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ArchiveLent 2010Fourth Sunday of Lent    September 8, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Lent Minimize
 

 

You are always with me and all I have is yours

 
The story of the Prodigal Son is probably one of the best known of Christ’s parables. But is it all that well-known? If we do not realise where it comes in St. Luke’s Gospel, we can easily imagine that the principal figure in the story is the Prodigal Son. We would be wrong, for he isn’t; and neither is his elder brother. 

 
The story of the Prodigal Son is one of three parables about God’s mercy. It would be more accurate to give this particular parable the heading “The parable of the Merciful Father.” It is the father who shows love to both his sons. He loves them for what they are – his children – not for what they do or have done. And they both have limitations. The younger son is wasteful, squandering his money on a life of debauchery. The older son, who stays at home and works hard, doing all that is expected of him, is lacking in gratitude. He fails to realise what he has. Perhaps he fails, most of all, to realise that his father loves him, too, and not just his wayward younger brother.
 
It seems to be the case that people sometimes only realise what they have when they have lost it; and ‘it’ may be health, or wealth, or their faith. If it is the last of these, there is hope for such people if they never forget that God (and he is, obviously, the ‘father’ in the parable) will never stop loving them, and will never cease looking out for them as they seek to find a way home. More than that, he will go out to meet them, and will welcome them with open arms.
 
Those who have not drifted away from their faith and from active involvement in the life of the Church could use this parable as an occasion to reflect on what they have been given, and to express gratitude for it.

 

  
 
 
Gospel Readings for the weekdays of the Fourth Week of Lent Minimize
 

 

Monday                                 John 4: 43-54
Tuesday                                 John 5: 1-3,5-16
Wednesday (St. Patrick)     Luke 10: 1-12, 17-20
Thursday                                John 5: 31-47
Friday (St. Joseph)                Luke 2: 41-51
Saturday                                John 7: 40-52

 

  
 
 
This week Minimize
 

 

 
Think about it:
 
Have you ever thought of the story of the Prodigal Son in the way suggested above?
 
Listen to it:
 
Read this story slowly and prayerfully, and try to let the images and the words sink into your consciousness.
 
Talk about it:
 
Share with someone your experiences of God’s love for you.
 
Learn from it:
 
To give thanks to God each day for what you have received, and especially for the gift of faith.
 
Pray about it:
 
Lord, make me grateful each day for all you have given me. Amen.
  
 
 
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