Catholic TV Mass Online March 13, 2016: 5th Sunday of Lent

• Report rights infringement
• published: 12 Mar 2016
• views: 137

Presider: Fr. Mark Payne Parish: Chaplain, Heart of the Nation Choir: Mother of Good Counsel www.MySundayMass.org TEXT FROM THE GOSPEL AND HOMILY: The Lord be with you. And with your spirit. A reading this morning from fifteenth chapter of the Holy Gospel according to Luke. Glory to you o Lord. Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable. A man had two sons and the younger son said to his father ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses, he thought ‘How many of my fathers hired workers have more than enough to eat, but here am I dying from hunger? I shall get up, go to my father and I shall say to him, ‘Father I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me as you would one of your hired workers.’’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him ‘Father I have sinned against heaven and against you, I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ His father ordered the servants, “Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life again, he was lost and has been found.” Then the celebration began. The older son had been out in the field and on his way back, as he neared the house he heard the sound of music, dancing. He called one the servants and asked him what this might mean. The servant said to him, “Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.” He became angry and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him he said to his father in reply, “Look all the years I have served you and not once did I disobey your orders and yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends, but when your son returns, who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf. The father said to him, “My son, you are here with me always, everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice because your brother was dead and has come to life again. He was lost and has been found.” Sisters and brothers the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ This gospel needs no commentary, it’s a story not so much of a prodigal son, but really a story of a prodigal father. Prodigal with his mercy. Who understood him better than he understood himself as our God understands us better than we understand ourselves? A God who knows that sometimes we do the wrong thing for the right reason and sometimes we do the right things for the wrong reason, and loves us all the way through. We are encouraged by this mid Lenten Gospel, to the daily exercise of mercy to others and that really is the best commentary on this Gospel.