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“The Return of the Prodigal Son”
by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, c. 1669 |
Readings for Saturday of the
Second Week of Lent [1]
Readings from the Jerusalem
Bible [2]
Readings and Commentary:[3]
Reading I: Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
That dwells apart in a woodland,
in the midst of Carmel.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
as in the days of old;
As in the days when you came from
the land of Egypt,
show us wonderful signs.
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his
inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our
sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old.
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Commentary on Mi
7:14-15, 18-20
This is the very end of the book of the prophet Micah. In
the previous chapters he has chastised and condemned the excesses and
corruption of Jerusalem and Samaria (rich exploiters of the poor, fraudulent
merchants, venal judges, corrupt priests and prophets). Now at the end,
he presents the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy to those who return to him.
The passage begins with a prayer of Micah. He asks that the people
(likely a remnant returning to the region following their exile in 537 BC)
might be given back their historical lands and live in peace. Following the two
verses not used, in which the prophet proclaims that all surrounding nations
will be in fear of the power of God, he continues with two petitions in a
prayer of thanksgiving for God’s mercy and forgiveness. The first is a petition
to Yahweh, probably dating from the time of return from exile. There is a note
of longing that comes through: “and will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our
sins.”
The second petition is Israel’s prayer for forgiveness: “Who
does not persist in anger forever but delights rather in clemency.” It
recalls God’s pledge of faithfulness and grace. His mercy flows from his love
of the people. “The book ends by recalling the promises of the covenant binding
Yahweh and the patriarchs. The Lord had pledged his ‘faithfulness’ ('emet)
and ‘grace’ (hesed) to the Israel of old, and he was not about to renege
now.” [4]
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10,
11-12
R. (8a) The Lord is kind and
merciful.
Bless the LORD, O my soul;
and all my being, bless his holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He pardons all your iniquities,
he heals all your ills.
He redeems your life from destruction,
he crowns you with kindness and compassion.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
He will not always chide,
nor does he keep his wrath forever.
Not according to our sins does he deal with us,
nor does he requite us according to our crimes.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so surpassing is his kindness toward those who
fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he put our transgressions from us.
R. The Lord is kind and merciful.
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Commentary on Ps
103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12
Psalm 103 is a song of praise and thanksgiving to God for his
mercy. It recognizes both God’s mercy and our need, as sinners, for it. The
psalmist rejoices in God’s saving help following a period of
adversity. The link between forgiveness and healing is brought out,
driving home the fact that forgiveness by God heals the soul and that his
forgiveness is available always.
CCC: Ps 103 304
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Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
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.’“
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Commentary on Lk
15:1-3, 11-32
The topic of repentance and forgiveness comes to a climax with St.
Luke’s parable of the Prodigal Son, one of the two “Parables of Mercy” found in
this section. The parables distill the essence of the Good News. Found
only in St. Luke’s Gospel, the imagery is instantly clear that this is to be an
analogy. The father in the story represents God and the prodigal son followers
of Christ, when they repent their sins. Interestingly, the older brother also
represents Christians when they do not forgive those who have also sinned. We
are given the picture of the loving father welcoming his son home, an allusion
used also in the parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:3-7). The
invitation implicit is that those who seek forgiveness find it in God. "Although
the word 'mercy' does not appear, this parable nevertheless expresses the
essence of the divine mercy in a particularly clear way" (St. John Paul
II, "Dives In Misericordia," 5).
“The Pharisaical mentality can simply not tolerate anything that
escapes the control of the ritual prescriptions of which they are the
stewards—which is to say, anything that escapes their personal control, the
tyranny of their virtues! Thus, the Greek Church prays on the Sunday of the
Pharisee and the Publican, the day that launches the preparation for the season
of Lent: ‘We see that the mad arrogance that comes from a wealth of virtues
fosters the greatest indigence; but self-abasement is the means to acquire
justification, because the plight is so extreme. Let us, then, build humility
as our foundation.’” [5]
CCC: Lk 15 1443, 1846; Lk
15:1-2 589; Lk
15:11-32 545, 2839; Lk
15:11-31 1700; Lk
15:11-24 1439; Lk
15:18 1423, 2795; Lk
15:21 2795; Lk
15:23-32 589; Lk
15:32 1468
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Reflection:
The prophet Micah’s oracle tries to tell us
something of the depth of God’s love and mercy. The parable of the
Prodigal Son, told by Jesus, provides a living example of the unwavering love
of God for his children. The revelation of God’s love is one of the great
pillars of our faith and a core reason Jesus was sent as man to walk among us.
It is the notion that God’s forgiveness is endless, his embrace is
unreserved.
All of this we know, we have been taught; the
Church has provided an avenue for us to experience it. Yet, why is it so
difficult for us to accept it? Oh, we do not mean intellectually.
Intellectually we know that God’s invitation is always there. His hand is
always outstretched. Intellectually we know that, by dying on the cross,
Jesus offered the great sacrifice of atonement that removed the sting of death
brought upon us by Adam’s fall from grace. Intellectually we know that
the repentant sinner is loved and cherished by God, even if that person only
repented at the last moment of life.
But when it comes down to our hearts, we cannot
simply let go of our sin and allow the loving Father to welcome us home and
embrace us. There is in us that dark corner of our souls that holds back.
It is that fear that tells us, “wait, the sins we have committed are
unforgivable,” or, “wait, the sin we have committed gave us enjoyment and we
may want to go there again. Don’t go back just yet.” These warring
emotions battle within us, keeping us from accepting the loving embrace of our
Lord. They keep us from offering ourselves wholly to the Father who wants us to
come home.
It is one of the most difficult things we can
do, accepting forgiveness for our sins. Part of the reason for this is
that before we can fully accept the Father’s forgiveness, we must accept that
his forgiveness is truly there. Then and only then can we forgive
ourselves as well. It is only when our faith allows us to accept that God
forgives our most vile faults that we can live in freedom from sin. It is
only in turning away from those sins that we can come home to our loving Father.
The parable of the Prodigal Son is one that, for
all of us, should embody our Lenten journey. It is, after all, a journey
home to the Father after we have once more squandered our inheritance.
Pax
Stations of the Cross
[1]
The picture
is “The Return of the Prodigal Son” by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn, c. 1669.[2]
S.S.
Commemoratio[3]
The
readings are taken from the New American Bible, with the exception of the psalm
and its response which were developed by the International Committee for
English in Liturgy (ICEL). This republication is not authorized by USCCB and is
for private use only.[4]
Jerome Biblical
Commentary (Prentice Hall, Inc. © 1968), 17:33, p. 289.[5]
Leiva-Merikakis, Erasmo. Fire of Mercy, Heart of the Word: Volume I (Ignatius
Press. Kindle Edition), 528.
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