16/09/2007 - 24th Sunday in O. T. - Year C
First Reading: Exodus 32, 7-11; 13-14 Psalm: 51
Second Reading: 1Timothy 1, 12-17 Gospel: Luke 15, 1-32
The main subject of today's readings is the fact and the gravity of sin. We
can see the sin of the people of Israel in the first reading; the sin of St.Paul
in the second reading and those of the whole mankind in the Gospel. Sin is a
fact and a very important fact; but it is not without remedy. The people of
Israel made for himself an idol, a deity according to its own ideas easy to
follow; but by doing so, Israel abandoned all the wise admonitions coming from
the unique and true God. Thus the people thought to be still religious even
when abandoned Him, who liberated them form the slavery in Egypt and brought
them to liberty. This sin is so grave that God decided to abandon the people,
to leave them to their own; only Moses would be an exception, because he remained
faithful. And it was Moses whom was imploring for salvation; he asked God that
He should not forget His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And the Lord
God, because of the prayer of Moses and because of His own promises looked again
with kindness on His people unfaithful.
The mercy and kindness of God shows itself in a surprising and unrivalled way
in the life of Paul, the Apostle. Paul was rejecting non only the Son of God
and cursing Him, but he was also persecuting the Church. But God showed mercy
on him, and in the same manner He showed mercy on the Church and the whole mankind,
because through Paul a lot of people will know and follow the Gospel. The persecutor
of the Church, becoming disciple of Christ, gets from Him the duty to proclaim,
by his words and his life, that Jesus came for the sinners in order to redeem
them. Paul is showing himself as the greatest of the sinners, the man who is
most in need for salvation. And who are the other sinners? Are there still sinners
in the world? What is God thinking about them?
The answer to these questions is given by Jesus in the parables of today's Gospel
. All men are sinners: this is what Jesus sees. Not all of them are sinners
in the same degree, but everyone is looking first of for his own interests instead
of the interests of the Lord and His desires (we forget that Lord desires for
us only our joy and salvation!). Some are sinner because in a explicit way they
withdraw from God; others are sinners even if they are remaining apparently
with God. Everyone has to correct himself; every one has to examine himself
in the light of the love of the heavenly Father. Do I accept His love? Do I
accept that He loves my neighbour? Do I respond to His love for me? Do I love
with Him the others? The lost son and his brother of the today's parable are
representing ourselves, all of us. We have to return to the home of the Father
and to His heart in order to live in His joy and to become cause of joy for
others.
It is a fact that we are sinners, but it is also a fact that for everyone there's
the possibility to come back to the Father and become joy for God. Even if we
are sinners, the Father is expecting us, like the shepherd wants eagerly to
find the lost sheep. But we are not like animals who follow their instinct;
we have a free will, and thus we should be humble in order to find the way back;
we have a conscience that shows us our sinners; and our memory reminds us of
the words of Jesus, saying that in the House of the Father there is a place,
there is bread and love and liberty for all. The Father respects our liberty;
He awaits our free decision, He is awaiting us with heart ready to rejoice,
with arms stretched in order to embrace us as soon we are coming back!