Fourth Sunday of Lent Year C Jubilee Year of Mercy 2016 Archdiocesan Liturgy Commission (Mothers Day) Introduction to the Mass A most familiar story in our Gospel today is the parable of the Prodigal Son. But sometimes our over familiarity with this parable deafens us to its abinding truth and the challenge it holds out to our lives. As we listen to the Gospel today be aware of all the characters involved in the parable and ask yourself: Who do I most associate with in this story? Let us remember too that it is not the wastefulness of the son's actions which is at the heart of this parable, but rather the exuberance of the father's love and mercy - total, unconditional and freely given. This is the love and mercy that Jesus came to bring. Let us ask the father for that mercy and love now as we as pardon for our sins the things we have done and those we have failed to do! Introduction to the Readings These short introductions may be used to help set the scene by being read out before each reading. First Reading Jos 5: 9-12 After 40 years of wandering through the desert the Israelites finally put the darkness and slavery behind them in their celebration of the Passover. Second Reading 2 Cor 5:17-21 God reconciled the world to Himself through Christ and gives us the task of bringing the news of that reconciliation to others. Gospel Lk15:1-3, 11-32 Jesus tries to explain the unconditional and limitless love of God to the Pharisees and scribes by telling the parable of the father and his two sons.
HOMILY NOTES (Reflections on the Liturgy of the Word) Fourth Sunday of Lent (C) The Prodigal Son has become the official title of today s gospel parable in the minds and hearts of so many throughout the ages. But in some sense we do Jesus' parable an injustice when we give it this title because it tends to narrow our focus solely on the exploits of the wayward son and on his loss to a life of sin and debauchery. But the parable is not a story about one son but rather about three characters - the father and his two sons and their relationship to a father who loves them both. In some sense a better title, more suited to the parable might be; 'The Abused father' - abused by both his sons! The context in which Jesus tells the parable about the father and the two sons is all important to the way we begin to understand its meaning for Jesus' hearers and then later for ourselves. At the telling of this parable we have on the one hand the tax collectors and the sinners, and on the other hand we have the Pharisees and the scribes, with Jesus - like the father in the story - in the middle! And to understand what Jesus is about in telling such a story we need to ask some basic questions of his audience. Why were the tax collectors and sinners seeking the company of Jesus? And the Gospel tells us because they wanted to hear what he had to say. And what does Jesus have to say? Well, he has only one message: 'Repent; the Kingdom of God is close at hand - a kingdom of mercy, forgiveness and new life, but not without its suffering in this present life. If these tax collectors and sinners are coming to Jesus to hear him and his message then it stands to reason that they are seeking new life, they are open to conversion and if, on hearing Christ, they repent then, like the prodigal son in the parable, they too will receive true restitution as sons and daughters of the Father. It is particularly galling to the scribes and the Pharisees that these outcasts have come to Jesus. They say 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them', such a comment is in complete contrast to the response of the father in the parable. When the father sees the son return we are told: '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 tenderly.' That is Jesus' response to all who come to him in faith. The reason it is Jesus' response is because Jesus always copies the Father - he says in another passage 'The Father and I are one'. He says too in another passage talking about the farmer with the lost sheep 'There is more rejoicing in heaven over one repentant sinner than those who were never lost' This parable is totally consistent with the whole Gospel message - that we have a loving God who is merciful and so moved with pity at humble repentance that he comes to meet us with compassion and offers us a tender kiss of acceptance and love. This is at the heart of Pope Francis intention in calling for a Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pope Francis writes: It is indeed my wish that the Jubilee be a living experience of the closeness of the Father, whose tenderness is almost tangible, so that the faith of every believer may be strengthened and thus testimony to it be ever more effective. 1 September 2015 - Letter of Pope Francis to Archbishop Rino Fisichella President: Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization)
The Pharisees and scribes have no notion of this type of pity and love. Like the other son in the parable who is disgusted with his father for allowing his brother to return to the status and rank he had previously, they too are disgusted that Jesus would allow these sinners in his presence - even allowing them to eat with him. The 'eating' is all important because the festival in the father's house is not only a welcome home banquet but it is deeply symbolic of the eternal banquet. The banquet is always ready! To enjoy it one has to be like the first son seeking repentance and restitution. The faithful son can also enjoy the banquet if he is faithful enough to imitate the father's love, forgiveness and compassion. If he cannot do this then he excludes himself by his very refusal. So too, Jesus will eat with anyone who seeks his forgiveness, but the Pharisees and the scribes exclude themselves by not sharing the same love and forgiveness of the tax collectors and sinners. Now, where do we come into the picture? Like the first son or like the second or the merciful father? Only each of us knows the answer to that question! But I suspect at different times in our lives we are like all three characters. We often seek the Lord's forgiveness for ourselves and for our own folly and at other times we fail to forgive those around us for their sin and folly. We can be forgiven, but they cannot! God, thank God, cannot work this way! It is precisely by our lack of forgiveness of one another or because of our failing to seek forgiveness for ourselves that we exclude ourselves from the hope of ever sharing in the eternal banquet. Jesus makes it clear in the parable: The father had two sons - not one! But two! And it is obvious that the father loved them both equally. It is they who by their actions limit the impact of father's love. Jesus similarly acknowledges by this parable the equal status, as children of God, of the sinners and the Jewish authorities of his day - they are awarded the same love and compassion - the same message is given to both! It is they who will limit its impact by either their lack of repentance if they are sinners or by their lack of forgiveness of those who are considered by society as sinful outcasts. The same is true of us. The Eucharist is a our foretaste of the heavenly banquet and we fail to receive the fullness of its richness if we are not able to imitate the prodigal son in seeking repentance or if we, like the other son, fail to forgive our brothers and sisters who have sinned against us. And if we fail to receive the richness of the Eucharist then we are somewhat undernourished and less able to build the Kingdom that has been entrusted to us. If this be true then we, too, are much less ready to come before our Father in death seeking a place at the eternal banquet. Just as the manna we heard of in our first reading, which was given to the Israelites in the desert, ceases when they arrive and eat the produce of the promised land of Canaan, so too the Eucharist is given to us, St Paul tells us, until Jesus returns, for then we shall eat the produce of the new Jerusalem - the land of heaven.
So the two are inseparably linked; the Eucharist is a foretaste of what is to come. It is our 'manna' in this 'desert of life'! Therefore, we must be always ready to eat of the Eucharist here on earth as a sign to the Father that we need his forgiveness and we are ready to forgive others - a sign that we desire one day to eat of the banquet of eternal life. The parable today reminds us to pray always and often the words of the Lord's Prayer: 'Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us... '
Prayer of the Faithful 4th Sunday of Lent Year C Celebrant: My brothers and sisters, as we journey through Lent towards the great feast of Easter we are reminded that Jesus is the friend of all. He 'welcomes sinners and eats with them. Remembering that we are all sinners we pray for ourselves and for our world. Reader: On this Mothers Day let us pray for God's blessing on all present here today, and for all our loved ones living and dead. We remember especially all Mothers whose dedicated love and care is an example to us all. We pray for Christians everywhere that we may learn to repent and turn from sin with all our hearts. May we follow the example of Jesus' selflessness in bringing salvation to our world. We pray for peace among nations: for an end to hunger, violence and oppression, and for just and lasting peace and freedom for all God's people. We pray for those who no longer practise their faith, or who have grown lukewarm, that they may turn again to God, our loving and merciful Father, during this season of reconciliation and penance. We pray for our own intentions, and on this Mothers Day honour Mary Mother of the whole Church, as we say, Hail Mary... Celebrant: Lord, may your people turn again to you and serve you with all their hearts. With confidence we have asked your help, may we know your mercy and love in our lives. Through Christ our Lord.