Saturday March 6  

SECOND WEEK OF LENT

A God Prodigal in His Mercy

Introduction

When we forgive those who have hurt us, often some scars remain and take a long time to heal. Even if we have not personally suffered from a crime, we cry for blood and vengeance in the name of society, and we don’t treat a released prisoner or sinner who has made up for his failure as if he had done no wrong. But God does. He remains faithful to the love once given. He comes forward both to welcome the returning sinner and to invite the brother or sister who has a hard time to welcome his lost brother or sister to share in the joy of forgiveness and his return.

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 the destiny of ourselves
and for the happiness of others.
Make us responsive to your love
through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Reading 1: Mi 7:14-15, 18-20

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.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

(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.

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 Gospel:  Lk 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.

Gospel: Lk 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.'”

Intercessions

• For priests, that in their pastoral of the sacrament of reconciliation they may learn from the Father to be joyful, patient and uplifting, we pray:
• For those who have not yet learned to forgive, that they may discover the joy and the peace that the feast of forgiveness brings, we pray:
• For those who feel guilty, that they may find the courage to seek forgiveness, we pray:

Prayer over the Gifts

God, our Father,
through your Son Jesus Christ in this eucharist
you come forward to welcome us
to the joy of forgiveness and peace.
May your Son give us the strength
to be merciful as you are,
that we may build up and welcome
rather than condemn and reject,
for we too are in need of your pardon
through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer after Communion

Father in heaven,
your love creates us anew when we have failed.
May our hearts reach out to sinners
and to all those in need
without any condescension.
Keep us carrying out our task
of reconciling and uniting
all races and tongues and social classes
and to build bridges of peace,
that we may go together
toward the joys of your home of welcome.
We ask this through him
in whose sacrifice of reconciliation we share,
your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Blessing

We have to celebrate and rejoice when brothers and sisters of ours had been dead and have come back to life through forgiveness; they were lost and have been found. Rejoice, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Commentary

The parable of the lost sons in the Gospel tells our own story today—and in each of us there are these two children.

Judaism taught that God granted his pardon to those who had sincerely repented and expressed their desire to be converted through fasting, penance, torn clothes, prostrations. But the image of God brought to light by Jesus was very different from how the religious leaders imagined: We have a God who sets a banquet for those who do not deserve it, and invites sinners to his banquet, without checking if they are repentant, if they are sincerely determined to change their lives. He embraces them without asking them any questions.

Through the parable, Jesus reveals the true face of God the Father who loves not only the righteous and repentant sinners; but loves everyone, always and without conditions. Then there is an inevitable question: if God loves also the wicked, then why strive to behave well? It is to answer this question that Jesus (vv. 25-32) introduces the eldest son in the parable today.

The elder brother is a true representative of the Pharisees and religious leaders and even we can easily identify with whim. He presents his sincere following of his duties to his father, as if to remind the Father: “I have not transgressed any command, I have always served you faithfully…” It is the perfect portrait of the scrupulously law-abiding Pharisee, who in the temple would say to the Lord: “I am not like other people, grasping crooked or adulterous. I fast twice a week and give the tenth of all my income” (Lk 18:11-12). Does he sound familiar in our lives? We have attended the Sunday Mass without fail, prayed the novenas and litanies faithfully, observed the lent with utmost care… But please don’t ask me to forgive and love that brother or sister who wronged me!

In the parable, the younger son uses the word “father” five times. He knows although he does not deserve anything, he received everything free from his Father. On the lips of the eldest son instead/ the word “father” never appears. We have a Father who awaits our return, no matter how wrong have we gone. Have the freedom of the children to fall into the tender loving embrace of the father.