4th Sunday of Lent, March 14, 2010

4.c.lent.2010.prodigal.son.stmb(based on Celebration and The NIB)

Jos 5:9,10-12; 2 Cor 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3,11-32

      Earnest Hemingway wrote a story of a Spanish father who wanted to reconcile with his son, who had run away to Madrid. The father placed this ad in the paper:  Paco, all is forgiven – meet me at Hotel Montana at noon on Tuesday. Papa.” When the father went to the hotel on Tuesday, he found the hotel square filled with 800 boys named Paco waiting for their fathers.

      Paco and the prodigal son represent the natural development of every child, somewhat taken to the extreme. Even those children who don’t leave home must somehow separate themselves from their parents. The prodigal son looked for the freedom to direct his own life. He wanted to earn his own way apart from his father. And he demanded his rights before he was able to understand the value of his relationship with his father and his brother.

      Most of us have yearned, one time or another in our lifetime, to be independent not just from our parents, but also to earn our own way apart from God. If we have ever tried to do it we know very well how easily:

·      our desires for independence might have become arrogance;

·      our need for love might have turned to lust;

·      our longing for success might have turned to greed;

·      our yearning for equality might have become envy.

But let us not be swayed, this is not a focus of this well known parable. This parable is not as much about the prodigal son but about the father and the elder son. The conversation between the elder brother and the father forms the climax and focus of the entire parable.

The Father requires no confession and no restitution from the younger son. No penance is required of him; for Father it is enough that the son has come home.

The elder son seems to be proud of life he lives. He believes in justice and merit. It seems as he believes his younger brother should be dealt accordingly to what he deserves.

The parable leaves us with the question of whether the elder brother joined the celebration. Did he go in and welcome his brother home, or did he stay outside feeling wronged?

The parable ends here because that is the decision each one of us must make. If we go in, we accept grace as the Father’s rule for life in the family of the church. With Christ we receive and rejoice with others who in our eyes do not deserve our forgiveness or God’s grace.

It is a tough choice, and if you have never needed to make it, believe me you will one day.

3d Sunday of Lent, March 07, 2010

3.c.lent.2010.stmb.burning.bush.experience (from Celebration)

Exodus 3:1-8, 13-15; 1 Cor 10:1-6, 10-12; Luke 13:1-9

Have you ever had a burning bush experience? Have you ever known a moment in which you were so profoundly in touch with the presence of God that you life from then on was totally transformed by that encounter?

Moses’ experience of God, as we heard about it in today’s first reading, was such an encounter. Moses began to realize his true identity and his purpose in life.

Burning bush experiences are fraught with absolute truth. There is no dissembling in that moment; there is only at the same time overwhelming terror and the great thrill of realizing who God is and who I am before God. This realization is followed by a further incredible awareness that despite who I am and who I am not, despite what I have done and what I have neglected to do, God chooses to be present to me, to call me, to grace me, to call and grace others through me.

Paul’s burning bush experience happened on the Damascus road, and the passionate faith in Jesus that took root in him that day is very evident in all his writings. Today’s second reading from the letter to the Corinthians is a testimony to it.

Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Blessed Virgin Mary, Joseph had their own burning bush experiences. Each one of them went from that experience to much deeper desire to serve God and God’s people as best as they could despite the personal cost.

Perhaps the prayers and penance of this Lent will help us to have our own burning bush experience if we have not had one in our lives yet.