Sunday, 31 March 2019
Audio Reflections of Monday, April 1, 2019
To hear the Audio Reflections of Monday, April 1, 2019 click HERE
Monday, April 1, 2019 - Do you believe in God only when things go the way you plan or do you continue to believe in all circumstances? Is your God only a miracle worker or is he a God with you and for you?
To read the texts click on the texts: Isa 65:17-21; Jn 4:43-54
The healing of the royal
official’s son (4:46-54) which is part of our text today begins after the
dialogue with the Samaritan woman (4:1-42). The first two verses of today’s
text (4:43-45) serve as an interlude between the two stories. John uses the
saying of the prophet having no honour in his own country, to show why Jesus
came to Galilee. In John, Judea is Jesus’ own country and since he was not
accepted there, he had to go to others including the Samaritans. Like the
Samaritans, the Galileans welcome him.
The first verse of the
miracle story that follows is an introduction narrating the case. The son of a
royal official is ill in Capernaum. The mention of Cana and a summary of the
first miracle of turning water into wine anticipate another miracle. The
healing in this miracle, however, is done at a distance. The official makes a
request for Jesus to come down and heal his son who is at the point of death.
The immediate response of Jesus is directed not to the official alone but to
all. That Jesus did heal the official’s son is an indication that his words are
not meant merely as a rebuke, but go deeper. Though the people will base their
faith in him merely on signs and wonders, Jesus invites them to realize that
these are not what will motivate him to act. He will act only in accordance
with the will of God. Human expectation cannot determine his action. Even after
hearing this seeming rebuke, the official is not deterred. He perseveres in his
request. With a word and from a distance, Jesus performs the healing. The official’s
faith is Jesus is seen in his obedience to the command to “Go”. He does go on
his way.
The attestation of the
miracle is provided by the servants of the official who meet him when he is
still on his way to his home. The official on further enquiry realizes that
Jesus is the one who has performed the healing and is led to faith. The man now
believes in Jesus, not only in Jesus’ word.
At the end of the miracle
John remarks that this was then second sign that Jesus worked after coming to
Galilee. In his Gospel, John always refers to the miracles of Jesus as signs.
Sickness and brokenness are
very much visible in our world today and most are in need of some form of
healing or another. At times doctors are not able to diagnose an illness and at
other times when they are and perform a complicated operation, ask the patient
and family members to pray and have faith. There is only so much that they can
do, the rest is in God’s hands. The official in the story had probably gone to
Jesus as a last resort (his son was not merely ill but at the point of death)
after having explored and exhausted all other avenues. He is single minded in
his purpose and will let nothing deter him. He believes and perseveres. His
faith gains for him not only his son’s life but also the gift of faith in
Jesus.
This means that faith cannot
be based on external signs alone and remain at that level. If it is and does,
then one will look at Jesus as a mere miracle worker. The focus here would be
only on the actions of Jesus and not on his person from which his actions flow.
If one is able to go beyond the action to the person of Jesus, then one will
also be able to see who God is: God with us, for us and in us.
Saturday, 30 March 2019
Sunday, March 31, 2019 - The Prodigal Father
To read the texts click on the texts: Jos 5:9-12; 2Cor 5:17-21; Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
There is no rationale
in the demand of the younger son. His demand was such that it would result, not
only in breaking family ties, but also in regarding his father as dead. The
father, however, holds back nothing. He gives all he can give to his sons; he
gives his very life. The granting of the demand of the younger son results in
his progressive estrangement. He first leaves home and his father and goes to a
faraway country. He also mismanages the money given to him. He spends it all on
loose living. His descent into poverty and deprivation is swift. He descends so
low that he agrees to work for a gentile, in a gentile land, ending swine.
Swine were an abomination to Jews, who were prohibited from raising swine. The
man who would dare to breed swine was considered cursed. The younger son
becomes a total destitute.
However, when he is at
the depth of his degradation and in the midst of mire and filth, he comes to
his senses. That he is serious about his return is shown in his actions. He
prepares his act of contrition, his plea for mercy and then, gets up from the
mire and begins the journey to his father. While the son is still a long way
off, the father runs to meet him. In the first century, it was considered
undignified for grown men to run. The father sets aside respect and dignity.
The son begins his speech but is not allowed to complete it. The father
interrupts his son even before he can finish, He gives instructions to his
servants to bring a robe, a ring, and sandals, all of which indicate that the
son is given back his original place as son. The call to kill the fatted calf
is a sign that the return of the son is to be regarded as a time of
celebration. The dead son has come alive. The lost son has been found. All sin
is forgiven, an iniquity is pardoned, and all guilt is erased by the embrace
of father and son.
This is only one part
of the parable and has to do with the vertical dimension and reconciliation. It
has to do with one’s relationship to God. The second part of the parable, in
which the elder son is introduced, has to do with the horizontal dimension and
is equally important. The elder son neither addressed his father, as father,
nor his brother, as brother. His focus is on merit and what he thinks is
rightfully his. This also leads him to point to the faults of the younger son,
his brother. His father, however, wants him to focus on the joy and delight of
welcoming his brother who has come back from darkness to light and from death to
new life.
While many of us can
resonate with the first and third parts of the parable, namely the demand of
the younger son for his share and the unforgiving attitude of the elder son, we
find it extremely difficult to believe or even fathom the centre of the parable
which concerns the forgiveness of the father. There are two possible reasons
for this. The first is that our image of God is warped. We concentrate only on
the judgement, anger, and wrath of God. We forget God’s unconditional mercy and
love as revealed in Jesus. The second reason is that we expect God to behave
with us like we behave with others. Since we are often unforgiving, like the
elder son, we think that God will be unforgiving with us as well. However, the
truth is that we have been loved first. We have been forgiven first and we have
been pardoned first. We have been accepted totally and completely by God. Even
the first reading of today speaks of the mercy that God had on the people when
God rolled away the disgrace of Egypt for Israel and they were given the
privilege of eating of the produce of the land. God erased their sin and
accepted them, even with their failings and their faults.
The readings of today
throw up a dual challenge. The first is to believe, and know, that God forgives
unconditionally no matter how grave our sin might be. It is to accept totally
the immeasurable depth of God’s boundless love. It is to realize, in the depths
of our hearts, that God is always willing to take us back. The second challenge
that follows from the first, and is related to it, is our acceptance and
forgiveness of others as God forgives us. This is the challenge that Paul
issues to the Corinthians in the second reading of today when he invites them
to be ambassadors for Christ. Anyone who claims to be a disciple and follower
of Christ has become a new creation and has been reconciled to God.
Friday, 29 March 2019
Audio Reflections of Saturday, March 30, 2019
To hear the Audio Reflections of Saturday, March 30, 2019 click HERE
Saturday, March 30, 2019 - Does the content of your prayer include despising or condemning others? Has pride prevented you from encountering God? What will you do about it today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Hosea 5:15 – 6:6; Lk18:9-14
The parable that forms the text today is knows as the
Parable of the Pharisee and tax Collector but is not so much about these
persons as it is about the disposition for prayer in any person. It is
exclusive to Luke. The parable is addressed not to the Pharisees, but to those
who “trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with
contempt”. This could be a description of any self righteous person.
The two men who went up to the temple to pray are
introduced as a Pharisee and a tax collector. Pharisee means “separated one”
and the Pharisee in the parable takes this prayer position. He stands apart or
by himself. Though he begins his prayer with thanksgiving, it is soon clear
that it is not genuine thanks, but self centered. He is aware of the presence
of the tax collector in the temple and regards him with contempt even as he
prays. The Pharisee makes clear that he follows the law perfectly and obeys
even the injunctions to fast and give tithes. He asks nothing of God probably
because he thinks he is self sufficient.
By contrast the tax collector will not dare to come
near but stands “far off”. This indicates his position before God. He does not
consider himself worthy. While the commonly accepted posture of prayer was with
hands folded and looking up to God, this tax collector stands with his head
bowed and “would not even look up to heaven”. Instead he beats his breast in
acknowledgement of the fact that he is unworthy and a sinner. His prayer is God
centered. He cedes all power to God. He has nothing to boast about.
The comment at the end of the parable makes clear its
intent. The Pharisee returned to his home without having been made righteous,
but the tax collector was accepted before God.
Those who trust in their own righteousness will regard
others with contempt, and those who regard others with contempt cannot then
bring themselves to rely on God’s grace. Therefore, persons who exalt
themselves over others and boast of their virtue before God will discover that
they have cut themselves off from both, and persons who are aware of their need
for grace and forgiveness will not be able to despise other people.
The nature of grace is paradoxical: It can be received
only by those who have learned empathy for others. In that regard, grace
partakes of the nature of mercy and forgiveness. Only the merciful can receive
mercy, and only those who forgive will be forgiven. The Pharisee had enough
religion to be virtuous, but not enough to be humble. As a result, his religion
drove him away from the tax collector rather than toward him.
Saturday, March 30, 2019 - Hosea 5:15 – 6:6; Lk 18:9-14
Saturday, March 30, 2019 - Hosea 5:15 – 6:6; Lk 18:9-14
Thursday, 28 March 2019
Audio Reflections of Friday, March 29, 2019
To hear the Audio Reflections of Friday, March 29, 2019 click HERE
Friday, March 29, 2019 - Will your love for God show in your love for at least one person today?
To read the texts click on the texts:Hosea14:2-10; Mk 12:28-34
In Matthew 22:35, the lawyer asks the question about the great
commandment in order to test Jesus; in Mark he is not hostile and does not
intend to test Jesus. As a matter of fact Mark mentions at the beginning of the
incident that the lawyer thought that Jesus had answered the Sadducees well and
at the end of that response, he commends Jesus for his answer.
Jesus responds
to the lawyer’s question in the words of the “Shema”, which speaks of love of
God (Deut 6:5-6), but adds also the love of neighbour (Lev 19:18 ). The scribe’s response to this is to
acknowledge Jesus’ answer as correct and to add that following these
commandments is greater than sacrifices and burnt offerings. Jesus concludes
the dialogue by stating that because the scribe has recognized what his
priorities are, he is not far from the kingdom of God
Love of God cannot really be separated from love
of neighbour. The two go together. Our love for God is made manifest and
tangible only when we reach out in love to someone else. While Paul gives a beautiful description of
what love is and what it is not in 1 Corinthians 13, my own definition of love
is that in love there is no “I”.
Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Audio reflections of Thursday, March 28, 2019
To hear the Audio reflections of Thursday, March 28, 2019 click HERE
Thursday, March 28, 2019 - Which is the demon that has possessed you and does not leave you free? Will you attempt to get rid of that demon today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Jer 7:23-28; Lk 11:14-23
The onlookers respond to the exorcism of a
demon that made a man mute, in different ways. While there are some who are amazed,
others attribute Jesus’ power to cast out demons to Beelzebul and still others
ask for a sign from heaven. This is an indication that no one doubted Jesus’
power to exorcise and heal. They attributed it to different sources.
In his
response to this charge and test, Jesus says that since exorcisms represented a
direct assault on Satan’s power and kingdom, it is clear that he cannot be on
Satan’s side. Also, if Jesus’ exorcisms’ were performed by the power of Satan,
the same would have to be said of other exorcists belonging to their community.
Instead Jesus’ works indicate that the kingdom of God
In the
simile of the strong man and his castle, Jesus explicates that he is the
stronger one who overpowers Satan who had guarded his kingdom well till this
time. Finally Jesus invites his listeners to take a stand for him. The saying
here is strong. If one does not positively opt for Jesus, one has opted against
him. The time now is for decision and choice.
Once he has answered his critics (11:17-23), Jesus
moves on to exhort his listeners to fill their lives with the kingdom of God,
because it is possible that despite the exorcism, if a person persists in his
old ways, he will be possessed once again and this will be ever worse than
before.
While there is no doubt that Jesus did exorcise
people who were possessed by demons, we must avoid getting caught up with
exorcisms ourselves. Rather, today there are many subtle forms of “possession”
which are more dangerous than “external possession”. Some of these are
consumerism, selfishness, ignorance and a better than thou attitude. We need to
ask the Lord to exorcise these demons from our lives.
Thursday, March 28, 2019 - Jer 7:23-28; Lk 11:14-23
Thursday, March 28, 2019 - Jer 7:23-28; Lk 11:14-23
Tuesday, 26 March 2019
Audio Reflections of Wednesday, March 27, 2019
To hear the Audio Reflections of Wednesday, March 27, 2019 click HERE
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 - When was the last time you performed an action without any expectation of reward? Will you perform one today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dt 4:1,5-9; Mt 5:17-19
These verses contain what are commonly known as the
“theme” of the Sermon on the Mount. In these verses, the Matthean Jesus makes
explicit that he is a law abiding Jew. His attitude towards the Jewish law is
fundamentally positive. However, Jesus also makes explicit here, that he has
come not merely to confirm or establish the law, but to fulfill or complete it.
This means that he will go beyond a purely legal interpretation to a broader
perspective. He will remove the focus from the mere external and concentrate on
the internal. The focus will be more on the attitude than merely on the action.
While laws, rules and regulations are necessary and
help towards order, it is also possible that they can become ends in themselves
and not as they are meant to be, means to an end.
We might follow in some cases the letter of the law, but miss out on its spirit. We might even follow the rule or law only because we are afraid of getting caught and punished and not because we are convinced of it.
We might follow in some cases the letter of the law, but miss out on its spirit. We might even follow the rule or law only because we are afraid of getting caught and punished and not because we are convinced of it.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 - Dt 4:1,5-9; Mt 5:17-19
Wednesday, March 27, 2019 - Dt 4:1,5-9; Mt 5:17-19
Monday, 25 March 2019
Audio Reflections of Tuesday, March 26, 2019
To hear the Audio Reflections of Tuesday, March 26, 2019 click HERE
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 - What would be your position if God kept a grudge against you for every sin you committed? Will you give up all your un-forgiveness today?
To read the texts click on the texts: Dan 3:25,34-43; Mt 18:21-35
The text of
today is the conclusion to Matthew’s “Community Discourse” (18:1-35). It begins
with a question from Peter about the number of times one is expected to
forgive. While Peter proposes seven times, Jesus’ response far exceeds that
proposal.
The number seventy-seven can be understood in this way or even as four
hundred ninety (seventy times seven). The point is not so much about numbers
but about forgiveness from the heart. If one has to count the number of times
one is forgiving, it means that one is not really forgiving at all.
The story that follows in 18:23-35 about the
king who forgave his servant a debt of ten thousand talents (a talent was more
than fifteen years wages of a labourer). The combination of “ten
thousand” and “talents” is the greatest possible figure and indicates the
unimaginable sum of money owed. An indication of how large this sum was can be
seen when compared with the annual tax
income for all of the territories of Herod the Great which was 900 talents per
year. The point is that the debt is unpayable. The servant in his desperation
asks for time to pay back the debt. The king knows that no matter how
much time is given to the servant he will never be able to pay back what he
owes and so forgives him all the debt in his magnanimity and generosity.
The debt of
the fellow servant to him pales in comparison with his own debt to the king.
Yet, if given time there was a clear possibility that the money could be
repaid, because though by itself it was a large sum, it would not be impossible
to repay. The servant who had been forgiven by the king will have none of it.
He refuses to listen and be convinced. When the matter is reported to the king
by the fellow servants, the king takes back his forgiveness because the one who
was forgiven could not forgive in turn. This indicates that he had closed
himself to the forgiveness of the king and not received it completely. The
conclusion is frightening because it will be impossible for the first servant
to repay the debt. This means that he will be tortured for eternity.
How easy it is to say “I am sorry” when we know we
are in the wrong or have done something that deserves punishment. We expect to
be forgiven by others when we do them harm after we have said sorry, and
sometimes if they do not forgive us, we get upset with them even more. We need
to apply the same yardstick to ourselves when others ask for forgiveness from
us.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 - Dan 3:25,34-43; Mt 18:21-35
Tuesday, March 26, 2019 - Dan 3:25,34-43; Mt 18:21-35
Sunday, 24 March 2019
Monday, March 25, 2019 - The Annunciation of the Lord - Will you like Mary say "Let it be done to me" and let the Lord do in you.
The
text chosen for the feast is that of the Annunciation as narrated by Luke. It
relates the scene immediately after the announcement of the birth of John the
Baptist and contains the announcement of the birth of Jesus. There are many
similarities in the annunciations to Mary and to Zechariah. The angel Gabriel
is the one who makes both announcements. Both Zechariah and Mary are called by
name and exhorted not to be afraid. Both ask a question of the angel, and it is
the angel who tells them what name each child is to be given. It is the angel who predicts what each child
will turn out to be. However, even as there are similarities, there are
differences in the narratives. While the announcement to Zechariah comes in the
Temple and as a result of his fervent prayer, the announcement to Mary comes
(apparently) when she is in her home and it is unanticipated. While Zechariah
and his wife Elizabeth are advanced in age, Mary has not yet stayed with her
husband, and so is a virgin. The birth of John to parents who are past the age
of child bearing is a miracle, but even greater is the miracle of the birth of
Jesus, who would be born through the Holy Spirit, and to a virgin. Even as John
the Baptist goes with the spirit and power of Elijah, Jesus will be called “Son
of God”. Luke clearly wants to show John as great, but only the forerunner of
the Messiah, Jesus, who is greater.
Here,
too, like in the case of the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist, God
intervenes in human history. Mary though
betrothed or engaged to Joseph, who was of David’s family, had not yet lived
with him. This she would do only after marriage, which would be one year after
the betrothal. The angel greets Mary as the recipient of God’s grace. She has
opened herself to the promptings of God’s Spirit. While Zechariah was gripped
with fear at the very appearance of the angel, in the case of Mary, it is the
angel’s greeting that perplexed her. The angel reassures Mary and makes the
announcement, not only of Jesus’ birth, but of who he will be and all that he
will accomplish.
In
response to this announcement Mary, like Zechariah, asks a question. While both
questions seem similar, it is clear that Zechariah’s question expressed doubt
and asked for a sign, as is evident in the angel’s words before Zechariah is
struck dumb. Mary’s question, on the other hand, is a question asked in faith.
Mary did not question the truth of the revelation like Zechariah did. She asked
only for enlightenment on how God would accomplish this wonderful deed. This
will be accomplished in Mary through the work of God’s spirit. This is why the
child will be called holy. Luke probably also intends to convey here that it is
not merit on Mary’s part that obtained for her what she received, but God’s
generous gift in the Spirit.
The
evidence that what the angel has announced will indeed take place is the
pregnancy of Elizabeth, for nothing is impossible for God. Mary responds, not
merely with a Yes, but by asking that the Lord work in her to accomplish all
that he wants. The annunciation would not have been complete without Mary’s
trusting, obedient response.
Today,
many assume that those whom God favours will enjoy the things we equate with a
good life: social standing, wealth, and good health. Yet Mary, God’s favoured
one, was blessed with having a child out of wedlock who would later be executed
as a criminal. Acceptability, prosperity, and comfort have never been the
essence of God’s blessing. The story is so familiar that we let its familiarity
mask its scandal. Mary had been chosen, “favoured,” to have an important part
in God’s plan to bring salvation to God’s people, but it is unthinkable that
God would have forced Mary to have the child against her will. Mary is an
important example, therefore, of one who is obedient to God even at great risk
to self.
When
we think of or reflect on Mary, the one word that comes to mind to describe her
whole life is the word, AMEN, a word which may be translated, “so be it”, “your
will be done”, “do whatever you want to do in my life”. This was, indeed,
Mary’s constant response to every situation in her life, especially when she
could not understand why things were happening the way they were. The text of
today is, then, a call and challenge to each one of us that we, too, like Mary,
might be able to say YES to everything that God wants to do in our lives. It is
a challenge to be open and receptive to the Spirit of God, so that we, too,
might be able to give birth to the Saviour in our hearts.
Saturday, 23 March 2019
Sunday, March 24, 2019 - Questions without answers
To read the texts click on the texts: Ex3:1-8a,13-15; 1 Cor 10:1-6,10-12; Lk13:1-9
The
first reading of today narrates Moses’ encounter with God. This encounter is
one of both revelation and concealment. God was, is, and will be, and yet, this
is not all that God is. Moses would never be able to fully understand or fully
comprehend who God really is. Even so, the “name” of God reveals power,
fidelity, and presence. God is revealed through this “name” as one who is able
to make something from nothing, one who can make the impossible, possible. God
is revealed as one who will remain faithful, even in the face of infidelity,
and one who will be eternally present to people. God will be there when called
upon. God will help when asked.
In
the Gospel reading of today, Jesus makes a similar point about the mystery of
God. Here, the point made is about God’s action. We can never fully understand
God’s ways. There is no answer to the question of why the Galileans, whom
Pilate had killed, had to die or, why it was that the specific group of
eighteen, on whom the Tower of Siloam fell, had to be crushed under it. Our
finite minds can never come up with plausible and believable answers to these
questions. They will remain mysteries. Yet, in the parable of the fig tree, and
even more, through the life and mission of Jesus, God is revealed as one who is
willing to give humans a chance to improve. God is revealed as one who will
continue to wait for humans to return to him. Since this is so, rather than
speculate on the question why, Jesus invites the people to repentance.
The
repentance that Jesus calls the people to is a change of mind, heart, and
vision. It is a practical rather than speculative response to God and to life.
It is an attitude that realizes that we will never have the answers to all the
questions that we can ask. We will never be able to answer credibly why one
person is stricken with the dreaded disease of cancer while another is healthy.
We will never be able to answer plausibly why one mother should deliver a still
born baby and another, a baby full of life. We will never be able to answer
believably why a young person dies in an accident because of the negligence of
someone else and why another, in the same vehicle, survives. In the face of
conundrums like these, there is but one response. That response is to accept
what happens as God’s will and plan for us. This does not mean that we develop
a fatalistic attitude. This does not mean that we must do nothing but accept
our fate. It does not mean that we must throw our hands up in despair because
there is no use at all. Rather, it means a response of faith and trust in a God
who will always do what is best for us.
Paul
speaks of this response in the second reading of today when he interprets the
Exodus event. At the time it happened, the people who went through it were not
able to comprehend it. They complained and grumbled. They thought that God was
not on their side. They thought God was unconcerned about them and their
plight. Yet, as has been shown, God was on their side, even when they could not
feel or see God’s presence as tangibly or as readily as they would have liked.
God continued to go ahead of them, lighting their path and guiding their way.
God was always present, even when they did not know it. The challenge for the
Corinthian community is to learn from this event that God does not abandon
people. Even in the face of the severest trials, even in the face of the
hardest hardships, even in the face of the sternest challenges, God is there
and does provide a way.
This
remains the challenge for us, even today. Though science and technology have
made much progress, and though we have found answers for many questions which
we did not know earlier, it is also true that there remains a great deal that
we do not know. There are, indeed, more things in heaven and earth than are
dreamt of in our philosophies and theologies.
Friday, 22 March 2019
Audio reflections of Saturday, March 23, 2019
To hear the Audio reflections of Saturday, March 23, 2019 click HERE
Saturday, March 23, 2019 - Am I “good” because of fear of punishment or hope of reward, or am I “good” because it is good to be good?
To read the texts click on the texts: Mic 7:14-15, 18-20; Lk15; 1-3, 11-32
The setting for the Parable of the Prodigal son (more correctly called “The Prodigal father”) is the same as at the beginning of Chapter 15 and concerns the murmuring of the Pharisees and scribes because Jesus eats with “tax collectors and sinners.”
The setting for the Parable of the Prodigal son (more correctly called “The Prodigal father”) is the same as at the beginning of Chapter 15 and concerns the murmuring of the Pharisees and scribes because Jesus eats with “tax collectors and sinners.”
Direct taxes (poll tax,
land tax) were collected by tax collectors employed by the Romans, while tolls,
tariffs, and customs fees were collected at toll houses by toll collectors, the
group that appears frequently in the Gospels and is not entirely accurately identified
as “tax collectors.” Toll collectors paid in advance for the right to collect
tolls, so the system was open to abuse and corruption. The toll collectors were
often not natives of the area where they worked, and their wealth and collusion
with the Roman oppressors made them targets of scorn.
Those designated as
“sinners” by the Pharisees would have included not only persons who broke the
moral laws but also those who did not maintain the ritual purity practiced by
the Pharisees. The scandal was that Jesus received such outcasts, shared table
fellowship with them, and even played host to them.
The beginning of the
Parable which speaks of “two sons” indicates that the focus is on their relationship to the Father and not to each other as “brothers”. The demand
of the younger son is disrespectful and irregular. There is no rationale here.
He was breaking family ties and treating his father as if he were already dead.
The father divides his life among
them. As soon as the younger son receives his share, there is a progressive
estrangement. He goes into a far away country which indicates gentile land and
mismanages the money given to him. He spends it all on loose living. His
descent into poverty and deprivation is swift. He descends as low as to agree
to work for a gentile and in a gentile land. Swine were an abomination to Jews,
and they were prohibited from raising swine anywhere. The man who would dare to
breed swine was considered cursed. Human
beings even ate carob pods, which were used as animal fodder, in times of
famine. This is an indication of the complete destitution of the younger son.
He comes to his senses when he is at the depth of his degradation and in the
midst of mire and filth.
There are four parts to the speech that the younger
son prepares
1. An address – “Father”
2. A confession – “I have sinned”
3. Contrition – “I am no longer worthy”
4. A Petition – “treat me as one of your
hired servants.
The journey begins with coming to himself and
ends with his going to his Father. It means learning to say ABBA again, putting
one’s whole trust in the heavenly Father, returning to the Father’s house and
the Father’s arms. That the younger son is serious about his return is shown in
his action. He gets up from the mire and begins the return to his father.
The father’s response is mind boggling. While the
son is still a long way off, he runs to meet him. In the first century it was
considered undignified for grown men to run. The father sets aside respect and
dignity. His only focus is his son. The son begins his speech but is not
allowed to complete it. The father interrupts his son even before he can
finish. He gives instructions to his servants for a robe, ring and sandals all
of which indicate that the son is given back his original place as son. The
call to kill the fatted calf is a sign that the return of the son is to be
regarded as a time of celebration. The dead son has come alive, the lost son
has been found.
Even as the celebration is on, the elder son is
introduced. When he is informed about the reason for the celebration, he sulks
and refuses to enter the house. Like in the case of his younger son, the father
goes to meet his elder son. However, while he does not have to plead with the
younger son, he does so with the elder son. The elder son does not address his father
as “Father”, nor does he refer to his brother as “brother”. He argues his case
on the grounds of merit and what he thinks he rightfully deserves. Even as he
does this, he points to the failings of the younger son. What then is the point
of being good?
In his response to the elder son, the father first
addresses his son as “Son” though he was not addressed as “Father” and also
reminds him that the younger son is also his brother. Reconciliation for the
younger son meant reconciliation with his father, but for the elder son it
means reconciliation with his brother. There is thus both the vertical
dimension and the horizontal dimension of reconciliation.
Much of the fascination of
this parable lies in its ability to resonate with our life experiences: adolescent
rebellion; alienation from family; the appeal of the new and foreign; the
consequences of foolish living; the warmth of home remembered; the experience
of self-encounter, awakening, and repentance; the joy of reunion; the power of
forgiveness; the dynamics of “brotherly love” that leads to one brother’s
departure and the other’s indignation; and the contrast between relationships
based on merit and relationships based on faithful love.
Unfortunately, we usually
learn to demand our rights before we learn to value our relationships. The
younger son was acting within his rights, but he was destroying his closest
relationships in the process. How many times a week will a parent hear one child
say to another, “This is mine. Give it to me”? Children quickly learn to demand
their rights, but it often takes much longer for them to learn how to maintain
relationships. Governments and law courts defend our civil rights, but how do
we learn to defend our civil and familial relationships?
From a distance, the “far
country” can be very appealing. Young people leave home for fast living.
Spouses move out to form liaisons with exciting new partners. The glow that
surrounds the far country is a mirage, however. Home never looks as good as
when it is remembered from the far country.
The journey home begins
with coming to oneself. That means that the most difficult step is the first
one. The younger son had to face himself in the swine pen of his own making
before he faced his father on the road. Pride can keep us from admitting our
mistakes; self-esteem may require us to take decisive action to set right the
things we have done wrong.
Although the opportunity
to restore relationships and remedy wrongs begins with coming to oneself, it
requires more. We must go to the person we have wronged. Was the younger son
just seeking to improve his situation, or was he seeking reconciliation with
his father? The direct confession in his interior monologue confirms the
sincerity of his intent. Neither the younger son’s pride nor his shame mattered
as much as his need to restore his relationship to his father. He did not ask
for his filial privileges to be restored. He did not even ask for forgiveness.
He merely stated his confession. When the prodigal son came to himself, he came
to his father. . . .
The temptation a parent
faces is to allow the child’s separation to become reciprocal. If the child
separates from the parent, the
parent may be tempted to respond in kind. The
parable’s model of parental love insists, however, that no matter what the son/daughter
has done he/she is still son/daughter. When no one else would even give the
prodigal something to eat, the father runs to him and accepts him back. Love
requires no confession and no restitution. The joyful celebration begins as
soon as the father recognized the son’s profile on the horizon.
Insofar as we may see
God’s love reflected in the response of the waiting father, the parable
reassures all who would confess, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before you.” The father runs to meet his son even before the son can voice his
confession, and the father’s response is far more receptive than the son had
dared even to imagine. The father’s celebration conveys the joy in heaven. The
picture is one of sheer grace. No penance is required; it is enough that the
son has come home.
If this is the picture of
God’s joy in receiving a sinner coming home, then it can also give assurance of
God’s love to those who face death wondering how God will receive them. In the
end we all return home as sinners, so Jesus’ parable invites us to trust that
God’s goodness and mercy will be at least as great as that of a loving human
father.
The elder brother
represents all of us who think we can make it on our own, all of us who might
be proud of the kind of lives we live. Here is the contrast between those who
want to live by justice and merit and those who must ask for grace. The parable
shows that those who would live by merit can never know the joy of grace. We
cannot share in the Father’s grace if we demand that he deal with us according
to what we deserve. Sharing in God’s grace requires that we join in the
celebration when others are recipients of that grace also. Part of the
fellowship with Christ is receiving and rejoicing with others who do not
deserve our forgiveness or God’s grace. Each person is of such value to God,
however, that none is excluded from God’s grace. Neither should we withhold our
forgiveness.
The parable leaves us with
the question of whether the elder brother joined the celebration. Did he go in
and welcome his brother home, or did he stay outside pouting and feeling
wronged? The parable ends there because that is the decision each of us must
make. If we go in, we accept grace as the Father’s rule for life in the family.
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How would you define your relationship with God?
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What names do you use to address God?
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What does this tell you about your relationship?
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Is my prayer like that of the younger son, “Give me, give me, and give
me”?
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How often have I said, “This is mine”?
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How often have my own desires and the desire for personal gratification
got the better of me?
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Write a prayer which indicates your acknowledgement of the need for
grace, and which will end with confidence that the Father will take you back.
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Do you feel guilt whenever you sin?
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Do you begin to hate yourself when you feel you do not come up to the
mark?
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Do I sometimes have “a better than thou” attitude?
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Do others have to lose in order for me to win?
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Am I “good” because of fear of punishment or hope of reward, or am I
“good” because it is good to be good?
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God has FORGIVEN YOU, have you FORGIVEN YOURSELF/OTHERS?
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1 Jn 4,20 – If any one says, “I love God,” and hates his
brother/sister, he/she is a liar, for he/she who does not love his/her
brother/sister whom he/she has seen, cannot love God whom he/she has not seen.”
Do you agree with this way of thinking? If yes, why? If No, why not?