Fourth Sunday of Lent - 2025

The Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C, gives us the beautiful parable of the "Prodigal Son". Prodigality is a word that indicates over the top expressions of one's favour; extravagant and lavished. It is the father's prodigality of forgiving love that inspires the title of this parable. It might also be known as, The Parable of “The Wayward Son” or “The Parable of the Prodigal Father” or the Parable of the “Indignant Elder Brother”.          Let us look at the three central figures of Jesus’ parable.          First, the Younger Son – clearly, he has no appreciation or understanding of his father’s love for him. He is in love with himself.   "Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.          A famine breaks out – he is in desperate condition – finally decides to return home – hoping he might get a servant’s job and thus save himself - he fashions a job application he thinks his father might accept and heads home. "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands."          In theological terms we might call this “Imperfect Contrition”. “I’m sorry so I can save myself”.          Second, we look at the father – perhaps he has been going every day to the edge of his property, in hopes of seeing his son’s return – and this day he does see him – a retched, miserable mess – coming up the road.          With extreme Prodigality he lavishes his son with unconditional love – the day no doubt that the son realizes his father’s true love for him.          Now we look at the older son – a son to make a father proud – but he too does not understand that the father loves him. For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends.          He fails to understand what his inheritance is all about – that it too has been given to him by a loving father.          And he fails to see the younger son as his brother; But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!         Might we not see a similarity with some of today’s older, faithful, practicing Catholics, complaining about Pope Francis and his Year of Mercy – his insistence on our need to extend forgiveness to the wayward in today’s Church? Then the father said to him, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.' "          So here are three models to whom we might compare ourselves – who am I most like? Brant Pitre's Video on the Other Brother's Resentment. * * * VIEW * * *

Third Sunday of Lent - 2025

+ And he told them this parable:  “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard,  and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also,  and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it;  it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

In the world of politics, the landscape is often divided into two, under the banners of liberal and conservative - the left and the right. The left is often described as being too loose and accommodating in its principles, while the right is held as too rigid and unbending.   This dividing line can also find its way into religion, creating opposing positions on theological interpretations of beliefs and practices. Pope Francis has been considered by some to be too liberal leaning, and they point to his emphasis on mercy and his creation of a special Jubilee Year devoted to God's Mercy. What about God's Justice, they will ask. Are not sinners to face the consequences of their sins? Is there not a hell, or was the Year of Mercy just a "get-out-of-jail-free" year? Scripture makes it clear that the wages of sin is death. (Rom. 6:23). But Jesus confronting the self-righteousness of the Pharisees, who condemn him for the way he deals with sinners, points to the prophet Ezekiel that God does not desire the death of sinners rather their conversion. (Ez. 18:23) Go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." (Mtt. 9:13) Clearly, it would be to our pearl to ignore the call to holiness we hear in the gospel. But our hope rests not in our self-righteous, rather it is in God's Mercy, that continues to lift us out of our failures, giving us again and again the opportunity for conversion. In today's gospel, Jesus uses a parable to give us insight into the workings of God's justice and mercy. In the parable there is a fig tree that has failed to produce any fruit for the past three years. "Cut it down", is the correct (the just) action to take. Three barren years is more than sufficient evidence that it has no value. But it is given a fourth year, and in that year positive efforts will be employed to give it a chance to revive.  Its purpose for existence remains the same, to bear fruit - in our case, the fruits of a holy life - the measure of our judgement. The additional year and the intervention of cultivation, add-ons from outside are given - in our case the gift of grace, sanctify grace, the grace of Mercy, continually given to the very last hour of the very last year, the fourth year. Pope Francis is showing us that we are in the "fourth year", the Year of Mercy, the time remaining for us. Can we see any signs of fruit?

"I tell all of you with certainty, since you did it for one of
the least important of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you did it for me." Mtt. 25:40

Second Sunday of Lent - 2025

The Second Sunday presents us with the account of the Transfiguration of Jesus. The word transfiguration comes from a Greek word from which we get the word metamorphosis, meaning a radical change. An example that illustrates this well is the butterfly. It begins as worm like leaf eater, then after a time wrapped in a cocoon it emerges as a beautiful butterfly able fly. So here Jesus appearance is being radically transfigured, radically transformed. And as this happens Peter, James, and John can see Jesus’ divine glory. Remember Matthew gospel was first written to first century Jews. When they heard these details of the transfiguration, they would immediately make the connection with Moses on Mount Sinai. Some of these connections with the Transfiguration of Jesus and Moses’ experience on Mount Sinai are: * Moses goes up the mountain taking three companions – Jesus take with him Peter, James and john. * When Moses went up the mountain of Sinai, it says that “when he came down his face shone with the glory of having been in the presence of God,” * When Jesus goes up the mountain, his face is transfigured and it shines like the sun with its own light - similar to Moses but is greater than Moses, because he's being revealed as the divine son of God. * In the Moses experience a cloud descends upon him; it says that “God spoke to Moses from the cloud.”   * In the Transfiguration of Jesus the voice of the Father speaks from the cloud and says the words, “this is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” So, for the first century Jews they would see in the Transfiguration the revelation of one who is even greater than Moses. Jesus is acting like a new Moses, but he's a new and greater Moses, and he's bringing the disciples up that mountain to encounter God, to enter into the mystery of God and to also reveal to them his divine Sonship. What is the meaning of the Transfiguration for us today? As for Peter, James and John Jesus is preparing them for the scandal of the Cross. When they and the other disciples see Jesus’ passion and death their faith will suffer a crushing blow. So for us we also see in the Transfiguration the glory and power of God revealing Jesus as our Lord and Saviour – for  we too must face the crushing blows that our own trials will bring against our faith – faith that for some will be lost. This is why Lent is such an important time because it is during Lent that through prayer and meditation, we seal in one unbreakable bond the glorious Transfiguration with the passion of Jesus. So that we can face our trials with the vision of the victorious Christ - so seared into our memory that no suffering we face will ever separate us from our confident trust in the Lord. May I recommend that this be the way for you pray and meditate this Lent. As you look up at the Crucified Jesus, see also the vision of the glorious risen Christ.

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First Sunday of Lent - 2025

Some reflections for prayer on the First Sunday of Lent Gospel for the First Sunday Lent invites us to go with Jesus into the wilderness – not literally, rather into the wilderness of or our own minds & hearts. Like Jesus, we want our own integrity to be tested, to examine the true quality of our faith. What kind of believer am I? So, let us look at the three tests to which Jesus was subjected by the devil, which are the same tests we too must face this Lent. The first test: integrity, security of our lives, "my bread of life". It is said that we are living in the Age of Individualism – the “Me First Generation", the “What-ever-makes-you-happy” generation. That is “my truth”, and it’s my right to have what I need and want to make me happy. Jesus’ response: Truth comes from God the creator. The true goal of every life is to discover and pursue God’s plan for my existence. The question I must ask myself is what truth is shaping my life? What is my daily bread I seek and desire each day? The second test: proof; seeing is believing.  We are also called the Scientific Age. Sound reason demands proof. If religion is true, where is the proof? If God is, and God is love, why so much suffering in the world? Jesus’ response: believing is seeing. No human mind can capture the essence of God – but God will reveal himself to those who open their minds and hearts. Ask yourself, is the secularism of today eroding my faith? The third test: power & possession – “to the victor goes the spoils”.  We are also called the Age of Success. My life is measured by all my successes and the power that I must have to control them. Jesus’ response = wealth & power last but a few years – then death comes to everyone. It is said of our age that the rich are getting richer; poverty in the world is growing. But where is this leading us? History has some worrisome suggestions. Ask yourself: life is short, eternity is forever; where do I wish to end up?

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When the woman saw that the tree was good for food and delightful to look at and desirable for gaining wisdom Pride of the flesh (appetites) Pride of the eye (possessions) Pride of life (control) “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “All this I will give You,” he said, “if You will fall down and worship me.” ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ “Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”

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"The first temptation is the devil tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread.  Well why does he do that and is that a real temptation?" >>> LINK <<<

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