March 10, 2013

Bulletin: March 10, 2013

4^th Sunday of Lent C

Joshua 5:9-12; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
The Prodigal Son story; what an awesome description of how much love God has for each person. It does not matter to God where the person has been, what they have done, what they are afraid of or how they regard God. God just loves each person and is constantly leading them, encouraging them, helping them to recognize His love and to bring them to Him. God just plain loves; and I have to realize that He loves me just the way that I am: when I love myself or hate myself; when I am pleased with how I am responding to God or when I have closed God out and am concerned just with myself. God is constantly loving me and bringing me closer to Him but I have to respond and constantly be molding myself in the way that Jesus taught and the Spirit directs me. God is doing the same for each person; how great God is.
I’ve been thinking about the older son, I never really liked him, he just seemed to me to be too smug and not interested in any way in helping his ‘lost brother’ who came back repentant. But he had a point: he had done everything his father had ever asked. He showed his loyalty and in doing this showed his respect for the father. He could have ‘demanded’ some sort of reward: a gift, a party or the like, but he just did his work day in and day out. So putting this into the story what would it be like if the father had ‘agreed’ with the older son, and told the son to go away or that he could stay but take the ‘lowest’ position at the estate. Would this be fair and just? I would have to say that it would be but where is mercy in this? Can you have justice without mercy? And if you can’t, where does mercy come in and how much is one to be merciful? I have to look at myself in this: how often has God been merciful to be: a lot, in fact all the time. I receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation monthly admitting that I am a sinner and constantly in need of God’s mercy. If I didn’t use this sacrament, I would tend to think that I’m OK and that I’m living just as Jesus taught and the ‘little sins’ that I do aren’t all that bad. Yet how can any ‘little sin’ be not that bad? Am I loving when I do this sin (these sins) NO…and didn’t Jesus say that I must always love; each person, even ‘my enemies’ and that I must pray for them too? YES. So am I bordering on being a hypocrite and self-righteous as Jesus so often accused many Pharisees? YES. Then this parable tells me that the Father loves me and extends His mercy, all the time and forgives me if I ask to be forgiven. So where am I at and how do I apply the message of this parable to my Lenten journey and my daily journey to be Jesus and preparing myself for the Kingdom?

I went to Msgr. Romano Guardini’s masterful work, ‘The Lord’ as I do so often to help me in my reflection. He says, “Justice is good. It is the foundation of existence. But there is something higher than justice, the bountiful widening of the heart to mercy. Justice is clear, but one step further and it becomes cold. Mercy is genuine, heartfelt; when backed by character, it warms and redeems. Justice regulates, orders existence; mercy creates. Justice satisfies the mind that all is as it should be, but from mercy leaps the joy of creative life. That is why it is written that heaven rejoices more over one sinner who does penance than over a hundred just who have no need of it.” This helps so much and in a few pages Msgr. Romano helps me even more: “Thus the return of the younger son introduces an hour of destiny for his older brother. The parable adds nothing to the description of the incident, but it is self-evident that he is faced with a fundamental decision: if he insists upon justice only, he will force himself into a position of narrowness that will curtail his own liberty of heart and spirit. On the other hand, if he accepts the truth in his father’s words, he will understand the true nature of conversion and pardon, and enter in to the kingdom of creative freedom that lies above justice.” Then he concludes:

“Nevertheless, the proprietor’s unwelcome reply hits the nail on the head. We begin to understand when we realize that he represents God. The parable means simply this: He who distributes work and wage and the various destinies of men is the Lord of all existence, God. He is the Creator, the Omnipotent, the Primal One. Everything that is, is His. There is no higher law higher than He. His decision is always valid. Do we agree? Sincerely? NO, Even from God we demand justice. We expect His omnipotence to be curbed by His justice. This expectation is not irreligious. There is a whole book in the Bible on the self-assertion of justice in the face of God: the Book of Job. Job knows he has not sinned, at least not so as to have deserved anything like the terrible afflictions that have been sent him. Therefore he sees himself a victim of injustice. Job’s friends appoint themselves his judges and declare that he must have sinned, for such misfortune can only be punishment. However, the palaver comes to a sudden end; they are disdainfully silenced by God Himself, who personally appears to Job, wrapped in the mantle of living mystery, where upon all discussion ceases. What does this mean? That we attempt to call God to order in the name of justice only as long as we are intrinsically ignorant of who He is. As soon as the essence of His holy being even begins to dawn on us, our objections wither away. For everything comes from God, has its roots in God. Justice is not a law superior to everything, God included. God is justice.” So I come to learn more about this God who doesn’t fit into my mold…but is God. I have to see what God is telling me about Himself; when I’m open to learn, and then I can realize His closeness, love and mercy. So I reflect on:

• How often I say or think that ‘I’ve forgiven what they’ve done, but I’ll never be able to forget. How can I say this? The Prodigal Son is about God’s unconditional love that involves His forgiveness and forgetting the sin when sorrow is expressed. Lord help me!
  
• Do I think that the prodigal son felt he would be welcomed back by his father? Do I always feel God will forgive me and welcome me back? Why or why not?
  

Sacred Space puts in the positive for me: “The son who stayed at home seemed to have lost sight of his father’s generous character. I ask God to bless me with a life-giving understanding of our relationship.

God has a heart full of love for me; for what do I ask? I rejoice with God at signs of life, at the rediscovery of what has been lost or forgotten.”

“Return to your heavenly Father this Lenten season. Give God a chance to welcome you back.”