Frederick, Maryland,
United States - Daily Mass Reading & Meditation for Saturday, 22 March 2014
- Catholic Meditations
Meditations: Luke
15:1 Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming close to him to hear
him. 2 The Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man welcomes
sinners, and eats with them.”
3 He told them this
parable.
11 He said, “A
certain man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father,
give me my share of your property.’ He divided his livelihood between them. 13
Not many days after, the younger son gathered all of this together and traveled
into a far country. There he wasted his property with riotous living. 14 When
he had spent all of it, there arose a severe famine in that country, and he
began to be in need. 15 He went and joined himself to one of the citizens of
that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He wanted to
fill his belly with the husks that the pigs ate, but no one gave him any. 17
But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many hired servants of my father’s
have bread enough to spare, and I’m dying with hunger! 18 I will get up and go
to my father, and will tell him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in
your sight. 19 I am no more worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of
your hired servants.”’
20 “He arose, and
came to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him, and was
moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. 21 The
son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight. I am
no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father
said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe, and put it on him. Put a ring
on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf, kill it, and
let us eat, and celebrate; 24 for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again.
He was lost, and is found.’ They began to celebrate.
25 “Now his elder
son was in the field. As he came near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 He called one of the servants to him, and asked what was going on. 27 He
said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened
calf, because he has received him back safe and healthy.’ 28 But he was angry,
and would not go in. Therefore his father came out, and begged him. 29 But he
answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never
disobeyed a commandment of yours, but you never gave me a goat, that I might
celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this, your son, came, who has devoured
your living with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’
31 “He said to him,
‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But it was
appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is
alive again. He was lost, and is found.’”
2nd Week of Lent
I shall get up and
go to my father. (Luke 15:18)
Imagine for a minute
that you are the prodigal son. You have taken off with your father’s money and
now have nothing to show for it. What you’ve done with it, you can’t mention
out loud. You’re so deep in debt you can’t feed yourself, so you’re starving.
Your life is so complicated that you can’t see any way out.
Mercifully, not many
of us get to that point. And yet, some of us have had experiences we can’t
mention in public. Some of us have squandered God’s grace recklessly or
foolishly. Some of us are spiritually starving for God’s love and affection,
forgiveness and affirmation.
If that’s you, do
what the prodigal son did! Go to your heavenly Father, and tell him the truth
about your life as only you know it. Tell him the worst that you know about
yourself, and start a conversation with him. Yes, it can be frightening and
humbling. The prodigal son probably struggled with those feelings, too. Say
whatever occurs to you, or use the prodigal’s words, “Father, I have sinned and
don’t deserve to be called your child.”
When you go to God
like this, you’ll likely be amazed at his response. He won’t deal with you
according to your sins! He is outrageously rich in mercy, love, and compassion.
His kindness and goodness are limitless. And they are for you.
So start the
conversation this Lent. What have you done? What have you failed to do? What do
you lack? What do you need? Get up and go to your Father, however ill-equipped
or unprepared you feel. Go ahead and confess your sins. Celebrate the Sacrament
of Reconciliation, and leave your sins at your Father’s feet.
Then, let God meet
you with the same joyful, generous, and kind welcome that the father in today’s
reading had for his younger son. The psalmist tells us, “As far as the east is
from the west, so far have our sins been removed from us” (Psalm 103:12). As
parents feel for their children, God feels right now for you. He is waiting to
take you in his arms and shower you with love!
“Father, I have
sinned. Let me tell you about it today so that I can feel your love and
kindness.” Amen.
Micah 7: 14 Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your heritage,
who dwell by themselves in a forest,
in the middle of fertile pasture land, let
them feed;
in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of
old.
15 “As in the days
of your coming out of the land of Egypt,
I will show them marvelous things.”
18 Who is a God like
you, who pardons iniquity,
and passes over the disobedience of the
remnant of his heritage?
He doesn’t retain
his anger forever,
because he delights in loving kindness.
19 He will again
have compassion on us.
He will tread our iniquities under foot;
and you will cast all their sins into the
depths of the sea.
20 You will give truth
to Jacob,
and mercy to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers from the
days of old.
Psalm 103: By David.
1 Praise Yahweh, my
soul!
All that is within me, praise his holy
name!
2 Praise Yahweh, my
soul,
and don’t forget all his benefits;
3 who forgives all
your sins;
who heals all your diseases;
4 who redeems your
life from destruction;
who crowns you with loving kindness and
tender mercies;
9 He will not always
accuse;
neither will he stay angry forever.
10 He has not dealt
with us according to our sins,
nor repaid us for our iniquities.
11 For as the
heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his loving kindness toward
those who fear him.
12 As far as the
east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions
from us.
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