our …
May
01
Daring to Leave the Upper Room
The two disciples who get known for less than stellar disciple behavior (other than Judas) are Peter and the center of today’s gospel Thomas, the doubter. But what we fail to see in each example of their failures is how heroic each one actually is–at least to start. Peter cuts off the high priest’s servant’s …
Apr
24
He is Risen, Alleluia
Sunrise over my backyard on Easter morning gave me pause. I woke up at 6:10 and decided to “bedroll” it over to the North Campus for Fr. Pat’s sunrise service. I think mass should have been moved to my swampy backyard because I had a much better view of the sunrise. Regardless, it was a …
Apr
23
God Finds a Way
At the Easter Vigil tonight, the 2nd reading is one of the most dramatic of all the scriptures. Abraham is asked to sacrifice his only son by God. It sounds horrible and ridiculous. Why would God ask for a human sacrifice? Some scholars believe that because human sacrifice was common during that time, that this …
Apr
22
Do We Dare to Believe Today?
Capital punishment was common is Jesus’ time (as it is unfortunately still today in many places). Crucifixion was nothing new. So why is this crucifixion so well noted? In the face of the madness of capital punishment, can we believe that God can defeat even death? An innocent man hangs, willingly, without fighting the injustice …
Apr
20
Day 45 (better late, than never): Lenten 50 Day Giveaway: The Old Monkey Pen
OK this one was tough. My monkey pen has been coveted by many a colleague. Someone once threatened to steal it! And today it goes to someone very special to me.
Apr
10
Running Late and Yet On Time
I’m delayed in a Minneapolis airport heading home. I’m hoping to make the 8PM mass where I’m scheduled to give a reflection and it occurs to me that Jesus also was running late in our gospel today. In fact, he was so late that his friend, Lazarus, who was extremely ill had already died. Being …
About the Blogger
Mike Hayes is an author, commentator, Campus Minister and Spiritual Director. He founded the award winning BustedHalo.com in 2001 and wrote the book Googling God with Paulist Press in 2007. Mike is currently a Campus Minister at The University at Buffalo where he serves on the staff of St Joseph University Church. He is available for speaking engagements, retreats and personal spiritual direction.
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