The merciful father, the prodigal son, and the envious brother

March 6, 2016

Fourth Sunday of Lent – Year A Scrutinies

March 6, 2016 - Fourth Sunday of Lent

Saint of the Day: Saint Colette, Virgin (+1447)

Reading 1

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

9aThe LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”[1] 

10While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month.[2]

11On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12On that same day after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.

Responsorial Psalm 

Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

2I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall be ever in my mouth. 3Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. 

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

4Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol His name. 5I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

6Look to Him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. 7When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress He saved him.

R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Reading 2

2 Corinthians 5;17-21

17Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.[3] 18And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation,[4] 19namely, God was reconciling the world to hHmself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

20So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21For our sake He made Him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Verse Before The Gospel Luke 15;18

I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to Him:

Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.

Gospel

Luke 15;1-3, 11-32

1Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,[5] 2but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3So to them Jesus addressed this parable: 11“A man had two sons, 12and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’So the father divided the property between them.

13After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. 

14When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. 15So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens

who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. 16And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.

17Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers

have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. 18I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’

20So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. 21His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’

22But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, 24because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began.

25Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. 26He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. 27The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

28He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. 29He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. 30But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’

31He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours.

32But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ 

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Notes on Readings:

[1] Joshua 5:9 - The place is called Gilgal: by popular etymology, because of the similarity of sound with the Hebrew word gallothi, "I have removed." Gilgal probably means "(the place of) the circle of standing stones." Compare with Joshua 4:4-8.

[2] Joshua 5:10 - The month: the first month of the year, later called Nisan; see footnote on Joshua 3:15. The crossing of the Jordan occurred, therefore, about the same time of the year as did the equally miraculous crossing of the Red Sea; compare with Exodus 12:14.

[3] 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 - Consequently: the death of Christ described in 2 Corinthians 5;14-15 produces a whole new order (2 Corinthians 5:17) and a new mode of perception (2 Corinthians 5;16). According to the flesh: the natural mode of perception, characterized as "fleshly," is replaced by a mode of perception proper to the Spirit. Elsewhere Paul contrasts what Christ looks like according to the old criteria (weakness, powerlessness, folly, death) and according to the new (wisdom, power, life); compare with 2 Corinthians 5;15-21; 1 Corinthians 1;17 - 3:3. Similarly, he describes the paradoxical nature of Christian existence, e.g., in 2 Corinthians 4:10-11, 14. A new creation: rabbis used this expression to describe the effect of the entrance of a proselyte or convert into Judaism or of the remission of sins on the Day of Atonement. The new order created in Christ is the new covenant (2 Corinthians 3:6).

[4] 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 - Paul attempts to explain the meaning of God's action by a variety of different categories; his attention keeps moving rapidly back and forth from God's act to his own ministry as well. Who has reconciled us to himself: he has brought all into oneness, that is. Not counting their trespasses: the reconciliation is described as an act of justification (compare with "righteousness," (2 Corinthians 5;21); this contrasts with the covenant that condemned (2 Corinthians 3:8). The ministry of reconciliation: Paul's role in the wider picture is described: entrusted with the message of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5;19), he is Christ's ambassador, through whom God appeals (2 Corinthians 5:20a). In verse 20b Paul acts in the capacity just described.

[5] Luke 15:1-32 - To the parable of the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7) that Luke shares with Matthew (Matthew 18:12-14), Luke adds two parables (the lost coin, (Luke 15:8-10); the prodigal son, (Luke 15 11-32) from his own special tradition to illustrate Jesus' particular concern for the lost and God's love for the repentant sinner.