Gospel: Luke 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.’”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Can you measure the love of God?
The infinite love of God is showcased in our
gospel for this fourth Sunday of Lent. The loving and infinitely forgiving
father is no other than God. And the repentant younger son who squandered all
of his inheritance through debauchery and sinful living could be anyone of us.
We may think that because of our many sins we
are already beyond reach by God’s love, mercy and forgiveness. No, the Lord can
still reach us no matter how far we have strayed. Why? For the reason that God’s love is pervading
and infinite. It’s like the sun which is available to all of us no matter the
sins that we have committed and no matter who we are.
But for us to be reached by this infinite and
pervading love of God. We must first be willing to repent from all of our sins.
And we must be willing to humble ourselves before God. We have to humbly admit
and realize that we are all sinners. Thus, just like the younger son we
too are in need of God’s mercy, love and forgiveness.
It’s about time that we return back to our
forgiving, merciful and loving God. It’s about time that we repent and leave
behind us our sinful lives and those people who influence us to commit sin. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
No comments:
Post a Comment