24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle C, Year I)

Community Word:  True disciples bear the nature and character of Jesus.

Theme:     We bear the nature and character of Jesus when we reconcile ourselves to God and to others, unconditionally.

Promise: “… there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents.”  (Lk 15:7)

Reflection:   
To demonstrate the depth of God’s love for us and his faithfulness, Jesus uses the poignant story of a son who squanders his inheritance on the meaningless pursuit of worldly pleasures.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son allows us to feel the longing and the love of a father for his errant son.  Even in the face of latter’s disrespect and rejection, the father in the parable – our Abba Father – remains faithful, merciful and compassionate, the epitome of perfect love: patient, kind, does not envy, is not resentful, bears, hopes and endures all things.  God’s love is inexhaustible.

Sin totally separates us from God.  God’s grace and blessings cannot be experienced during those times when we choose to follow the path of disobedience, disrespect, arrogance and hard-heartedness.   Excessive love of self renders us insensitive to the needs and feelings of others, preventing us from loving one another.  Sometimes, we are deceived by our own intelligence and imagine ourselves as better than others.  We become intolerant, impatient, arrogant and contentious when we want to prove a point.  Instead of contributing to the up-building of a community by loving one another, we cause disharmony and separation.

Unless we are in God’s grace, we cannot be in communion with God.  It is essential that, as we experience the deprivation, emptiness and hopelessness of a sinful life, we make the decision to go back to God and, and in all humility, ask for His mercy and forgiveness.  God, who is all merciful, continues to wait with open arms for repentant sinners to return to Him.  And the moment we surrender our brokenness and sinfulness to God, He will receive us back with great joy and celebration, immediately restoring our right as co-heirs of the Kingdom, for “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,” (1Tim 1:15b).  Thus, the promise of the week becomes a re-assuring word for those who return to God:  “… there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents,” (Lk 15:7).

The decision to seek forgiveness is a major step towards our reconciliation with self, with others, and with God; it is an important process towards healing.  Forgiveness sets us free from any negative bonds, any guilt feelings, or woundedness we may be carrying as the “offended party”.  It delivers us from anger, bitterness and the desire for vengeance, and helps us to reclaim our human dignity.  Forgiveness liberates not only the other person but also ourselves.  It is the way to regain the freedom needed to be truly children of God.

Just as the Lord accepts our repentance, we too should be ready to do the same for others who seek our forgiveness and reconciliation.  Jesus himself demonstrated unconditional forgiveness to His persecutors and executioners as He hung on the cross.  Our self-righteousness should not be a hindrance when someone who has hurt us comes back, seeking restoration and reconciliation with us.  The picture of the father receiving the son back into relationship is a picture of how we should respond to the repentant sinner as well.  “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3:23).  We are included in that “all” and it is only by God’s grace through Christ that we are saved, and not by our own effort or works.

Henry Nouwen perceptively observes that for reconciliation to work, we must first claim for ourselves that God through Christ, has reconciled us to himself.  We need to be fully convinced that we have been restored to God’s grace, that we are forgiven, and that we have received new hearts, new spirits, new eyes to see, and new ears to hear.  We need to be constantly reminded that through God’s Word, the sacraments, and the love of our neighbors, we are indeed reconciled.  Further, it is our mission in this world, as children of God and brothers and sisters of Jesus, to bring peace and reconciliation wherever we encounter division among people – in our families, in our communities, in our social circles and workplaces.  We have been given the ministry of reconciliation through Christ.  So whatever we do, the main question is, does it lead to reconciliation among people?

Thus, the Theme of the week reminds us that to have the character and nature of Christ is to be unconditionally reconciled with God and with others.

Reflection Questions:

1. After our own renewal thru the LSS and Encounter programs, do we maintain a desire to be at peace with everyone around us?  Do we openly and freely accept the offer of forgiveness from those we have offended, and/ or extend our forgiveness to those who have offended us?

2. What measures will you take to pursue a ministry of healing and reconciliation in your relationships with family, community, friends and others?

Song: When God Ran – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JC_jHMbRlk

This Week’s Daily Mass Reading Guide:

September 15, 2013 (Sun)  Ex 32:7-11,13,14/Ps 51:3,4,12,13,17,19/1Tm 1:12-17/
Lk 15:1-32 or 15:1-10
September 16, 2013 (Mon)  1Tm 2:1-8/Ps 28:2,7,8,9/Lk 7 7:1-10
September 17, 2013 (Tues) 1Tm 3:1-13/Ps 101:1-3,5,6/Lk 7:11-17
September 18, 2013 (Wed)  1Tm 3:14-16/Ps 111:1-6/Lk 7:31-35
September 19, 2013 (Thur) 1Tm 4:12-16/Ps 111:7-10?Lk 7:36-50
September 20, 2013 (Fri)  1Tm 6:2-12/Ps 49:6-10,17-20/Lk 8:1-3
September 21, 2013 (Sat)  Eph 4:1-7,11-13/Ps 19:2-5/Mt 9:9-13

“Ignorance of the Bible is ignorance of Christ.  Read your Bible daily!”

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