Read It:
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.’”
Reflect on It: Today, we stop and rejoice in the midst of Lent. It's Laetare Sunday which means we stop and rejoice in what Christ has done for us! We see his mercy is forefront. God loves us and embraces us when we trust in and rely on his mercy. The fattened calf is slaughtered and we are welcomed into his embrace.
Pray About It: Lord, I never want to leave you. Help me to always come back to your mercy.
Live It! Challenge: Today, pray for mercy in your life and make a plan to go to confession this week. St. James is open for confession this Wednesday from 6:30-8 pm.
