MARCH 31, 2019 : FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Fourth Sunday of Lent – Year C Readings
Lectionary: 33

Reading 1JOS 5:9A, 10-12

The LORD said to Joshua, 
“Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”

While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, 
they celebrated the Passover
on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.
On the day after the Passover,
they ate of the produce of the land 
in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.
On that same day after the Passover, 
on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.
No longer was there manna for the Israelites, 
who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

Responsorial PsalmPS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7.

R. (9a)  Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
 and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 22 COR 5:17-21

Brothers and sisters:
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ 
and given us the ministry of reconciliation, 
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, 
not counting their trespasses against them 
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ,
as if God were appealing through us.
We implore you on behalf of Christ,
be reconciled to God.
For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin,
so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

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.

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.’”

www.usccb.org

Meditation: "I will go home to my father"

What's worst than being separated from your home, loved ones, and friends? The pain of separation can only be surpassed by the joy of the homecoming and reunion. When God commanded his people to celebrate the Passover annually, he wanted them to never forget what he did for them when he freed them from oppression and slavery in the land of Egypt and brought them back to their promised homeland which he gave as a sign of his immense love and favor. At the end of their wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, Joshua, the successor to Moses, led the people in celebrating the Passover meal after they had safely passed over the River Jordan to their promised homeland (Joshua 5:9-12).

Our true homeland with God
This crossing over from a land of slavery and oppression to a land of promise and freedom is a sign that foreshadows the true freedom and homecoming which the Lord Jesus has won for us in his kingdom. Through his victory on the cross the Lord Jesus has delivered us from the dominion of sin and darkness and transferred us to his kingdom of light, truth, and forgiveness(Colossians 1:13-14). God offers this freedom to all who believe in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. God does not desire the death of anyone (Ezekiel 18:23). That is why he sent us his only-begotten Son to set us free from slavery to sin, Satan, and death and to restore us to everlasting peace, joy, and abundant life with our Father in heaven.

The merciful Father who welcome home his lost son
Jesus illustrates this passover from slavery to sin and condemnation to freedom and new life in Christ with the longest parable recorded in the Gospels (Luke 15:11-32). What is the main point of Jesus' story about two ungrateful sons and their extravagant loving father? Is it the contrast between a grudging obedient son and a rebellious son who had wished his father was dead? Or the warm reception given to a spendthrift son and the cold reception given by the eldest son? 

Jesus does contrast the eldest son's cold and aloof reception for his errant brother with the father's warm embrace and lavish homecoming party for his repentant son. While the errant son had wasted his father's money, his father, nonetheless, maintained unbroken love for his son. 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 every person who returns to God.

Forgiven and restored to new life 
The prodigal could not return to the garden of innocence, but he was welcomed and reinstated as a son who had been missed much and greatly loved by his father. The errant son's dramatic change from grief and guilt to forgiveness and restoration express in picture-language the resurrection from the dead which Jesus makes possible to everyone who believes in him, a rebirth to new life from 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 spiteful pride and contempt for his brother. And his resentment leads to his isolation and estrangement from the community of forgiven sinners. 

God's mercy and kindness knows no bounds
In this parable Jesus gives a vivid picture of God and what God is like. God is truly kinder than any of us. He does not lose hope or give up when we stray from him. He is always on the lookout for those who have a change of heart and want to return. 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."

Daily Quote from the early church fathers: The Father redeems his son with a kiss, by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD)

"'He fell on his neck and kissed him.' This is how the father judges and corrects his wayward son and gives him not beatings but kisses. The power of love overlooked the transgressions. The father redeemed the sins of his son by his kiss, and covered them by his embrace, in order not to expose the crimes or humiliate the son. The father so healed the son's wounds as not to leave a scar or blemish upon him. 'Blessed are they,' says Scripture 'whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered' (Romans 4:7)." (excerpt from SERMON 3)

www.dailyscripture.net

4th Sunday of Lent – Cycle C

Note: If there are some of The Elect at the Mass, the readings given for Cycle A may be used. The alternate Gospel reading is about the blind man who washes in the pool of Siloam. This reminds The Elect of the refreshing waters of baptism which they will soon receive at the Easter Vigil Mass.

Note: Where a Scripture text is underlined in the body of this discussion, it is recommended that the reader look up and read that passage.

1st Reading - Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

The common theme for all three readings of this Mass is “reconciliation.”

The book of Joshua is the first of the historical books, immediately following the Torah in the Bible. Today we will add another chapter to the story of the Israelites. Moses has died; Joshua is the new leader. The people have crossed the Jordan River on dry land (Joshua 3:15-17), reminiscent of their escape from Egypt through the Reed Sea. At God’s command, Joshua has appointed twelve men, one from each tribe of Israel to each take up a stone from the middle of the (dry for the crossing) Jordan. These stones have been set up as a memorial of their crossing on dry ground.

“In the future, when the children among you ask their fathers what the stones mean, you shall inform them, ‘Israel crossed the Jordan here on dry ground.’ For the Lord, your God, dried up the waters of the Jordan in front of you until you crossed over, just as the Lord, your God, had done at the Red Sea, which He dried up in front of us until we crossed over; in order that all the peoples of the earth may learn that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and that you may fear the Lord, your God, forever."
(Joshua 4:21-24)

Circumcisions were then performed as none had been done on those who had been born during the 40 year sojourn in the desert (Joshua 5:4-5). This now brings us to today’s reading and the celebration of the Passover in the Promised Land.

9a [T]he LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”

The Hebrew translated as “removed” is literally “rolled” (galloti). What the reproach is, is uncertain. Some have interpreted it is the state of non-circumcision while others interpret it as slavery, which has now come to an end with the entry into the promised land.

10    While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho,

Two meanings have been suggested for Gilgal:
1)    “to roll” because of its similarity to the Hebrew verb (gll)
2)    “circle” (of stones) for the 12 stones which were placed in a circle as a memorial  In any case, the exact location is uncertain but it is close to Jericho, it was a holy place in the days of Samuel, and the place where Saul was installed as king (1 Samuel 11:14-15).

they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.

This corresponds with the date of the original Passover (see Numbers 33:3).

11    On the day after the Passover they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain.

The feast of unleavened bread. Only unleavened bread was to be eaten for a week beginning with the day of Passover (Exodus 12:14-20).

On that same day 12 after the Passover on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year

The 40th year since the exodus

ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

2nd Reading - 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

In our first reading we heard about how the Israelites, once they had reached the promised land, reconciled themselves with God by circumcising and celebrating the Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread. In today’s epistle reading St. Paul spells out the process whereby God’s saving love touches human lives.

17 So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:

Anyone who belongs to the believing community, which is Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15; 8:12;
12:12)

the old things have passed away;

The Old Covenant

behold, new things have come.

The redemptive activity of Jesus radically changes those who allow themselves to be affected by it (see Romans 6:4; 8:9-10; Galatians 6:15). The old things, the Old Covenant, are no more (2 Corinthians 3:11). The word kaine (new) designates not just something that has recently appeared but rather a new manner of being, differing essentially from what was habitual before. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus is for Paul the dividing line between two periods of history of the world. Christ instituted the “world to come” when He instituted the New Covenant.

18    And all this is from God,

God alone is the author of the new covenant.

who has reconciled us to himself through Christ

See Romans 5:10-12.

and given us the ministry of reconciliation,

This is the apostolate given to Paul by God through Jesus (Acts 26:15-18). This is also the commission given to all the apostles (John 20:21-23). In fact, when Jesus and the apostles first went out baptizing (John 3:23), they were administering the baptism of repentance the same as John the Baptist, not a sacramental baptism which wasn’t commissioned by Jesus until after the resurrection (Matthew 28:19).

19    namely, God was reconciling the world to himself

Forgiving sins

in Christ,

The agent

not counting their trespasses against them

As He had done at the sin of Adam and at the golden calf

“God was in Christ, that is to say, the Father was in the Son, reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their sins against them. Creation sinned against God and did not repent, so God, who did not want His work to perish, sent His Son in order to preach through Him the forgiveness of sins and thus reconcile them to Himself.” [The Ambrosiaster (between A.D. 366-384), Commentaries on Thirteen Pauline Epistles]

and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

They are to preach the gospel, to baptize, and even to forgive sins as His emissary (John 20:19-23).

20 So we are ambassadors for Christ,

Not merely representatives but prolonging the mission of Christ by being His instrument (“he who hears you hears Me”).

as if God were appealing through us.

This underlines God’s respect for the freedom of His creatures – it must be our decision, not God’s. Reconciliation can be lost; those who have accepted the Gospel must always allow it to exercise its effect upon them.

We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin

Jesus became the ultimate sin sacrifice so that heaven could be opened and our sins could be forgiven and forgotten.

who did not know sin,

Jesus is God and therefore sinless (Romans 7:1).

so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

We can have our sins forgiven and forgotten and become sinless like God Himself.

Gospel - Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Our gospel reading today is the parable of the prodigal son; perhaps it should be renamed the parable of the loving father because he is really the star of the story. This parable is found only in Luke’s gospel. The parable plays upon the hearer’s knowledge of two brothers stories, in which the younger triumphs over the elder: 1) Esau and Jacob (Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-36) and Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37:1-4). Jesus doubly reverses expectations: the prodigal son is a parody of the successful younger brother; the elder son is not vanquished, but invited to the feast.

15:1 [T]ax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to him, 2 but the
Pharisees and scribes began to complain,

The scribes and Pharisees were scandalized by the fact that Jesus associated with people of this ilk (see Luke 5:30; 7:34).

saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

To the Pharisees, a man was known by the company he keeps. Jesus, of course, came to lead them to salvation by setting the example for them to follow.

3 So to them he addressed this parable: 11[ ] “A man had two sons, 12 and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’

The estate was not necessarily divided only upon the death of the father. The inheritance was usually given when the son married; when he needed it the most. The eldest got two parts and each other son got one part. Sirach argued against this practice (Sirach 33:19-23).

So the father divided the property between them. 13 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.

Just as we can lose our inheritance (heaven) through sinful acts, the son squanders his through unrestrained sensuality and spendthrift extravagance. Adam and Eve lost the garden of Eden through sin.

14 When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. 15 So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.

To do things which only Gentiles did. Pigs were unclean animals and anyone who touched them became unclean (Leviticus 11:7-8). The sinner has further isolated himself from God.

16    And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,

The fruit of the carob tree

but nobody gave him any.

He was totally isolated. He must have stolen his food. This is the anxiety and emptiness a person feels when he is far from God. This is what enslavement to sin involves (Romans 6:6; Galatians 5:1) – by sinning one loses the freedom of the children of God (Romans 8:21; Galatians 5:13) and hands oneself over to the power of Satan.

17    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. 18 I shall get up and go to my father

His memory of home and his conviction that his father will not turn him away cause the son to reflect and decide to set out on the right road.

and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I no longer deserve to be called your son;

Recognizes his sinfulness with full contrition

treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.’”

I will do penance the rest of my live (sacrifice/self giving).

20    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.

Very undignified behavior for an elderly Oriental gentleman. The father must have been constantly checking the road for some sign of his son and immediately recognized him even at a great distance. God also never gives up on his children and eagerly welcomes them back to His family through the sacrament of penance/reconciliation/confession. When we sincerely confess our sins we again put on Christ and become His brothers; members of God’s family (Romans 8:14-17). God does not greet us with reproaches, but with immense compassion.

21    His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ 22 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.

Does not welcome him back as a servant but as a son, a free person (Genesis 41:42)

23 Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.

The animal reserved for very special occasions.

Then let us celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;

See Ephesians 2:1-7.

he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. 25 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. 26 He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. 27 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.’ 28 He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house,

He thinks his father loves the younger son excessively. His jealousy prevents him from understanding how his father can do so much to celebrate the return of the sinful child; this cuts him off from the joy the whole family feels. It’s true that he was a sinner but it is not up to the older brother to judge him; that prerogative belongs to the father. God’s mercy is so great that man cannot grasp it. We should also consider that if God has compassion toward sinners, He must have much, much more toward those who strive to be faithful to Him.

his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 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. 30 But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ 31 He said to him, ‘My son,

Even after the angry outburst from the elder brother, the father still addresses him affectionately.

you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.

Your inheritance is secure.  Just because your brother has returned, your share is not reduced.

32 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.’”

Closing Thought     

Mercy, as Christ has presented it in this parable, has as its basis the interior form of love which the New Testament calls agape. This love is able to reach down to every prodigal son, to every human misery, and above all to every form of moral misery; to sin. When this happens, the person who is the object of mercy does not feel humiliated, but rather found again and “restored to value.” The father first and foremost expresses to him his joy, that he has been “found again” and that he has “returned to life.” This joy indicates a good that has remained intact: even if he is a prodigal, the son does not cease to be truly his father’s son; it also indicates a good that has been found again, which in the case of the prodigal son was his return to the truth about himself.

God is waiting by the side of the road to welcome us back into His family and to celebrate our rebirth. As we honestly examine our lives, we realize that the covenant instituted by Jesus is one of grace and mercy; of repentance and reconciliation. We know this from His gift of the Holy Spirit to Peter and the apostles who left Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane but turned back in penitence after the crucifixion. Peter too, was the prodigal son on Good Friday who was welcomed home on Easter morning and fed bread and fish at the lake side in celebration. To better understand the New Covenant, we need to be in touch not only with the faith demands expressed in the earlier weeks of Lent but also with the repentance and forgiveness expressed in today’s readings.

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St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Picayune, MS http://www.scborromeo.org

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT
SUNDAY, MARCH 31, LUKE 15:1-3, 11-32
(Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; Psalm 34; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

KEY VERSE: "But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again" (v. 32).
TO KNOW: When the religious leaders complained that Jesus associated with sinners, he reminded them of God's unconditional love for the wayward 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 Compassionate 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, turned around (to repent, literally, "to rethink") and headed toward home. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and ran out to meet him. The prodigal believed that he was no more than a slave and no longer deserved to be called a son. But before he could make his confession, the father welcomed him back with a joyful celebration. But the elder brother was unhappy that his brother had come home, and 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 we waste God's gifts. We may even feel as though we have lost God's love. But if we take a few small steps by confessing our sinfulness, we discover that God is ready to meet us and welcome us to the Eucharistic banquet.
TO LOVE: Have I discovered the amazing grace available in confession?
TO SERVE: Loving Father, thank you for seating me at your table of love and mercy.​

www.togetherwithgodsword.com

Sunday 31 March 2019

4TH SUNDAY OF LENT.

Joshua 5:9-12. Psalm 33(34):2-7. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21. Luke 15:1-3, 11-32.

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord – Psalm 33(34):2-7. 

‘He was lost but now he has been found.’

Today’s gospel offers us the parable of the lost son, his dutiful brother, and their father.

The Pharisees were unhappy that Jesus welcomed outcasts, and even ate with them. So Jesus uses the parable to teach the way his Father acts.

The wasteful son, full of guilt, returned home. Before he could even express his guilt and request forgiveness, he fell into the loving and forgiving arms of his father. Joy filled the heart of the father. Anger and resentment possessed the older dutiful son. The father explained in a non-judgmental way that he was celebrating the return with a heart full of joy. He also affirmed his dutiful son.

Lord God, we pray for the grace to imitate always, as Jesus did, the freely expressed love and forgiveness that you sent into to our world

www.pray.com.au

Saint Stephen of Mar Saba

Saint of the Day for March 31

(725 – 794)

Saint Stephen of Mar Saba’s Story

A “do not disturb” sign helped today’s saint find holiness and peace.

Stephen of Mar Saba was the nephew of Saint John Damascene, who introduced the young boy to monastic life beginning at age 10. When he reached 24, Stephen served the community in a variety of ways, including guest master. After some time he asked permission to live a hermit’s life. The answer from the abbot was yes and no: Stephen could follow his preferred lifestyle during the week, but on weekends he was to offer his skills as a counselor. Stephen placed a note on the door of his cell: “Forgive me, Fathers, in the name of the Lord, but please do not disturb me except on Saturdays and Sundays.”

Despite his calling to prayer and quiet, Stephen displayed uncanny skills with people and was a valued spiritual guide.

His biographer and disciple wrote about Stephen: “Whatever help, spiritual or material, he was asked to give, he gave. He received and honored all with the same kindness. He possessed nothing and lacked nothing. In total poverty he possessed all things.”

Stephen died in 794.

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Reflection

Saint Stephen of Mar Saba knew the value of solitude. Even though he was generous and served whoever came to him, he relished his time alone. Maybe we can learn from him the value of solitude and seek it out a little more in our lives.

www.franciscanmedia.org

Lectio Divina: 4th Sunday of Lent (C)

Lectio Divina

Sunday, March 31, 2019

The Parable of the Prodigal Son
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

1. LECTIO

a) Opening prayer:

Come, Spirit Creator, reveal to us the great mystery of God the Father and of the Son united in one love. Grant that we may see the great day of God, resplendent with light: the dawn of a new world born in the blood of Christ. The prodigal son comes home, the blind sees the bright light; the pardoned good thief dissolves the ancient fear. Dying on the cross, Christ destroys death; death brings forth life, love conquers fear and sin seeks pardon. Amen.

b) Gospel reading

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.’”

c) Prayerful silent time:

that the Word of God may enter into our hearts and enlighten our life.

2. MEDITATIO

a) A key to the reading:

Dante says that Luke is the ‹‹scriba mansuetudinis Christi››. Indeed, he is the Evangelist who loves to emphasize the mercy of the Master towards sinners and presents us with scenes of forgiveness (Lk 7:36-50;23:39-43). In Luke’s Gospel the mercy of God is manifested in Jesus Christ. We can say that Jesus is the incarnation of the merciful presence of God among us. “Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate” (Lk 6:36). Luke focuses on an image of God already revealed in the Old Testament (Ex 34:6), but which, unfortunately, seems to have been ignored by the scribes and Pharisees who stressed the image of a God “who visits the sins of the fathers on the children” (Ex 34:7). Indeed, the Pharisees and the scribes boasted about being just in the eyes of God because they did not break the law. Jesus criticizes this attitude in His teaching and by His actions. He, the “Just One” of God (1Pet 3:18), “receives sinners and eats with them” (Lk 15:2). Think of the parable of the publican who goes home from the temple justified in contrast with the Pharisee who praised himself before God while passing judgment on his neighbors (Lk 18:9-14). Jesus points out to us that God’s way of thinking and acting is quite different from ours. God is different, and His transcendence is revealed in the mercy that forgives sins. “My heart recoils from it, My whole being trembles at the thought. I will not give rein to my fierce anger… for I am God, not man; I am the Holy One in your midst and have no wish to destroy” (Hos 11:8-9).

This parable of the “prodigal son” brings out this merciful aspect of God the Father. That is why some people refer to this story as “the parable of the father who is prodigal with mercy and forgiveness”. The Gospel passage is part of a series of three parables on mercy and has a preamble that leads us to contemplate “all the publicans and sinners” who approach Jesus to listen to Him (Lk 15:1). These are reflected in the attitude of the younger son who comes to his senses and begins to think about his state and to ponder what he lost when he left his father’s house (Lk 15:17-20). It is interesting to note the use of the verb “to listen”, which recalls the scene with Mary, Martha’s sister, “who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to Him speaking” (Lk 10:39); or the great crowd of people “who had come to hear Him and to be cured of their diseases” (Lk 6:18). Jesus acknowledges His relatives, not by their blood relationship, but from their listening attitude: “My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and put it into practice” (Lk 8:21). Luke seems to place importance on this attitude of listening. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is praised for having a contemplative listening attitude, she who “stored up all these things in her heart” (Lk 2:19,51). Elizabeth proclaims her blessed because “she has believed that the promise made by the Lord would be fulfilled” (Lk 1:45), revealed at the time of the annunciation (Lk 1:26-38).

The mercy of the compassionate father (Lk 15:20), is in contrast with the severe attitude of the older son, who will not accept his brother as such and who, in the dialogue with the father, refers to him as: “this son of yours comes back after swallowing up your property – he and his women…” (Lk 15:30). In this we can see the attitude of the scribes and Pharisees who “murmured: 'This man receives sinners and eats with them'.” They do not associate with “sinners” whom they consider unclean, but rather distance themselves from them. Jesus’ attitude is different and, in their sight, it is scandalous. He likes to associate with sinners and sometimes invites Himself into their houses to eat with them (Lk 19:1-10). The murmuring of the scribes and Pharisees prevents them from listening to the Word.

The contrast between the two brothers is quite evocative. The younger brother recognizes his misery and fault and returns home saying: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son” (Lk 15:18-19,21). The older brother takes an attitude of arrogance not only towards his brother but also towards his father! His scolding is in great contrast with the tenderness of the father who comes out of the house and goes to meet him to “entreat” him to go into the house (Lk 15:20,28). This is an image of God the Father who invites us to conversion, to return to Him: “Come back, disloyal Israel – it is Yahweh who speaks – I shall frown on you no more, since I am merciful – it is Yahweh who speaks. I shall not keep my resentment for ever. Only acknowledge your guilt: how you have apostatized from Yahweh your God, how you have flirted with strangers and have not listened to my voice – it is Yahweh who speaks. Come back disloyal children –it is Yahweh who speaks – for I alone am your Master” (Jer 3:12-14).

b) A few questions:

to direct our meditation and practice.

i) Luke focuses on an image of God already revealed in the Old Testament (Ex 34:6), which unfortunately seems to have been ignored by the scribes and Pharisees who stressed the image of a God “who visits the sins of the fathers on the children” (Ex 34:7). What image of God do I have?

ii) The Pharisees and scribes boast that they are just in the sight of God because they do not break the law. Jesus criticizes their attitude in His teaching and by His actions. He, the “Just One” of God (1Pet 3:18), “receives sinners and eats with them” (Lk 15: 2). Do I consider myself more just than others, perhaps because I try to observe the commandments of God? What are the motives that drive me to live a “just” life? Is it the love of God or personal satisfaction?

iii) “All the publicans and sinners” approached Jesus to listen to Him (Lk 15:1). Luke seems to place importance on this attitude of listening, reflection, entering into oneself, meditating, and storing up the Word in our hearts. What place do I give to the contemplative listening of the Word of God in my daily life?

iv) The scribes and Pharisees do not associate with “sinners” whom they consider unclean, but rather distance themselves from them. Jesus’ attitude is different and, in their sight, it is scandalous. He loves to be with sinners and sometimes invites Himself to their houses to eat with them (Lk 19:1-10). Do I judge others or do I try to pass on feelings of mercy and forgiveness, thus reflecting the tenderness of God the Father-Mother?

v) “Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found.” And they began to celebrate. (Lk 15:23). In the image of the father who celebrates the return to life of his son, we recognize God the Father who has loved us so much “that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). In the killed “fattened calf”, we can see the Christ, the Lamb of God who offers Himself as a victim of expiation for the redemption of sin. I take part in the Eucharistic banquet full of grateful feelings for this infinite love of God who gives Himself to us in His crucified and risen beloved Son.

3. ORATIO

a) Psalm 32 (31):

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

When I declared not my sin,
my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me;
my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.

I acknowledged my sin to Thee,
and I did not hide my iniquity; I said,
"I will confess my transgressions to the Lord";
then Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin.

Thou art a hiding place for me,
Thou preservest me from trouble;
Thou dost encompass me with deliverance.

Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice,
O righteous, and shout for joy,
all you upright in heart!

b) Closing prayer:

O God, who rewards the just and will not deny pardon to repentant sinners, listen to our plea: may the humble confession of our faults obtain for us Your mercy.

4. CONTEMPLATIO

Contemplation is knowing how to adhere with one’s mind and heart to the Lord who by His Word transforms us into new beings who always do His will. “Knowing these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (Jn 13:17)

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