Today is the Fourth Sunday of Lent. It is significant for two reasons. First, we have reached the halfway mark of our Lenten Challange. Second, today is Laetare Sunday. Laetare means, “rejoice.” And today we rejoice because God our Father loves us unconditionally, reconciles and heals us completely, forgives us endlessly and welcomes us into His kingdom eternally. God reveals His love through Jesus Christ, His son who through His Passion, Death and Resurrection reconciles us not only to God the Father but to each other as well.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), today's gospel, is a great story about selfishness, greed, rebellion, jealousy, judgmental behavior and anger. It demonstrates how easy it is to fall as St. Paul reminded us in our second reading last week. However, the story also captures the fullness of God's love, mercy and compassion. And that is really what this story is about. None of us is perfect. We are all sinners. We are all capable of selfishness, greed, rebelliousness, jealousy, judgmental behavior, anger and even worse sins. The good news is God loves us. God wants to be reconciled with us. God wants us to repent, to change our sinful ways and to come back to Him where we will be welcomed with open arms and great rejoicing.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32), today's gospel, is a great story about selfishness, greed, rebellion, jealousy, judgmental behavior and anger. It demonstrates how easy it is to fall as St. Paul reminded us in our second reading last week. However, the story also captures the fullness of God's love, mercy and compassion. And that is really what this story is about. None of us is perfect. We are all sinners. We are all capable of selfishness, greed, rebelliousness, jealousy, judgmental behavior, anger and even worse sins. The good news is God loves us. God wants to be reconciled with us. God wants us to repent, to change our sinful ways and to come back to Him where we will be welcomed with open arms and great rejoicing.
There is, of course, a catch. Just because God loves and forgives us does not mean we can hoard His love and forgiveness. God expects us to be just as loving, compassionate, forgiving and merciful as He is. In today's second reading, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, St. Paul says that since we are reconciled to God through the sacrifice of Jesus, God has "given us the ministry of reconciliation." As Christians, we are "ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us." And so, like the father in the Parable of the Prodigal Son and like God our Father we are challenged to be agents of reconciliation in our families, in our community and in our world.
God of compassion,
you await the sinner’s return
and prepare a feast to welcome home the lost.
Save us from the temptations
that draw us away from you.
Lead us back by the constancy of your love,
that we may take our place in your household
and gladly share our inheritance with others.
Grant this through Christ, our liberator from sin,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
holy and mighty God for ever and ever.
you await the sinner’s return
and prepare a feast to welcome home the lost.
Save us from the temptations
that draw us away from you.
Lead us back by the constancy of your love,
that we may take our place in your household
and gladly share our inheritance with others.
Grant this through Christ, our liberator from sin,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
holy and mighty God for ever and ever.
AMEN
