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The Lovesick Father

28/3/2025

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A Reflection on the Gospel for March 30th, 2025:
Fourth Sunday of Lent


Luke
15:1-3, 11-32


All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So he told them a parable: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So the father divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.

“When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. The young man would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’

“So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

“Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe — the best one — and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. The slave replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’

“Then the elder son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’

“Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

We have all made the decision to go our own way at one point or another. Sometimes that decision is obvious and quite literal, like it was for the younger son. Wanting to do it our own way, we push back against the advice and love of others, turning our backs on everyone and everything, including God. Other times, we may not literally leave, but our hearts are no longer filled with love; rather, they’re filled with sin, bitterness, and unforgiveness, as with the elder son. 
When I was pregnant with our third child, my husband’s company was downsized and his job became obsolete, a fancy way of saying that he was now unemployed. Up until that point, I had believed that if you were a hard worker, fair and honest, the world would treat you fairly. Not only was my faith in mankind rocked, but so too was my faith in God. While I still attended church weekly, my heart was angry and bitter toward God who I proceeded to ignore. I was present in body but through my own volition, I was far away from God.


 While much of the focus of this parable is on the sons, it is to the father that my heart is drawn, for I believe this story beautifully illuminates the character of Father God.


The Father gave freedom. When the son wants to go his own way, the father lets him. We each have freedom of choice. If God had created us without this freedom, our relationship with Him would not have been based on true love.


The Father cared. Did you notice that he saw his son coming when the son is still a long way off? The father was watching, waiting; no doubt praying. When he saw his son, he hoisted up his robe, an act that was undignified for a man in that culture, and ran to His son. The father desired, in fact yearned, for reconciliation.


The Father forgave. As the son tries to apologize, the father recognizes the son’s repentant heart. He doesn’t make him grovel, nor does he withhold, even for a moment, forgiveness toward his son. In fact, he does the opposite.


The Father restores. He has a worker bring for his son the best robe, a ring, and sandals. The robe not only represents belonging, but is also a foreshadowing of the robe of righteousness that Jesus bought for us through His death and resurrection, providing the payment for the sins of a repentant child. The family ring signifies he is a child who shares the father’s authority. Sandals were given only to sons and daughters. The robe, the ring, and the sandals clearly said, you are my child. You are part of this family. You are fully restored. And the father doesn’t stop there.


The Father celebrates. His next set of instructions is to kill the fattened calf.. The son coming home was worthy of a joyous celebration. “This son of mine was dead and is alive again”, he says,” He was lost and now is found” (v. 24).  


What if the younger son had not chosen to come back to the Father’s love? What if I hadn’t? During the painful seven months that I nursed my resentment and disappointment, I became aware of my Father calling me back to Him. While I may have been giving God the cold shoulder, He was offering me His loving shoulder. When I did come back to the Father’s love, it was like a beautiful homecoming, perhaps not entirely unlike the younger son’s. I experienced Father’s caring, forgiveness, restoration and joyous celebration.


What of the elder son? He was no less lost than had been the younger? To him, the father goes out as well. I always felt this parable ends on a bit of a cliff hanger. What did the elder son decide? Did he recognize how loved and cherished he was by his father?


Each of us has sinned and gone our own way (Romans 3:23). But we each have a choice. Will we stay separated from God or will we turn back to Him and accept His love? His arms are open wide and He will come running.



Lisa Wing
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A New Creation

27/3/2025

2 Comments

 

A Reflection on the Second Reading for March 30th, 2025:
Fourth Sunday of Lent


2 Corinthians
5:17-21


Brothers and sisters: If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake God made Christ to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Christ we might become the righteousness of God.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

These verses from Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians have a very special place in my heart. Whenever I pray with them, I am immediately taken back to the time I made my first confession in 25 years (it’s hard to believe it was 5 years ago now – how time flies!). I was in the early stages of my new relationship with Jesus. I had recently finished serving on a ministry team for the first time. I felt called to go to an Advent reconciliation event at my parish. I hadn’t given much thought to how I was going to say all the things weighing on my heart – I just knew I had to try. 

I sat in the pew between two dear friends, fidgeting with the "confession guidelines" I had been given on my way in. My heart was racing. It was finally my turn to sit in front of the priest. I told him I hadn’t been to confession since my grade 9 confirmation, and he provided guidance. Then the words just started pouring out of me, in no particular order. As I confessed sin after sin, tears flowed down my face and my body was trembling. I laid the huge sack of sin-bricks I was carrying at the feet of Jesus and He said I didn’t have to carry it anymore. When it was all over, I felt a huge wave of relief and I heard the words “go in peace, your sins have been forgiven”. I was forgiven! I didn’t know how much I longed for forgiveness until it happened. 

My penance was to pray with this very scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:17. Although it was about 10 o’clock at night in the cold of December, I prayed this penance on a run. I felt so different, so physically and spiritually light, that I just felt compelled to be outside and move. I was laughing and crying, and during that run, I knew it was true—I was in fact a new creation. God did not count my trespasses against me. He offered me a fresh start through the ministry of reconciliation. What a gift our Lord has offered us through this sacrament. 

“New” certainly does not mean “perfect”. There are days when I question whether I really am a new creation. I still find myself stuck in patterns of sin I just can’t seem to break. But then I reflect on this confession, and I know without a doubt that I am new. I can stand a little taller, and a little straighter (those sin-bricks were heavy!). This opportunity is available to all of us. Jesus invites us to be washed clean, to become a new creation each time we enter into the sacrament of reconciliation. My prayer for you this Lent is that you embrace this gift of undeserved mercy that God wants to give you and lay your burdens at the foot of the cross.




Lisa Matheson
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Strength in His Embrace

26/3/2025

1 Comment

 

A Reflection on the Psalm for Sunday, March 30th, 2025:
Fourth Sunday of Lent


Psalm 34 

R: Taste and see that the Lord is good.


I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 


 R: Taste and see that the Lord is good.

O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 


 R: Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. The poor one called, and the Lord heard, and saved that person from every trouble.


 R: Taste and see that the Lord is good

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

The pressures of life can sometimes feel overwhelming, and it’s easy to forget that we don’t have to face it all on our own. Psalm 34:1-7 is a beautiful reminder that God is always with us, ready to listen, protect, and deliver us, no matter the struggles we face.

The psalmist begins by declaring, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be ever in my mouth.” These words may feel like a challenge when life is difficult, when fear and doubt cloud our hearts. Yet, there is power in choosing to praise God even in the hardest moments. Praising Him when it’s hard doesn’t just lift our hearts; it shifts our focus. It reminds us that His love never falters, no matter what storms are raging in our lives. When we make the decision to thank God, even through our tears, we invite peace into the chaos.

But it’s not just about giving praise—it’s about trusting that we are seen. The psalmist says, “My soul will glory in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad.” As women, we can easily fall into the trap of measuring our worth by what we do or how we’re perceived. We may feel overlooked or like we don’t matter, but our worth isn’t defined by the roles we play or the praise of others. Our worth is in the fact that we are loved by God. In Him, we are enough. When we choose to rest in that truth, we can find joy that surpasses any earthly approval. We can glory in the Lord, not because of what we’ve done, but because of who He is and what He’s done for us.

Psalm 34:4 offers a promise that hits home for many of us: “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” As women, we often carry the weight of worry—worry for our families, for the world, for our future. But here is the truth: when we seek God, He hears us. Every prayer, every cry for help, every whispered plea is known to Him. And He responds. God doesn’t just watch from a distance; He draws near to us. In our weakest moments, when our fears threaten to overwhelm us, He promises to deliver us, to hold us in His love and give us the courage to face what lies ahead.

And perhaps one of the most beautiful truths of this psalm is the promise of God’s protection: “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and delivers them.” Life can be scary. We face uncertainty, danger, and challenges that feel impossible. But God’s angels surround us, guarding us from harm. This isn’t just a nice sentiment—it’s a powerful truth. When we feel alone or vulnerable, we can rest in the knowledge that we are never truly alone. God’s protection is unwavering, and His love is a shield around us.

Psalm 34:1-7 is a reminder that God is with us—always. In our moments of fear, in our tears, in our joy, He is near. As Catholic women, we are called to trust in His faithfulness, to seek Him, to praise Him, and to rest in His protection. Whatever you are facing today, remember that you don’t have to face it alone. God sees you. He hears you. And He will never let you go.




Theresa Langley
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More Us, More Joy

25/3/2025

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A Reflection on the First Reading for Sunday, March 30, 2025:
Fourth Sunday of Lent


Joshua
5:9a, 10-12


The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt.”

While the children of Israel were camped in Gilgal they kept the Passover in the evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho.

On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the children of Israel no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

I am reading a book about joy. In fact, it is called The Book of Joy, and it is based on a series of joint interviews with Bishop Desmond Tutu (a South African prelate of the Church of England, who stepped into the political arena in the late 1980s to speak against his country’s official discrimination policy) and his very good friend, the Dalai Lama (who, as the political leader of Tibet, was deposed and forced to flee his country when the Communist Party took control of the government and who continues as the spiritual leader of the world’s Tibetan Buddhists from his place of exile in India).


Over and again, Bishop Tutu and the Dalai Lama speak about connectedness, how every person has something in common with another, how everything we can suffer has been and is being suffered by another person, perhaps by many people. When we appreciate how we are alike, we begin have compassion, even love, for others. This, they say, is the key to finding joy: accepting the invitation to meet others with love and impugning egocentrism, which steals our joy. 

These interviews pick up the thread of the much older story we read about in the First Reading for this Sunday. Here we meet Joshua, the Israelite who succeeded Moses in leading his nation out of slavery in Egypt and, after 40 years of wandering in the desert, into the Promised Land where they shed the “disgrace” of disobedience to the will of the Lord and embraced gratitude for the Lord’s favour for the Chosen People.
 
We all yearn for the Promised Land of joy—all peoples and religions of the world seem to share this fundamental search for happiness—but how do we get there and dwell there? This is the way the Dalai Lama, Bishop Tutu, and Joshua advocate: by remaining mindful of our connection to others, whether as a person united to all people (as Buddhists believe), as one of the beloved Children of God (as the Israelites believed), or ultimately, as one in the One Lord Jesus (as Christians believe).

I regret that, although this answer is simple, the practice is not an easy one. Beginning a new kind of life, as the Israelites did, is no easy task. There is a hard road leading to the promised land of joy and plenty of temptations in this world to pull us away from it — grumbling, grousing, comparing ourselves to others and nursing bitterness about their good fortune.

I have done all these things but, this Lent, I intend to fast from preoccupation with myself in favour of greater compassion for others — less grousing and more gratitude, less judging and more joy, less me and more us.




Donna Davis


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