FATHER I HAVE SINNED AGAINST YOU

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR C 

LAETARE SUNDAY :  I HAVE SLAVED FOR YOU  

First Reading Joshua 5:9-12 

The Israelites celebrate their first Passover in the Promised Land  The Lord said to Joshua: Readings

‘Today I have taken the shame of Egypt away from you.’ The Israelites pitched their camp at Gilgal and kept the Passover there on the fourteenth day of the month, at evening in the plain of Jericho. On the morrow of the Passover they tasted the produce of that country, unleavened bread and roasted ears of corn, that same day. From that time, from their first eating of the produce of that country, the manna stopped falling. And having manna no longer, the Israelites fed from that year onwards on what the land of Canaan yielded.

Responsorial Psalm: Taste and see that the Lord is good

Second Reading Second Corinthians 5:17-21 God reconciled himself to us through Christ

For anyone who is in Christ, there is a new creation; the old creation has gone, and now the new one is here. It is all God’s work. It was God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the work of handing on this reconciliation. In other words, God in Christ was reconciling the world to himself, not holding men’s faults against them, and he has entrusted to us the news that they are reconciled. So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God. For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God.  lectures

Gospel Luke 15:1-3,11-32 The prodigal son

The tax collectors and the sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what he had to say, and the Pharisees and the scribes complained. ‘This man’ they said ‘welcomes sinners and eats with them.’ So he spoke this parable to them: 

A man had two sons. The younger said to his father, “Father, let me have the share of the estate that would come to me.” So the father divided the property between them. A few days later, the younger son got together everything he had and left for a distant country where he squandered his money on a life of debauchery. 

‘When he had spent it all, that country experienced a severe famine, and now he began to feel the pinch, so he hired himself out to one of the local inhabitants who put him on his farm to feed the pigs. And he would willingly have filled his belly with the husks the pigs were eating but no one offered him anything. Then he came to his senses and said, “How many of my father’s paid servants have more food than they want, and here am I dying of hunger! I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as one of your paid servants.” So he left the place and went back to his father...................Reflections

My Father, my God I have sinned against you. Father take away my reproach, take away my shame. Make me your child again. Thank you loving Father for anyone who is in Christ is transformed for you reconciled us to yourself through Jesus Christ so that we too maybe reconciled with our fellow creatures. 

Father give me a forgiven heart, a forgiving spirit. Let me never begrudge my fellow creatures. Remove from my heart every judgemental spirit. Give me a compassionate heart. Forgiveness and reconciliation brings peace and unity,  and unforgiveness brings disunity. Let me rejoice in the transformation of my brethren for good. May I never be so self-righteous that I condemn my brothers and sisters in Christ. Give me an understanding heart. Give me a heart of flesh.  Let me never say Father I have slaved for you in rendering services in your house, and in serving humanity. Father I beg of you through Jesus Christ my Lord. Lord Jesus Christ make my heart like yours.

Lord Jesus I trust in you. Virgin Mary pray for me. Saint Joseph pray for me. My Angel Guardian pray for me. Guide and guard me. Be my protection. God's Holy Angels pray for me.

Your Birthday Saint: Saint Rupert, Bishop. May he pray for you as you celebrate your birthday. 

Pray the Holy Rosary: May Our Blessed Mother Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ pray for us.