Homily (Reflection) for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (C) (31st March,
2019) on the Gospel
Josh 5:9-12;
Ps 33:2-7. (R.v.9);2Cor 5:17-21;
Lk 15:1-3.11-32.
A priest was preparing to throw
himself over a cliff. On the way he stopped at the house of a priest friend to
say goodbye. He told him the story of his sad life: how little he had loved God
and served the people. How he had broken every commandment there was. And now
his guilt was too great even for God to forgive.
His friend reasoned with him, “But you know that the mercy
of God is immeasurably great. And he always offers us his love. We must only
accept it.”
But the priest was still inconsolable, “my soul,” he said, “is
like a bucket full of holes. As soon as God fills it with forgiveness, it leaks
out.”
His friend took him by the hand and
said, “Perhaps your soul is like a bucket full of holes. But when it is thrown into
the ocean of God’s mercy, it does not matter how many holes are in it. The
mercy of God, like the sea water, will be inside and outside the bucket,
surrounding it from all sides.[1]’”
Topic: We deserve pity.
The loving father had two sons. The
younger one took his own share of their father’s wealth to a distant land and squandered
it after which things got really bad. When he returned to his father for forgiveness
he was immediately reinstated to his princely position instead of being treated
as a hired servant. Their father celebrated his return although his elder brother
who was in the field got so angry that he refused to enter the house. He felt their
father was unfair.
Some like the elder son do think that God is inconsiderate.
How could He be so blind to all one is going through just because of Him? Yet
His arms are ever wide-open welcoming sinners. Some even see themselves as
losers since they have little or nothing to show for their steadfastness.
God warns,
... when a righteous man turns away
from his righteousness and commits iniquity and does the same abominable things
that the wicked man does, shall he live? None of the righteous deeds which he
has done shall be remembered; for the treachery of which he is guilty and the
sin he has committed, he shall die (Ezek
18:24; cf. Ezek 3:20; 18:26).
And nobody knows when God will ask for each and every one of
us, cf. Matt 24:42; Mk 13:33, 35. Also
we read from the letter of Saint James, “whereas you do not know about
tomorrow. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time
and then vanishes” (Jas 4:14).
The book of Proverbs admonishes us, “Let not your heart envy
sinners, but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day” (Prov 23:17). Nobody in his or her right
senses will abandon his/her princely state and leaves the house he/she is
living in unless for something better. Sin is a disease, cf. Matt 13:15; Jn 5:14. And a sick person
deserves pity. Hence, the loving father rightly pleaded with the elder son,
“Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to
celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to
life; he was lost and has been found” (Lk
15:31-32). Those who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak,
and not to please themselves, cf. Rom
15:1.
In this parable also, we see the danger of what I prefer to
call autonomous or self-styled spirituality (one being in charge of his/her
spiritual life). The younger son never had problems until he left for a distant
land. In our introductory story we see a priest who would have ended it all if
not for the intervention of his priest friend. We will surely end up in problems
if we do not listen to good pieces of advice.
Again, it is not easy to make a u-turn. Although we do not
pray for more prodigal sons and daughters but whoever turns back ought to be
received not just by God but by all of us with arms wide-open. Many prodigal
sons and daughters die daily in distant lands.
And again, we all are prodigal sons and daughters of which I
am number one. Hence we read from prophet Isaiah, “All we like sheep have gone
astray; we have turned everyone to his own way” (Is 53:6). Similarly, we read from the book of Ecclesiastes, “Surely
there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Eccl 7:20).
Finally, fellow prodigal sons and
daughters, wait no more. You may have broken every commandment, it is time to
return to our Loving Father. The mercy of God is much bigger than all our sins.
Let us go back and sin no more, cf. Jn
5:14; 1Cor 15:34.
Bible Reading: Ezek 3:16-27; 18:1-32; Jas 4:13-17.
Thought for today: You deserve to live.
Let us pray: Lord help us to emerge victorious in
our battle against sin – Amen.
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May God bless you all+
[1]
Sagayanathan, A. (2009). Launching
pad: Stories for Sunday homilies – A, B & C. Bangalore: Asian
Trading Corporation, p. 266.
