Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
All of today’s scripture focuses on the great mercy of God. This is the Good News! We find great joy and hope in the belief that God will always be ready to forgive and welcome us back. The challenge for us is that we sometimes believe that God’s mercy should be limited to those we believe deserve His forgiveness. Jesus reminds us that God’s mercy is beyond measure and is available to all who ask and believe.
In the first reading, Micah describes God as a loving shepherd who guides His people with mercy and compassion. Micah recalls God’s past commitment to the Israelites, and he reminds them of the many “signs” that God has shown them to reveal his faithfulness. God has made his covenant with the “fathers from days of old,” and God is committed to these promises of pardon and clemency. Even the Responsorial Psalm sings the praises of the Lord, who is “kind and merciful.”
The gospel story recounts the story of the Prodigal Son. St. Luke reminds us that tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus, but Jesus directs the parable to the Pharisees and scribes who were questioning Jesus’ dinner companions. The forgiveness expressed by the father in this story illustrates a mercy that is grand-beyond our expectations. The dishonor that the son showed his father by leaving and squandering his inheritance is a deep insult that most would find difficult to forgive. And yet the father responds with open arms and a lavish reception with fine robes, rings on fingers, and fatted calves. He expresses his mercy in both word and deed. The joy of this restored relationship is announced with music and dancing, and a celebration of a life that was lost and then found.
The son who returns from his life of squander is bathed in the love of the father’s generous forgiveness. The older son, however, becomes angry when he learns that this great sinner has received such attention and reward. I can imagine that the older brother would say a phrase I hear commonly, “Not fair!” The father reminds the son that this same love and mercy has always been available to him. But the father also reminds his older son that he can and will be generous with his love to all who ask. The older son is reminded that “everything I have is yours,” but the son must also be able to rejoice in the kindness that others receive.
This story is a reminder to us as well. I hear Jesus calling me to withhold judgment against others. The Pharisees and scribes look down upon the sinners surrounding Jesus and question whether they are deserving of God’s mercy. I reflect on my own life, and I wonder how often I place myself in a position where I question if certain people are deserving of God’s mercy. It is particularly difficult if these individuals hold views very different than mine or live in ways that I find completely contrary to what I believe is right. I believe that Jesus is calling us first of all to recognize our need for mercy, since we are all sinners. Once we are grounded in God’s mercy, then Jesus calls us to pray for the ability to rejoice and be grateful for others who have sinned and receive God’s forgiveness. This parable reminds us that God’s mercy is not limited by human thoughts or beliefs. God mercy is beyond measure and is available for all to receive- all we need to do is ask.
Loving Father, Jesus shares with us the fullness of Your mercy through His life, death and resurrection. With the grace of Your Spirit, help us to seek Your mercy for our sins, and celebrate Your mercy for others. May we bless You and give you glory through the lives we lead. We pray this in Christ. AMEN.
Marylynn Herchline