GOSPEL MEDITATION~ENCOURAGE DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF SCRIPTURE

March 27, 2022
4th Sunday of Lent

God’s love story reveals itself in our stories, experiences, and aspirations. We are all prodigal sons and daughters. There are many times in our lives when we would “sell our souls” in order to pursue our passions. We pursued what we wanted without regard for others or God. We have sowed our oats, thrown ourselves into careless pleasures, spent what we know we ought to have saved, turned our backs on those we love and abused gifts we have been given. We even hit bottom and realized the silliness and self-destruction of it all. We needed to come home. We knew we erred and needed a gentle presence to show us God’s unconditional love. This wayward journey home changed us.

As much as we need to be welcomed, we are also the one who needs to do the welcoming and mercy giving. Those we love need our guidance, but they don’t always take it. We know that what they are doing is off the mark, self-destructive and wrong. We have to let them go and let it happen, even though they might get hurt. As we wait and hope, they choose to make their way back to us. They don’t need us to judge them. They have done enough of that to themselves. We immediately embrace them and are just happy they’re home. God uses us to help heal them. Knowing how much we craved understanding and forgiveness ourselves, we can now freely give it away. God uses what he has taught us to teach others.

We are also the entitled ones. At least we “think” we are entitled. After all, we work hard for what we have. We cannot get our heads around the idea that someone can get something that I really deserve!   If I do what I’m supposed to do, I ought to be rewarded for that, right? If I do something wrong, I ought to pay the consequences. This is justice, isn’t it? This is not God’s justice. God is all about love, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. God’s justice is love freely given without merit.  We carry the stories of the prodigal son, the unconditional forgiving father, and the entitled angry brother with us. When we make friends with all three, humbly telling those stories to others makes us Christ’s ambassadors.

©LPi

MEDITACIÓN EVANGÉLICO~ALENTAR ENTENDIMIENTO MÁS PROFUNDO DE LA ESCRITURA (Gospel Meditation)

27 de marzo de 20224º
Domingo de la Cuaresma

Estemos o no preparados, ya es el cuarto domingo de Cuaresma. Se supone que hemos caminado y acompañado al Señor muy de cerca en su camino a Jerusalén. Ahí será su calvario, su pasión y su muerte. Ahí será su triunfo, venciendo a la muerte con su Resurrección. Veremos con los ojos de la fe y en lo profundo del corazón, como se revela espléndidamente el corazón de Dios, hacia su Hijo amado. La Liturgia de hoy muestra la ternura de Dios puesta de manifiesto en la parábola del hijo pródigo.

¿Cómo hemos recorrido este tiempo de Cuaresma? ¿Qué ha cambiado en la vida familiar? ¿Qué enseña esta parábola para la vida de fe?  San Ambrosio, ({339-397} Evangelio de Lucas), explica de manera clara sobre la parábola. “Mira cómo el patrimonio divino se les da a aquellos que lo piden. Pero no vayas a pensar que el padre comete un error al dárselo al más joven: en el Reino de Dios nunca se es menor de edad, como tampoco crece la fe con el pasar de los años. De cualquier manera, aquel que pidió su herencia se juzgó capaz de poseerla. ¡Qué bueno hubiera sido no alejarse de su padre para no conocer los inconvenientes de su edad! Sin embargo, el hijo malgasta todo y se acuerda de la casa paterna y se arrepiente y regresa al buen camino. El camino hacia la casa del padre que lo espera con los brazos abiertos. ¡Volvamos a la casa del Padre!

©LPi