Sunday Scripture Readings

Printer-friendly versionSend to friend FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT (LAETARE), MARCH 21 Joshua 5:9, 10-12; Psalm 34; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 OUR GOOD NEWS: Let us rejoice in our marvelously loving God, revealed especially through Jesus. "Laetare" (Rejoice!) Sunday is a welcome reminder that Lent is a "joyful season" (first Preface of Lent") in which "we prepare to celebrate the paschal (Easter) mystery with mind and heart renewed." The event described in our first reading was a high point in the history of God’s Chosen People. The story recaptures a time of rejoicing and celebration by the Israelites, for the promises God had made to their ancestors were finally being fulfilled. Let us join in this celebration! Now at last the people entered into the Promised Land and took possession, symbolized by the change from desert fare (manna) to homegrown food. Christians worldwide look forward with joy to celebrating the New Passover with Jesus, our Paschal sacrifice through His redemptive death and Resurrection, who invites us to the sacramental banquet that is the Eucharist. We seriously misread today’s most loved parable (Gospel) by calling it "The Prodigal Son." The focus centers rather on "The Loving Father of Two Ungrateful Sons." Moreover, it is "The Unforgiving Elder Son" who constitutes both the climax and the principal challenge to Jesus’ audience then, and to us today. Although the senior character in this parable obviously enjoyed great wealth and authority as a rich landowner, his priorities lay with his family: "A man had two sons." Neither of them acknowledged or returned his love. "The younger" put his own pleasure ahead of parental respect by selfishly asking for his inheritance at once, before his father’s death. The young playboy inevitably ended up penniless, a condition aggravated by "a great famine" resulting in exorbitant food prices. The revulsion of this Jew, reduced to taking care of unclean pigs and desperate enough even to eat their fodder, approximates our disgust at cockroaches and rats. In complete degradation the young man finally recognized the obvious. How generous his father now seemed, in contrast to his present tight-fisted employer! His carefully prepared speech summarizes two truths discovered only in adversity — the boy’s own selfishness and his father’s ungrudging kindness. How great a parent’s love that can recognize his son "while still a long way off!" The father promptly violated protocol by going out to meet him, and mocked propriety with his unseemly running. The heart of the parable lies in the appearance of elder son, who creates a distinctly unpleasant impression. Disgusted by the sounds and sight of joy, he pouted in anger, refusing even to enter his own house. For him, being a faithful son merely meant to "slave and never disobey," whereas what the father wanted was love and honor. The father’s contrasting gentleness and accepting love utterly amazes us. Instead of brusquely commanding him, the father "came out and began to plead with him." Jesus surprisingly left his story unfinished. Will the Pharisees — will we — admit to selfish insensitivity and humbly seek reconciliation offered our prodigal brothers?

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