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.'"
For the readings of the Optional Memorial of Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo,
please go here.
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 23, 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: Do I plan to participate in the Sacrament of Penance this Lent?
Optional Memorial of Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo, bishop
Turibio was born in Spain in 1538, to a noble family in the kingdom of Leon. He studied law and became a lawyer and then professor at Salamanca. Despite being a layman, he was appointed as chief judge of the court of Inquisition at Granada under King Philip II of Spain. The king subsequently appointed him in 1580 to the post of archbishop of Lima, Peru. After receiving ordination and then consecration, he arrived in Peru in 1581 and soon demonstrated a deep zeal to reform the archdiocese. He was determined to do all in his power to aid the poor and defend the rights of the Indians who were then suffering severely under Spanish occupation. He founded schools, churches, hospitals, and the first seminary in the New World. To assist his pastoral work among the Indians, he also mastered several Indian dialects. He died in 1606. The 16th century bishop upheld the rights of Peru’s indigenous peoples, and became one of the first canonized saints of the Americas, canonized by Benedict XIII in 1726.
Saturday 23 March 2019
Micah 7:14-15, 18-20. Psalm 102(103):1-4, 9-12. Luke 15:1-3,
11-32
The Lord is kind and merciful – Psalm 102(103):1-4, 9-12.
‘Bring the best robe and put it on him.’
A father had two sons, and it seems he lost both: one steeped in
sin and crime and the other behind a barricade of self-righteousness. This is a
love story about us. Sometimes we are the young, irresponsible pleasure seeker.
At other times we are the duty bound, over-responsible, self-righteous one.
Recognition of this is important.
Our greatest challenge, however, is to reconcile within us both
dimensions – claiming our gift in each. The strength of stability, perseverance
and faithfulness and the joy of spontaneity, sensitivity and creativity.
Father, you are constantly calling us to come home to claim our gifts, to the
embrace of your love where we are unconditionally accepted and forgiven. Home
to celebrate with you the new life of reconciliation, joy and creativity in our
giftedness. ‘Here I am, Lord.’
Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo
Saint of the Day for March 23
(November 16, 1538 – March 23, 1606)
 |
| Santo Toribio Alfonso de Mogrovejo, Arzobispo de Lima | photo by MNBAArgentina |
Saint Turibius of Mogrovejo’s Story
Together with Rose of Lima, Turibius is the first known saint of
the New World, serving the Lord in Peru, South America, for 26 years.
Born in Spain and educated for the law, he became so brilliant a
scholar that he was made professor of law at the University of Salamanca and
eventually became chief judge of the Inquisition at Granada. He succeeded too
well. But he was not sharp enough a lawyer to prevent a surprising sequence of
events.
When the archdiocese of Lima in Peru required a new leader,
Turibius was chosen to fill the post: He was the one person with the strength
of character and holiness of spirit to heal the scandals that had infected that
area.
He cited all the canons that forbade giving laymen ecclesiastical
dignities, but he was overruled. Turibius was ordained priest and bishop and
sent to Peru, where he found colonialism at its worst. The Spanish conquerors
were guilty of every sort of oppression of the native population. Abuses among
the clergy were flagrant, and he devoted his energies and suffering to this
area first.
He began the long and arduous visitation of an immense
archdiocese, studying the language, staying two or three days in each place,
often with neither bed nor food. Turibius confessed every morning to his
chaplain, and celebrated Mass with intense fervor. Among those to whom he gave
the Sacrament of Confirmation was the future Saint Rose of Lima, and possibly
the future Saint Martin de Porres. After 1590, he had the help of another great
missionary, Francis Solanus, now also a saint.
Though very poor his people were sensitive, dreading to accept
public charity from others. Turibius solved the problem by helping them
anonymously.
Reflection
The Lord indeed writes straight with crooked lines. Against his
will, and from the unlikely springboard of an Inquisition tribunal, this man
became the Christlike shepherd of a poor and oppressed people. God gave him the
gift of loving others as they needed it.
Lectio Divina: Luke 15:1-3.11-32
Saturday, March 23, 2019
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?
• 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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