Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
Lectionary: 235
Lectionary: 235
Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
That dwells apart in a woodland,
in the midst of Carmel.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
as in the days of old;
As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt,
show us wonderful signs.
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old.
the flock of your inheritance,
That dwells apart in a woodland,
in the midst of Carmel.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
as in the days of old;
As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt,
show us wonderful signs.
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10,
11-12
R. (8a) The
Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
Verse Before
The GospelLK 15:18
I will
get up and go to my father and shall say to him,
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
GospelLK 15:1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
So to them Jesus addressed this parable.
"A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.'
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
'How many of my father's hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
"Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."'
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.'
But his father ordered his servants,
'Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.'
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
'Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.'
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
'Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.'
He said to him,
'My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.'"
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
So to them Jesus addressed this parable.
"A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
'Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.'
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
'How many of my father's hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
"Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers."'
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.'
But his father ordered his servants,
'Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.'
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
'Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.'
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
'Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.'
He said to him,
'My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.'"
Meditation: "Father, I have sinned
against heaven and you"
How can you love someone who turns their back on you
and still forgive them from the heart? The prophets remind us that God does not
abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him (Micah 7:18). He calls us back to
himself - over and over and over again. Jesus' story of the father and his two
sons (sometimes called the parable of the prodigal son) is the longest parable
in the Gospels.
Unbroken love, mercy, and timely repentance
What is the main point or focus of the story? Is it the contrast between an obedient and a disobedient son or is it between the warm reception given to a spendthrift son by his father and the cold reception given by the eldest son? Jesus contrasts the father's merciful love with the eldest son's somewhat harsh reaction to his errant brother and to the lavish party his joyful father throws for his repentant son. While the errant son had wasted his father's money, his father, nonetheless, maintained unbroken love for his son.
What is the main point or focus of the story? Is it the contrast between an obedient and a disobedient son or is it between the warm reception given to a spendthrift son by his father and the cold reception given by the eldest son? Jesus contrasts the father's merciful love with the eldest son's somewhat harsh reaction to his errant brother and to the lavish party his joyful father throws for his repentant son. While the errant son had wasted his father's money, his father, nonetheless, maintained unbroken love for his son.
repentance and forgiveness leads to restoration
The son, while he was away, learned a lot about himself. And he realized that his father had given him love which he had not returned. He had yet to learn about the depth of his father's love for him. His deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed on the husks of pigs and his reflection on all he had lost, led to his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father. While he hoped for reconciliation with his father, he could not have imagined a full restoration of relationship. The father did not need to speak words of forgiveness to his son; his actions spoke more loudly and clearly! The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet symbolize the new life - pure, worthy, and joyful - of anyone who returns to God.
The son, while he was away, learned a lot about himself. And he realized that his father had given him love which he had not returned. He had yet to learn about the depth of his father's love for him. His deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed on the husks of pigs and his reflection on all he had lost, led to his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father. While he hoped for reconciliation with his father, he could not have imagined a full restoration of relationship. The father did not need to speak words of forgiveness to his son; his actions spoke more loudly and clearly! The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet symbolize the new life - pure, worthy, and joyful - of anyone who returns to God.
Lack of forgiveness and contempt bring isolation and
division
The prodigal could not return to the garden of innocence, but he was welcomed and reinstated as a son. The errant son's dramatic change from grief and guilt to forgiveness and restoration express in picture-language the resurrection from the dead, a rebirth to new life from spiritual death. The parable also contrasts mercy and its opposite - unforgiveness. The father who had been wronged, was forgiving. But the eldest son, who had not been wronged, was unforgiving. His unforgiveness turns into contempt and pride. And his resentment leads to his isolation, division, and estrangement from the community of forgiven sinners.
The prodigal could not return to the garden of innocence, but he was welcomed and reinstated as a son. The errant son's dramatic change from grief and guilt to forgiveness and restoration express in picture-language the resurrection from the dead, a rebirth to new life from spiritual death. The parable also contrasts mercy and its opposite - unforgiveness. The father who had been wronged, was forgiving. But the eldest son, who had not been wronged, was unforgiving. His unforgiveness turns into contempt and pride. And his resentment leads to his isolation, division, and estrangement from the community of forgiven sinners.
In this parable Jesus gives a vivid picture of God and
what God is like. God is truly kinder than us. He does not lose hope or give up
when we stray. He rejoices in finding the lost and in welcoming them home. Do
you know the joy of repentance and the restoration of relationship as a son or
daughter of your heavenly Father?
"Lord Jesus, may I never doubt your love nor take
for granted the mercy you have shown to me. Fill me with your transforming love
that I may be merciful as you are merciful."
A Daily Quote for Lent: Life through death, by Augustine, Bishop
of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Did you make it possible for yourselves to merit
God's mercy because you turned back to him? If you hadn't been called by God,
what could you have done to turn back? Didn't the very One Who called you when
you were opposed to Him make it possible for you to turn back? Don't claim your
conversion as your own doing. Unless He had called you when you were running
away from Him, you would not have been able to turn back." (Commentary on Psalm 84, 8)
SATURDAY,
MARCH 3, LUKE 15:1-3, 11-32
Lenten Weekday
(Micah 7:14-15, 18-20; Psalm 103)
Lenten Weekday
(Micah 7:14-15, 18-20; Psalm 103)
KEY VERSE: "But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again" (v 32).
TO KNOW: The "tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near" to Jesus while the "Pharisees and the scribes" were looking for ways to ensnare him (Luke 15:1-2). When the religious leaders complained that Jesus associated with sinners, he reminded them of God's unconditional love by telling them a parable. While it is known as the Parable of the Prodigal Son, it might better be called the Parable of the Loving Father. The elder son in the story represented the self-righteous, law-abiding religious leaders, while the younger son signified repentant sinners. When the younger son squandered his father's gifts, he realized the error of his ways and returned home. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and ran out to meet him. The lad believed that he no longer deserved to be called a son; nevertheless, as he made his confession of sin, the father welcomed him back with a joyful celebration. But the elder brother referred to him, not as "my brother," but as "your son" (v 30). His attitude showed that his obedience to his father was nothing more than grim duty and not loving service. We can all apply this story of repentance and reconciliation to our own lives. How often do we waste God's gifts and feel that we have lost God's love? Yet, when we take one step toward God, we discover that He is there to meet us at the banquet table of mercy and grace.
TO LOVE: Loving Father, help me to confess my sins and amend my life.
TO SERVE: Will I participate in the Sacrament of Penance this Lent?
Optional Memorial of Saint
Katharine Drexel, virgin
Katharine Drexel was the daughter of a wealthy railroad entrepreneur and philanthropist She was taught from an early age to use her wealth for the benefit of others. Interested in the condition of Native Americans, she asked Pope Leo XIII to send more missionaries to Wyoming for her friend, Bishop James O'Connor. The pope replied, "Why don't you become a missionary?" Katharine visited the Dakotas, met the Sioux chief, and spent millions of the family fortunes to aid Indian missions. She entered the novitiate of the Sisters of Mercy and later founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored, now known simply as the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA. By 1942 she had a system of Catholic schools for African Americans in 13 states, 40 mission centers, 23 rural schools, 50 Indian missions, and Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, the first United States university for blacks. Following a heart attack, she spent her last twenty years in prayer and meditation. The Shrine of Saint Katharine is located at the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, Pennsylvania, USA.
Saint Katharine Drexel
Saint of the Day for March 3
(November 26, 1858 -March 3, 1955 )
Katharine Drexel’s Story
If your father is an international banker and you ride in a
private railroad car, you are not likely to be drawn into a life of voluntary
poverty. But if your mother opens your home to the poor three days each week
and your father spends half an hour each evening in prayer, it is not
impossible that you will devote your life to the poor and give away millions of
dollars. Katharine Drexel did that.
Born in Philadelphia in 1858, she had an excellent education and
traveled widely. As a rich girl, Katharine also had a grand debut into society.
But when she nursed her stepmother through a three-year terminal illness, she
saw that all the Drexel money could not buy safety from pain or death, and her
life took a profound turn.
Katharine had always been interested in the plight of the
Indians, having been appalled by what she read in Helen Hunt Jackson’s A
Century of Dishonor. While on a European tour, she met Pope Leo XIII and
asked him to send more missionaries to Wyoming for her friend Bishop James
O’Connor. The pope replied, “Why don’t you become a missionary?” His answer
shocked her into considering new possibilities.
Back home, Katharine visited the Dakotas, met the Sioux leader
Red Cloud and began her systematic aid to Indian missions.
Katharine Drexel could easily have married. But after much
discussion with Bishop O’Connor, she wrote in 1889, “The feast of Saint Joseph
brought me the grace to give the remainder of my life to the Indians and the
Colored.” Newspaper headlines screamed “Gives Up Seven Million!”
After three and a half years of training, Mother Drexel and her
first band of nuns—Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and
Colored—opened a boarding school in Santa Fe. A string of foundations followed.
By 1942, she had a system of black Catholic schools in 13 states, plus 40
mission centers and 23 rural schools. Segregationists harassed her work, even
burning a school in Pennsylvania. In all, she established 50 missions for
Indians in 16 states.
Two saints met when Mother Drexel was advised by Mother Cabrini
about the “politics” of getting her order’s Rule approved in Rome. Her crowning
achievement was the founding of Xavier University in New Orleans, the first
Catholic university in the United States for African Americans.
At 77, Mother Drexel suffered a heart attack and was forced to
retire. Apparently her life was over. But now came almost 20 years of quiet,
intense prayer from a small room overlooking the sanctuary. Small notebooks and
slips of paper record her various prayers, ceaseless aspirations, and
meditations. She died at 96 and was canonized in 2000.
Reflection
Saints have always said the same thing: Pray, be humble, accept
the cross, love and forgive. But it is good to hear these things in the
American idiom from one who, for instance, had her ears pierced as a teenager,
who resolved to have “no cake, no preserves,” who wore a watch, was interviewed
by the press, traveled by train, and could concern herself with the proper size
of pipe for a new mission. These are obvious reminders that holiness can be
lived in today’s culture as well as in that of Jerusalem or Rome.
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE
15,1-3.11-32
Lectio Divina:
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Season of Lent
1) OPENING PRAYER
Faithful Father, You are our God
of grace, mercy and forgiveness.
When mercy and pardon
sound paternalistic to modern ears, make us realize, Lord,
that You challenge us to face ourselves
and to become new people,
responsible for our destiny
and for the happiness of others.
Make us responsive to Your love
through Christ Jesus our Lord.
of grace, mercy and forgiveness.
When mercy and pardon
sound paternalistic to modern ears, make us realize, Lord,
that You challenge us to face ourselves
and to become new people,
responsible for our destiny
and for the happiness of others.
Make us responsive to Your love
through Christ Jesus our Lord.
2) GOSPEL READING - LUKE
15:1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors and sinners were all
drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to
complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So
to them Jesus addressed this parable. "A man had two sons, and the younger
son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate that should
come to me.' So the father divided the property between them. After a few days,
the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had
freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found
himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who
sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods
on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he
thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than enough food to
eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I
shall say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I
no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of
your hired workers."' So he got up and went back to his father. While he
was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with
compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to
him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve
to be called your son.' But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly, bring
the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his
feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a
feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was
lost, and has been found.' Then the celebration began. Now the older son had
been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard
the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what
this might mean. The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned and your
father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and
sound.' He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father
came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these
years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave
me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who
swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened
calf.' He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me always; everything I have
is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead
and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.'"
3) REFLECTION
• Chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel includes
the following information: The tax collectors and sinners were all crowding
around to listen to Him and the Pharisees and Scribes complained saying, “This
man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Lk 15:1-3). Luke presents these three
parables which are bound together by the same theme: the lost sheep (Lk
15:4-7), the lost drachma (Lk 15:8-10), the lost son (Lk 15:11-32). This last
parable constitutes the theme of today’s Gospel.
• Luke 15:11-13: The younger son’s
decision. A man had two sons. The younger one asks for the part of the estate
which will be his. The father divides everything between the two and each
receives his part. To receive the inheritance is not any merit of ours. It is a
gratuitous gift. The inheritance of the gifts of God is distributed among all
human beings, whether Jewish or Gentiles, whether Christians or non-Christians.
All receive something of the inheritance of the Father, but not all take care
of it in the same way. The younger son leaves and goes to a distant country and
squanders his money on a life of debauchery, getting away from the father. At
the time of Luke, the elder one represented the communities which came from
Judaism, and the younger represented the gentile communities. Today, who would
be the younger and who the elder?
• Luke 15:14-19: The disillusionment and
the will to return to the father’s home. The need to find some food makes the
young man lose his freedom, and he becomes a farm worker and takes care of the
pigs. This was the condition of life of millions of slaves in the Roman Empire
at the time of Luke. The situation in which he finds himself makes the young
man remember how he was in his father’s home. Finally, he prepares the words
which he will say to his Father: “I no longer deserve to be called your son!
Treat me as one of your hired men!” The hired man executes the orders and
fulfills the law of servants. The younger son wants to fulfill the law as the
Pharisees and the Scribes of the time of Jesus wanted (Lk 15:1). The
missionaries of the Pharisees accused the Gentiles who were converted to the
God of Abraham (Mt 23:15). At the time of Luke, some Christians who converted
from Judaism submitted themselves to the yoke of the Law (Gal 1:6-10).
• Luke 15:20-24: The joy of the father
when he meets his younger son again. The parable says that the younger son was
still a long way off from the house, but the father saw him, and ran to the
boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him. The impression given by Jesus is
that the Father remained all the time at the window to see if his son would
appear around the corner. According to our human way of thinking and feeling,
the joy of the father seems exaggerated. He does not even allow his son to
finish his words. Nobody listens! The father does not want his son to be his
slave. He wants him to be his son! This is the Good News which Jesus has
brought to us! A new robe, new sandals, a ring on his finger, the calf, the
feast! In the immense joy of the encounter, Jesus allows us to see how great
the sadness of the father is because of the loss of his son. God was very sad
and the people now become aware of this, seeing the immense joy of the father
because of the encounter with his son! It is joy shared with all in the feast
that he has prepared.
• Luke 15:25-28b: The reaction of the
older son. The older son returns from his work in the fields and finds that
there is a feast in the house. He refuses to enter. He wants to know what is
happening. When he is told the reason for the feast, he is very angry and does
not want to go in. He thinks that he is in the right. He does not like the
feast and he does not understand the why of his father’s joy. This is a sign
that he did not have great intimacy with the father, in spite of their having
lived in the same house. In fact, if he had had this intimacy, he would have
noticed the father’s sadness for the loss of his younger son and would have
understood his joy when the son returned. Those who live in a state of anxiety
about the observance of the Law of God run the risk of forgetting God himself!
The young son, even being far away from home, seemed to know the father better
than the older son who lived with him. The younger one had the courage to go
back home to his father, while the older one no longer wants to enter the the
father’s house. He does not realize that the father, without him, will lose his
joy, because he, the older son, is son as much as the younger one!
• Luke 15:28a-30: The attitude of the
father and the older son’s response. The Father goes out of the house and begs
the older son to come inside. But the son answers, “All these years I have
slaved for you and never once disobeyed any orders of yours, yet you never
offered me so much as a kid for me to celebrate with my friends. But for this
son of yours, when he comes back after swallowing up your property, he and his
loose women, you kill the calf we had been fattening.” The older son also wants
feast and joy, but only with his own friends, not with his brother and much
less with his father. He does not even call his own brother “brother,” but
rather “this son of yours,” as if he were no longer his brother. And he, the
older brother, speaks about prostitutes. His malice makes him interpret his
younger brother’s life in this way. How many times does the older brother
misinterpret the life of the younger brother. How many times do we misinterpret
the life and the practices of others! The attitude of the father is the
contrary! He accepts the younger son but does not want to lose the older son.
Both of them form part of the family. One cannot exclude the other!
• Luke 15:31-32: The father’s final
response. Like the father who does not pay attention to the arguments of
the younger son, in the same way he does not pay attention to those of the
older son. He says, “My son, you are with me always and all I have is yours,
but it was only right we should celebrate and rejoice, because your brother
here was dead and has come to life; he was lost and is found!” Was the older
son really aware that he was always with his father and found in his presence
the reason for his joy? The father’s declaration - “All I have is yours!” also
includes the younger son who has returned! The older brother does not have the
right to make a distinction, and if he wants to be the father’s son, he has to
accept the father as he is and not as he would like him to be! The parable does
not say what was the older brother’s final response. It is up to the older son,
who we are, to give it!
• The one who experiences the gratuitous
and surprising eruption of the love of God in his life becomes joyful and
wishes to communicate this joy to others. The salvific action of God is a
source of joy: “Rejoice with me!” (Lk 15:6,9). And from this experience of
God’s gratuitousness the sense of feast and joy emerges (Lk 15:32). At the end
of the parable, the father asks them to be happy and to celebrate, to feast.
The joy is threatened by the older son, who does not want to enter the house.
He thinks he has the right to joy only with his own friends and does not want to
share joy with all the members of the same human family. He represents those
who consider themselves just and observant, and who think that they do not need
any conversion, just like the keepers of the Law in Jesus’ time.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• What is the image of God that I have
had since my childhood? Has it changed as I changed, and why?
• With which of the two sons do I
identify with: the younger one or the older one? Why?
• This parable has references to
communities (Pharisees/Gentiles) as well as to individuals. Do those references
apply today?
5) CONCLUDING PRAYER
Bless Yahweh, my soul,
from the depths of my being, His holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul,
never forget all His acts of kindness. (Ps 103:1-2)
from the depths of my being, His holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul,
never forget all His acts of kindness. (Ps 103:1-2)
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