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.
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.
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 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 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, FEBRUARY 27,
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 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 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. When the elder brother heard of this, he complained to his father, referred to his sibling, not as "my brother," but as "your son" (v 30). The elder brother’s 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:. Do I plan to confess my sins and amend my life this Lent?
TO SERVE: Loving Father, in this Year of Mercy, help me to know that you are waiting to forgive your wayward child.
Saturday 27 February 2016
Sat 27th. Micah 7:14-15, 18-20. The Lord is kind and
merciful—Ps 102(103):1-4, 9-12. Luke 15:1-3, 11-32.
Forgiveness and love
It has often struck me how the eldest son seems to
have grown so distant from his Father whom he claims to serve, so hostile that
he angers at his joy, and bitterly reproaches him.
He, who was closest to the father, is the one who
shuns him, yet the youngest son who has encountered hardship, sin and darkness,
is moved to his knees before an estranged father. So for us, when times are
good, God becomes a background, a quiet whisper, hidden behind the noisy bustle
of satisfaction; yet how painfully present is He in times of anguish and
despair, when confusion and hopelessness drive us to our knees! How
overwhelming is His light in darkness! Which of the two sons, then, is the most
blessed? He whose virtue blinded him to the father’s love, or he whose
suffering opened his eyes to it? I bless, then, my darkness, hardship, fear and
pain, for the Father’s love was fully manifested upon the cross, and His mercy
well outweighs my shortcomings.
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Temple of the Lord
|
One day in the holy city (as the book of Revelation says), there
will indeed be no temple “for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the
Lamb.” Until that happy day we have to listen to Jesus who speaks in tune with
all religious leaders worth listening to; don’t enter a church, temple, mosque,
or synagogue unless you are prepared to love your enemies.
February
27
St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
(1838-1862 )
St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
(1838-1862 )
Born
in Italy into a large family and baptized Francis, he lost his mother when he
was only four years old. He was educated by the Jesuits and, having been cured
twice of serious illnesses, came to believe that God was calling him to the
religious life. Young Francis wished to join the Jesuits but was turned down,
probably because of his age, not yet 17. Following the death of a sister to
cholera, his resolve to enter religious life became even stronger and he was
accepted by the Passionists. Upon entering the novitiate he was given the name
Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Ever
popular and cheerful, Gabriel quickly was successful in his effort to be
faithful in little things. His spirit of prayer, love for the poor,
consideration of the feelings of others, exact observance of the Passionist
Rule as well as his bodily penances—always subject to the will of his wise
superiors— made a deep impression on everyone.
His
superiors had great expectations of Gabriel as he prepared for the priesthood,
but after only four years of religious life symptoms of tuberculosis appeared.
Ever obedient, he patiently bore the painful effects of the disease and the
restrictions it required, seeking no special notice. He died peacefully on
February 27, 1862, at age 24, having been an example to both young and old.
Gabriel
of Our Lady of Sorrows was canonized in 1920.
Comment:
When we think of achieving great holiness by doing little things with love and grace, Therese of Lisieux comes first to mind. Like her, Gabriel died painfully from tuberculosis. Together they urge us to tend to the small details of daily life, to be considerate of others’ feelings every day. Our path to sanctity, like theirs, probably lies not in heroic doings but in performing small acts of kindness every day.
When we think of achieving great holiness by doing little things with love and grace, Therese of Lisieux comes first to mind. Like her, Gabriel died painfully from tuberculosis. Together they urge us to tend to the small details of daily life, to be considerate of others’ feelings every day. Our path to sanctity, like theirs, probably lies not in heroic doings but in performing small acts of kindness every day.
Patron
Saint of:
Clergy
Clergy
LECTIO DIVINA: LUKE 15,1-3.11-32
Lectio Divina:
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Lent Time
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 the destiny of ourselves
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 the destiny of ourselves
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
The tax collectors and sinners, however,
were all crowding round to listen to him, and the Pharisees and scribes
complained saying, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.' So he told
them this parable:
'There was a man who had two sons. The
younger one said to his father, "Father, let me have the share of the
estate that will come to me." So the father divided the property between
them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left
for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery.
'When he had spent it all, that country
experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch; so he hired
himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the
pigs. And he would willingly have filled himself with the husks the pigs were
eating but no one would let him have them. Then he came to his senses and said,
"How many of my father's hired men have all the food they want and more,
and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and
say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve
to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired men." So he left the
place and went back to his father.
'While he was still a long way off, his
father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his
arms and kissed him. Then his son said, "Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son." But
the father said to his servants, "Quick! Bring out the best robe and put
it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we
have been fattening, and kill it; we will celebrate by having a feast, because
this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is
found." And they began to celebrate.
'Now the elder son was out in the
fields, and on his way back, as he drew near the house, he could hear music and
dancing. Calling one of the servants he asked what it was all about. The
servant told him, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the
calf we had been fattening because he has got him back safe and sound." He
was angry then and refused to go in, and his father came out and began to urge
him to come in; but he retorted to his father, "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 father said, "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." '
3) REFLECTION
• Chapter 15 of Luke’s Gospel is
enclosed in the following information: “The tax collectors and sinners, were
all crowding round to listen to him, and the Pharisees and Scribes complained
saying: This man welcomes sinners and eats with them” (Lk 15, 1-3). Immediately
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 decision of the
younger son. 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
both receive their 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 Pagans, 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. In this same way, the younger son leaves
and goes to a distant country and squandered 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 youngest represented, the
communities from Paganism. And today who is the youngest and who the less
young?
• 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 slave 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, fulfils the law
of servants. The younger son wants to fulfil the law as the Pharisees and the
Scribes of the time of Jesus wanted (Lk 15, 1). The missionaries of the
Pharisees accused the Pagans who were converted to the God of Abraham (Mt 23,
15). At the time of Luke, some Christians who came from Judaism, submitted
themselves to the yoke of the Law (Ga 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 sees him, and runs to the
boy, clasps 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, what he was saying. Nobody listens! The Father does not want
his son to be his slave. He wants him to be his son! This is the great 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. Closing up in himself, he thinks he has his own 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 a great intimacy with the Father, in spite of the
fact that they lived in the same House. In fact, if he would have had it, he
would have remarked the sadness of the Father for the loss of his younger son
and would have understood his joy when his son returned. Those who live very
worried 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. Because the younger one
had the courage to go back home to his Father, while the older one no longer
wants to enter the house of the Father. He is not aware that the Father without
him, will lose his joy. Because he, the older son, is also son as much as the
younger one!
• Luke 15, 28a-30: The attitude of the
Father and the response of the older son. The Father goes out of the house, and
begs the older son to enter into the house. But he 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, and he does not even call brother his own brother, but
rather “this your son”, as if he were no longer his brother. And he, the older
brother, speaks about prostitutes. It is his malice which makes him interpret
the life of his younger brother in this way. How many times the older brother
interprets badly the life of the younger brother. How many times, we Catholics
interpret badly the life and the religion 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 final response of
the Father. In the same way, 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 and 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!” Is
it that the older son was really aware that he was always with his Father and
to find in his presence the reason for his joy? The expression of the Father:
“All I have is yours!” includes also 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 son of the Father, he has to accept him as he is and not as he would
like the Father to be! The parable does not say which was the final response of
the older brother. It is up to the older son, whom we are, to give it!
• The one who experiences the gratuitous
and surprising irruption of the love of God in his life becomes joyful and
wishes to communicate this joy to others. The salvation action of God is a
source of joy: “Rejoice with me!” (Lk 15, 6.9). And from this experience of
God’s gratuitousness emerges the sense of feast and joy (Lk 15, 32). At the end
of the parable, the Father asks to be happy and to celebrate, to feast. The joy
is threatened by the older son, who does not want to enter. He thinks he has
the right to joy only with his own friends and does not want to share the 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.
4) PERSONAL QUESTIONS
• Which is the image of God that I have
since my childhood? Has it changed during these past years? If it has changed,
why?
• With which of the two sons do I
identify myself: with the younger one or with the older one? Why?
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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