Episode 5: Tattoos on the Heart

Listen as a podcast.

Today, Fr. Victor introduces us to one of his favorite books—Tattoos on the Heart by Greg Boyle, SJ. In this memoir, Fr. Boyle shares the spiritual lessons the Lord has taught him in serving for 20+ years in LA, in the most densely gang-populated area in the world. A location in our Archdiocese gets a shout out in the book! The concrete examples of compassion from this book give us much to consider here on our Native Soil.

Dig In Further:

“How can we let people live like this?” This is what one of Fr. Boyle’s “homies” said in between sobs after visiting our Native Soil—Pritchard namely. It is a provocative question for us to take to prayer and consideration. How might the Lord want to convict us about the conditions of our neighbors’ lives? How might he convict us to make a change?

What are the broken systems in your home town? What are the cycles of violence? Poverty? Drug addiction? Neglect? What act of love would it take to break these systems? What systems built on love, compassion and commitment would need to replace them?

Are their non-profits in your town to help rehabilitate the poor, addicted, homeless, mentally-ill or gang-affiliated? How might you support these efforts? If there is not, how might you and your parish beginning praying and studying about what God is calling you to do?