21.03.2004 4th Sunday of Lent - Year C
First Reading: Joshua 5,9.10-12 Psalm 33
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5, 17-21 Luke 15,1-3.11-32
For the people of Israel it was a significant moment when they passed from
eating manna, which came as a free gift, to eating the produce of the promised
land! Unleavened bread was the first food that the people tasted in their land,
unleavened bread like the bread they ate in Egypt. This bread was a sign of
freedom, a sign that God keeps His promises, a sign that after suffering faithfully,
the joy of a new life follows!
New and bright is the life of a Christian: new "bread" is necessary
and a new way of life! St Paul reminds us of this. The life of a Christian is
new because he is in Christ. Whoever unites with Jesus has truly arrived in
the promised land, a stable homeland where he no longer eats a temporary bread,
he no longer walks among things destined to disappear, things which express
egoism and result in solitude. Whoever has come to the "heart" of
the good news, through baptism or rediscovery of it, of the mystery of Jesus'
death and resurrection, will live a new situation; for him everything is different,
beginning with the meaning of his life.
St Paul spoke to Christians who had already been baptised, who had to wake up
and rediscover their true vocation. The Christians of Corinth, some of whom
were behaving in a way that merited serious rebuke. They had to understand that
in disobeying Jesus, they were distancing themselves from the will of the Father
and His love. They had, therefore, to be reconciled, to accept the gift that
God wished to offer them through the ministers of the Church.
The apostle was aware of his role in favour of the Christians. His words were
the Word of God, his exhortation God's exhortation, his welcome to the sinner,
God's welcome! Hence the exclamation: "Be reconciled to God". God
holds no grudges, reconciliation with him is possible, for the way has been
prepared. Jesus sent his Spirit to the Apostles so that they might bring into
communion with God, men and women who were far from Him. In this way God the
Father's love may once again be enjoyed by the believer who has fallen into
the temptation of egoism.
The Gospel reading is of great encouragement especially for sinners. The words
of Jesus are beams which light up the face of God for our admiration. In the
parable he does not mention God, but it is easy to understand that he is talking
of Him. The father of the two sons is obviously God the Father. The Hebrew meaning
is implied here: the people of Israel and the other nations are two very different
realities to be considered quite separately. The two sons represent these two
realities which are in mutual opposition. Jesus knows of this opposition to
the point that in the parable the two sons never say the word "brother".
However both are sons of the same father: God loves both the Hebrew and the
gentiles to the same extent.
One of the two sons is particularly rebellious. He leaves home, enjoying his
part of earthly possessions, ignoring his father's wishes and in complete independence
and disinterest of any of his brother's needs. This son enjoys himself, but
his joy has an end. His earthly possessions do not last for ever and neither
does the joy which depends on them. Freedom without love becomes slavery, harsh
slavery, that kind of slavery to idols which the nations of the world subject
themselves to. Now memory comes in aid. That memory of his father's goodness
to his servants and then the wish to return, to meet his father again, and this
gives him the courage and strength to be humble. The meeting with the father,
not with the brother. The meeting with his brother is to pass through the heart
and hands of his father. Reconciliation must come and it does come with the
father. Reconciliation with the father is joy and generates new life, shown
by the new sandals, the new clothes, the new ring and the celebrations with
music and dancing.
The father wishes to communicate to his other son, who has become jealous and
touchy, the reasons and the strength to recognise his brother and to be reconciled
to him. Why does the older son not wish to participate in his father's joy?
Why doesn't he want to be like the father and to learn from him? He is indeed
disobedient! He does not want to be like the father, he does not appreciate
him! He had pretended to be obedient all his life, but only outwardly; his obedience
was finalized to having privileges and benefits. His obedience was not love.
He did not have the true spirit of a son: a true son does what he sees his father
doing!
The rebellious son is humbled and reconciled. The 'well-behaved' son is not
reconciled, he is distant to his brother, but what is worse, to his father too.
This is the danger in which those Christians who were baptized at birth find
themselves today. They must be reconciled with the Father to welcome those who
arrive newly to the faith and to delight with them in this immense gift!
New life is God's life welcomed by us. Our lives are new when we once again
become sons for the Father. Let us no longer look for precarious food which
nourishes only in the desert, but for that food which nourishes new life for
those who are obedient to the Father and wish to be with Him and like the Father,
fully united with Him in love for all his brothers!