(LAETARE SUNDAY)

First Reading: Jo 5:9a.10-12; Psalm: 34. R.v.9a; Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:17-21; Gospel: Lk 15:1-3.11-32

GOD’S BOUNDLESS LOVE AND MERCY

BY FR VALENTINE NNAMDI EGBUONU, MSP

In the Catholic Church, on every Fourth Sunday of Lent, the sober and contemplative atmosphere of Lent is relaxed a little as we come half-way to celebrating the joy of the Easter resurrection. This explains why this Sunday is also called the Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday. On this day, the liturgical celebration permits the use of the rose colour as substitute to the traditional violet colour proper to Lent. Instrumental music is permitted and the altar may be decorated with flowers. The mood of rejoicing on this day is also portrayed in our gospel reading taking from the gospel of Luke, where the Father rejoices over the return of his prodigal son whom he welcomed with great joy and lavish banquet.

Luke’s gospel is distinctively regarded as the ‘gospel of mercy’ on account of the manner in which Luke depicts God as a merciful Father who welcomes back sinners who repent and make a turnaround. In Luke chapter 15, there are three parables in this regard. The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Lk 15:3-7). The Parable of the Lost Coin (Lk 15:8-10). And the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Lk 15:11-32). Amongst these three parables, the Parable of the Prodigal Son stands out as the ‘queen of all the parables.’ Not only is it lengthy and enthralling, but Christ also narrated it in a very contextual and affective style.

In this parable, in response to the Pharisees who murmured against him for mingling with tax collectors and sinners, Christ highlights that God’s mercy and love is dependent on divine grace not self-righteousness. The demand of the younger son for a share of his inheritance is abominable, for that is tantamount to wishing his father dead. His departure to a far country where he indulged in reckless living represents our departure from God through sin. When we sin, we are the ones who wilfully walk away from God. God does not walk away from us.

Having squandered his possession, the younger son was in need and had to feed and dine with pigs to survive. Feeding pigs, and worst still, living and dining with them renders a Jew unclean. Deuteronomy 14:8 and Leviticus 11:7 forbids pig. “The pig despite having divided hooves, is unclean because it does not chew the cud, and therefore, you are not to eat its meat or touch its carcass.” (Dt 14:8). This condition of the younger son therefore highlights the state that sin puts us. Sin degrades us socially and spiritually.

However, he came to his senses and decided to return to his father. The clause “He came to his senses” represents our need to acknowledge our sins and repent from them. The father’s haste to meet his lost son upon his return and his embrace depicts God’s willingness to forgive and receive those who return to him. The kiss, the robe and the shoes are signs of full restoration not mere acceptance. The feast represents the joy in heaven over our repentance.

This parable, more than ever, reminds us of how sin can damage us and how God is offering us in this season of Lent his unconditional love and willingness to forgive our sins. This parable also reveals that God’s mercy and love is dependent on divine grace, not self-righteousness. Our obedience to God does not make us the sole worthy recipient of God’s mercy and love. This is what the elder son who represents the pharisees failed to understand. God loves both the sinner and the righteous. God hates sin but loves the sinner. We cannot curry favour with God simply because we feel we are righteous. God is not beholden to us simply because we are good Christians. God owes us nothing. What we receive from God is out of his grace and mercy.

The parable of the prodigal son is so rich. We can draw several lessons from it. But I would like to highlight just two in the persons of the younger and the elder son.

In this season of Lent, this parable calls us to identify our mistakes, acknowledge and accept them. In our interhuman relationships, if we cannot come to our senses, acknowledge and accept our mistakes, we cannot grow. The first step to growth and human development is identifying and accepting our faults as did the younger son irrespective of how regrettable they are. This can help build our marriages, family, and work relationships. The same applies to our spiritual life. Repentance begins when we acknowledge our sins in sincere contrition without dismissively denying them. A sincere sinner is better than a self-righteous Christian who feels no need of God’s mercy. Very many of us believe that holiness is attained when we have no sin to confess anymore. But the reverse is the case. The more we grow in holiness, the more the scales fall from our eyes that we begin to see the sins we failed to see before.

The second lesson is that God’s mercy and love can be extended to those we least expect which emphasises God’s unbiased volition. God can bless or make good things come the way of those we consider unrighteous and worldly even before God grants our own prayer intentions. Now, this leaves us in the shoes of the elder son whom this parable left open his next line of action after his father appealed to him. We were not told if he went in or walked away angrily. So, how do we react when God chooses to have good things come the way of those we feel are less deserving of them? Do we celebrate with them, or do we feel unfairly treated and angry at God?  

When a neighbour who is grumpy, unmannerly, wayward and uninterested about Church matters gets a well-paid job, buys a house, a car and numerous properties while we are still freelancing and searching for a good job; how do we sort this out with God? Do we go sulking on God and renounce our faith or do we thank God for his blessings on our neighbour and keep on believing?

God could be speaking to us through the actions of any of the two sons or both. Lent is a time to come to our senses and make a turnaround. No one is exempted. Lent is also a time to trust in God’s boundless mercy and love that we are all in need of. We are all sinners. No one is more deserving of God’s love and mercy. And only God knows the best way to sort this out.  

PRAYER FOR THE DAY

Lord Jesus, we pray for the humility to acknowledge our shortcomings and for the grace to trust in your love and mercy. Amen.