The Father who draws near

The Fourth Sunday of Lent – Year C 

This brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found 

First Reading
Jos 5:9a, 10-12

The people of God entered the promised land and there kept the Passover.

A reading from the Book of Joshua

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.

The word of the Lord.

Ps 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.

℟. 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.

℟. 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.

℟. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

2 Cor 5:17-21

God reconciled us to himself through Christ.

A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians

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.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel

Lk 15:18

I will get up and go to my Father and I shall say to him:
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

Your brother was dead and has come to life again.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

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.’”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Reflection

Today’s Gospel reading begins with Jesus demonstrating His tenderness and compassion towards sinners and those on the fringe of society.  Jesus’ attitude and preference were not well-received by the Scribes and Pharisees, who could not accept an image of God as merciful and forgiving with those who broke His Commandments, not to mention a Rabbi who believes in this image and expresses it in His sermons and through His actions. 

Everybody desires and appreciates it when they find someone who has compassion for them, forgives them, gives them another chance, and does not judge them for their past or what they might have done.  Today, Jesus powerfully reminds us through the parable of the Prodigal Son—or rather that of the Extravagant Father, more wasteful than His son in the love he had towards him, that if we desire to receive, we must first offer it to others.  This only becomes possible when we encounter the Lord’s face, full of mercy and compassion towards us and become filled with a sense of gratitude and humility for all that He has done for us.  When we recognise the prodigal son within us and experience the boundless love of the Father through what we tangibly receive in our daily lives, then we will not become like the older son who allowed the jealousy towards his brother to overcome him, instead of being filled with gratitude to his father for all that he had received.  When we truly recognise our vocation, our responsibility and the identity that we have received in our Baptism—like Jesus that of priest, prophet and king—we should feel truly grateful to the Father who loves us.  It should not even cross our minds to point our finger at others and judge them, but with a heart overflowing with God’s love and mercy we should desire to share with others, even if there is a high price to pay. 

If we find within ourselves the tax collector and the sinner, who express themselves in many ways and forms, and confidently approach the Father, Abba, who loves us intimately, there will not be room within us for the older son.  Can we imagine a family, a group of people, a community of faith or society in general, where no one judges or condemns anyone, but only desires the good of the other and will go to any lengths to make good come about?  It is much easier within such environments for the Father to find the lost sheep, because He goes in search for it through you and me, through the gifts that He has bestowed upon us. 

Prayer:

Father, we thank you for every talent and invitation you have given and continue to give us, even when we are far from you.  We ask you to purify our hearts from all spirits of jealousy and fill us with your Holy Spirit, who encourages us to go in search of those who are far from you, to show them your mercy and compassion.  Allow your Spirit to enlighten us to find new ways of profound conversion of heart, for ourselves and for those with whom we come in contact.  Make us your instruments, so that through your hands we may bring your healing, offer hope, and be witnesses of your love that leads us to eternity.  Amen. 

 

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