September 13, 1998Twenty Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time |
This weekend we hear the parable of the Prodigal Son, perhaps one of the most famous and well known of the parables in Jesus' teaching. In fact, if you have ever made a retreat weekend of any kind (T.E.C., Cursillo, Koinonia, G.I.F.T.) or a Penance Service has heard this parable. Parables are a way that Jesus taught about the kingdom of God, and how He illustrated that we should live, in response to God's call in our lives. THE CATECHISM of the CATHOLIC CHURCH states that "Jesus' invitation to enter His Kingdom comes in the form of parables, a characteristic feature of His teaching. Through His parables He invites people to the feast of the kingdom, but he also asks for a radical choice: to gain the kingdom, one must give everything. Words are not enough; deeds are required. The parables are like mirrors for man: will he be hard soil or good earth for the word? What use has he made of the talents he has received? Jesus and the presence of the kingdom in this world are secretly at the heart of the parables. One must enter the kingdom, that is, become a disciple of Christ, in order to "know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven." For those who stay "outside," everything remains enigmatic.
This parable is a clear lesson in God's mercy..that He always waits for us to turn to Him. But we must do the turning...or turning back, to receive forgiveness. The parable is also a lesson in repentance. Repentance may appear impossible, or even frightening, but it is the door to true freedom and peace (That is the point of the first two sayings in this Gospel. One of the means to repentance which we have at our "disposal" is the Sacrament of Reconciliation. A regular reception/ celebration of this Sacrament illustrates the mercy of the Father who is always calling us back. Finally, we need to look at the son who was always faithful, and be reminded that we need to rejoice when anyone is forgiven and finds their way back to God, no matter what are circumstances in life are.
1) Exodus 32, 7-11. 13-14
2) 1 Timothy 1, 12-17
3) Luke 15, 1-32
"Who among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wasteland and follow the lost one until he finds it?"(3) The answer is of course: Anyone with any sound business sense at all!" Why would we put ninety-nine sheep at risk in the wasteland to find only one which was lost?
The economy of salvation is very different from any human economy. God is unsparing in his generosity towards his people. He has again and again offered abundant reconciliation to us if only we get our values straight. Care and concern in stewardship places the ministry of building up the kingdom, of reconciliation, first. We do not give time talent or treasure to the church to "pay off" a jealous God. Instead, as in times long ago, God does not condemn us for our sins but gets us back on the road to the promised land.(1) Stewardship is our attempt to make a return to the Lord for all the good he has done for us. It is only fair that we should provide some return on God's investment in our salvation. We have been given time and talent and treasure. Now is the time to give of the gifts we have been given.
Next Sunday the reading's will be: 1)Amos 8, 4-7; 2)1 Timothy 2, 1-8; 3)Luke 16, 1-13.
From the beginning God saw that everything that He had created was good. The relationship between God and all of creation was in harmony until the temptation "to be like God, knowing Good from Evil" (Genesis 3:5) became so fascinating that lack of trust and belief in God's word led to disobedience and disrupted that harmony. All manner of evils were let loose in the world when the relationship between God and humankind was broken. These events are encapsulated for us in the stories of Genesis. But love for mankind did not leave God. He planned a way for the relationship to be restored and set apart a people to make ready the way. Through these "chosen people of God" the promised redeemer came to be one of us, the human race. Jesus' great act of trust and obedience brought back to mankind the availability of that intimate, harmonious relationship with God. This relationship makes it possible for all of human relationships to be restored to harmony. Jesus, too, gathered a people to carry on this restoration of relationships. A measure of God's love for his creation is that we, the Church, are entrusted with this mission. He, through His Holy Spirit, is with us all the way! There is NO OTHER GOD LIKE OUR GOD! There is no greater love than the love of God for humankind.
THEME: FORGIVENESS: The forgiveness of God permeates every inch of today's liturgy. The forgiveness of God is the core of our faith. We survive because of it. Forgiveness sustains us like no other fare. It can't be categorized or understood in any logical way, for it is not logical for the all-perfect God to forgive us imperfect creatures. That is why forgiveness is a total tonic that restores all whom sin and failure have led astray. It restores our future to us and banishes all fear. It rescues us when we are lost.
Today's lost-and-found gospel is a foundation piece of faith. God offers mercy and compassion: "I once was lost, but now I'm found." Whether sheep or coins, wayward sons or daughters, we are not whole without each of us being counted in. That's how it is. As autumn months roll on and there is mention in our liturgies of special blessings, special collections, community activities, all part of the rhythm of life here, we have a challenge. The challenge is to keep our eyes and our hearts focused on the Eucharist, knowing that our wide- awake immersion into the mystery of Jesus' life, death and resurrection is what keeps us "found." It keeps us grounded in big "R" -Reality- as we work together. In the early days of liturgical renewal, it was not unusual to hear this pre-Mass announcement, "The theme of today's Mass is.." No indeed. The theme of Eucharist is Eucharist. God be with us should we ever be the ones standing on the rocky coast of Nova Scotia adding our tears to the North Atlantic, but even so, we are not lost, we are found forever in Christ Jesus.
The root meaning of the word ministry is "to serve". All Christians, through Baptism, are called to serve: ".serve one another through love" Galatians 5:13 Ministries can be considered the ways in which we image God's presence in care and service. How are you imaging God's presence in the world today? Be an image of God in all you do!
THE CONGREGATION: After the building itself, the largest symbol in any church is the area for the congregation. This is where the baptized take their place to perform their solemn act of worship on the Lord's Day. Baptism entitles them and obligates them to this place. We might overlook the importance of this area because we tend to equate the seating area in a church with the seating area in an auditorium or concert hall. But the difference could hardly be greater. In a concert hall, those in the audience are spectators. They have heard about a performance, they pay a price for a more or less expensive seating area, they reserve a seat, they enjoy the performance on the stage, and they leave without obligation. The congregation in a church, by contrast, responds to a divine call that makes no distinction between persons. Rich and poor, young and old, male and female, educated and uneducated alike take their place together. They pay no price, other than the price of conversion and discipleship. They do not come as observers. They listen with commitment to the Scriptures, the homily, and the prayers. They inherit the Word, and they take it to heart. They receive the Body and Blood of Christ under the judgment of death but with the promise of resurrection. When they leave, they leave with the charge to make a difference in the world. A congregation is no ordinary audience.
THE CHAIR: The chair from which the bishop or priest presides is a symbol of his teaching office. In the earliest centuries of the Church, the chair stood in the center of the apse facing the assembly. In later centuries it was moved to the side of the sanctuary. The name of the bishop's church, the cathedral, comes from the Latin word "cathedra," meaning "chair." Thus it is the bishop's chair that gives any church the designation of cathedral.
At every Mass with the People, the Word of God is proclaimed from an ambo "somewhat elevated, fixed, and of a suitable design and nobility. . .of harmonious and close relationship. . .with the altar" (LFM 32). The ambo "must. . .truly help the people's listening and attention during the Liturgy of the Word" (LFM 34). It should be of sufficient size, sound, light and have amplification equipment. The ambo is reserved for the readings, the responsorial psalm, and the Easter Proclamation (the Exsultet (LFM 33). While it may be also used for the homily and the prayer of the faithful, "it is better for the commentator, cantor, or director of singing, for example, not to use the ambo."
The books from which the Word of God is proclaimed must be "worthy, dignified and beautiful" (LFM 35). This is particularly true of the Book of Gospels, which holds a certain preeminence among the liturgical books (LFM 36). Neither the Lectionary nor the Book of Gospels may be replaced by pastoral aides or other leaflets (LFM 37).
Newsletter of the Committee on the Liturgy of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Volume XXXIV, February-March 1998.
Pray and Work for Vocations..."I will give you shepherds after my own heart" (Jer 3:15). Today, this promise of God is still living and at work in the church. At all times, she knows she is the fortunate receiver of these prophetic words. She sees them put into practice daily in so many parts of the world, or rather, in so many human hearts, young hearts in particular. On the threshold of the third millennium, and in the face of the serious and urgent needs which confront the Church and the world, she yearns to see this promise fulfilled in a new and richer way, more intensely and effectively. She hopes for an extraordinary outpouring of the Spirit of Pentecost.
The Lord's promise calls forth from the heart of the Church a prayer that is a confident and burning petition in the love of the Father, who - just as He has sent Jesus the Good Shepherd, the Apostles, their successors, and a countless host of priests - will continue to show to the people of today his faithfulness, his goodness.
And the Church is ready to respond to this grace. She feels in her heart that God's gift begs for a united and generous reply. The entire people of God should pray and work tirelessly for priestly vocations. Candidates for the priesthood should prepare themselves very conscientiously to welcome God's gift and put it into practice, knowing that the Church and the world have an absolute need for them. They should deepen their love for Christ the Good Shepherd, pattern their hearts on His, be ready to go out as His image into the highways of the world to proclaim to all mankind Christ the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
I appeal especially to families. May parents, mothers in particular, be generous in giving their sons to the Lord when He calls them to the priesthood. May they cooperate joyfully in their vocational journey, realizing that in this way they will be increasing and deepening their Christian fruitfulness in the Church and that, in a sense, they will experience the blessedness of Mary, the Virgin Mother: "Blessed are you among women, and blesses is the fruit of your womb!" (Lk 1:42).
To today's young people I say: Be docile to the voice of the Spirit, let the great expectations of the Church, of mankind, resound in the depths of your hearts. Do not be afraid to open your minds to Christ the Lord who is calling. Feel His loving look upon you and respond enthusiastically to Jesus when He asks you to follow Him without reserve. [PDV n. 82]
O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, Jesus.
That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That in the opinion of the world others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (1865-1930)
On Friday, September 18 (check local listings for time), the Public Broadcasting System will present Reflections on Vatican II," a two-hour documentary that chronicles the history and lasting effects of the Second Vatican Council on the Catholic Church and the world at large.
Distributed by RCL * Resources for Christian Living, the documentary was over three years in the making and will offer viewers an exceptional inside look at the council. Told by those who were actually present, great pains were taken to insure the story unfolds without promoting one editorial point of view. From the dazzling opening procession to the final heartfelt "Amen," the story is monumental-the who, why, where, and how the bishops of the world undertook the most massive reform of the Church since Constantine in 313A.D.
For those Catholics who remember the council "Reflections on Vatican II" will shed light on why changes came so swiftly. And for those younger Catholics, it will offer an eye-opening historical perspective. Vatican II changed the way people thought of themselves as Roman Catholics. Some feel the council didn't go far enough. Others feel it went way too far. On September 18, on PBS, "Reflections on Vatican II" illuminates the debate and explains the consequences of this extraordinary event in Church and world history.
