Readings
Josh 5:9-12; Ps 33; 2Cor 5:17-21; Lk 15:1-311-32
Today
is Laetare Sunday. Laetare is a latin word which means rejoice! The church
exhorts us to rejoice our salvation is near, a few days to celebrate the
passion, death and resurrection of Christ. Secondly, because we have a Father
who is merciful. The first reading from the book of Joshua recounts the first
Passover, a remembrance of God’s merciful deeds to the Israelites. In the gospel
reading, God’s mercy is brought to light by Christ through the parable of the
prodigal son.
The
parable of the prodigal is the story of our sinful rebellion and the unlimited
mercy of God. We have some lessons to take home from this parable.
1)
The father of the prodigal son divided
his property and gave half to the son who traveled far and squandered them in a
dissolute life. We may blame the father for taking such risk. However, God does
not infringe our freedom. God created us with the power of choice and freedom.
But this freedom must go with responsibility. Adam and Eve were the first to
taste this freedom, but they abused it through disobedience. Do not abuse this
privilege.
2)
The prodigal son only remembered home
when he was hungry, homeless and penniless. He was gripped with nostalgia. Nonetheless,
the father accepted him. This points to how most of us remember God only in our
difficult moments. Sometimes, when we thrive in affluence, we tend to forget
God and think we can do without God. But when things go bad and our bankruptcy,
helplessness and idiocy are laid bare by our sins, we seek God. Many who swim
in the ocean of fornication and adultery only remember God when HIV/AIDS and
other STDs knock on their door. Many who put God aside in their business and do
all sorts of absurdities remember God only when their plans have gone awry. Even
the abortionist remembers God when there is medical complication in the
process. Even at that, the Father is so merciful. We may be filled with
consternation that He throws feast in heaven at the return of one sinner, but
that is His nature!
3)
The father was eagerly waiting for the
young lad to return home. You can imagine how he comes out every morning to the
front gate hoping and waiting to see his son return. This is how God awaits
patiently for our repentance and conversion. When the child returned, the
father hugged him with compassion. He didn’t even listen to his act of
contrition, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son', rather he ordered
that he be clothed with the finest robe. Isn’t this Father more than being
merciful? When we come back to God, he will clothe us with the garment of
salvation. Pragmatically, there is joy in being at peace with God—being in
state of grace.
4)
It is important to note that this
young man came back to his senses and saw himself in rags. He realized he is
royalty and the idea of going home was initiated. Awareness that we are sinners
is the first step towards reconciliation with God.
Finally,
today, God has made it easier for us to be reconciled to himself. St. Paul in
the second reading sums it up that “if anyone is in Christ, there is a new
creation: everything old has passed away…All this is from God, who reconciled
us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;
that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So
we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we
entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”(2Cor. 5:17-20). St. Paul emphasizes the
ministry of reconciliation. Is Paul not talking about the sacrament of penance?
God is waiting for us at the confessional. Do you feel blushed going to confess
your sin to a priest? Do you doubt that God can forgive you through this ministry
of reconciliation? Well, the psalm of today dares us to “taste and see that the
Lord is good”.(Ps 33).
