Reflection for the 4th Sunday in Lent(Laetare Sunday & Mother’s Day) ..YEAR C by Rev. Fr. Matthew Attah
Today’s a Special day where we have to Appreciate our mother’s for sustaining the divine product of the gift of Life!
There’s no Living Soul that came into existence without passing through a woman! The best Love a Father can give his children is to Love their mother!
In the Popular Song dedicated to Mothers, ‘Sweet Mother, where the singer, Prince Nico Mbarga said, ‘when I dey cry, my mother go carry me, she go say my pikin ma you no cry again, stop stop’, what does she do when she says this? She takes the child back home and consoles him.
That’s what we see today in the gospel of St Luke about the parable of the prodigal son.
The Gospel of St Luke, which I personally refer to as the Lost and found department of the Lord, because it was in Luke’s gospel we see the Parables of the Lost Coin, the Lost ship and the Lost son(The prodigal son).
In the parable of the Lost sheep(Luke 15: 3-7), Jesus tells the story of a Shepherd who cares for a 100 sheep but when 1 goes missing, he leaves the other 99 and goes in search of that 1.
Based on human standard, it’s not sensible to do that but that’s the mystery of God’s love for us! The one who goes astray is as valuable as the other Righteous persons and he’ll go any length to bring him back.
The parable of the Lost coin(Luke 15:8-10) also gives an account of a woman who misplaced a coin, thoroughly Swept and ransacked her house with a lamp in search of the Coin. The Broom and The Light have deeper meanings – The Lamp signifies The Light of the gospel while the Broom she used in sweeping is significant in the sense that whenever we go the Sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) there’s a spiritual Sweeping that God does in our Lives.
And then in today’s gospel reading, the parable of the prodigal son where we see three major Characters, The Father, The Older son and the younger Son, could be divided into three(3) parts:
In the First part, Luke15:11-16 – The Younger son demanded for his own share of his father’s wealth and went astray into reckless living.
According to the Jewish Culture, One can only lay claim to his father’s property when his Father is dead! So the younger son asking for his share of his father’s wealth is more like telling his father that he has overstayed on earth and indirectly wishing him dead!
The younger son also broke the social etiquette according the Jewish society by bringing ridicule and division to the Family.
Having committed all these abominable acts, how many father’s will receive him back with ‘both arms outstretched’❔and that’s why God is different from Man.
Most of our youths seek independence from their parents but being independent comes with a lot of consequences! Just as the father of the prodigal son, when God gives us freedom he expects it to be matched and reciprocated with humility and Responsibility!
But many of us are guilty of squandering the talents and gifts such wealth,etc in Reckless Living!
When we’re in surplus ..we Abandon God but in Lack and Need, we remember God!
Luke’s Gospel records in that a great Famine took over the Land after he had spent everything(Luke 15: 14) and the Prodigal son was left with no other option than to feed the Swine(Pigs).
For us to perfectly understand this parable, we have to know what Pigs mean to the Jewish people. The Jews see Pigs and the food of pigs as filthy, dirty and disgusting. That’s what you as a child of God is Left to feast on when you separate yourself from God, the Father – The Consequence of Rebellion.
In the second part of the Parable, Luke 15:17-20 – The Son repents and came back to his senses!
When you eliminate yourself from God, you’re are alienated from your own self because there are the elements of our creation, We’re..:
– Created by God
– Created like God in his image and Likeness (Imago Dei)
– Created for God.
The Son realized and said, I’ll arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I’m not worthy to be called your son, treat me as one of your hired servants.”
Whenever we fall to sin, we must have that feeling of Contrition and Unworthiness as we go back to God in Repentance just as the Prodigal son did.
The Third and Final part of the gospel, Luke 15:21-23, presents us with the event of the homecoming of the son back to his father, but we surprisingly see the Father calling for a celebration and the elder brother “grumbles”.
There are some Characteristics of the Father, which are:
1. He’s a Concerned Father:
Despite the Son leaving and recklessly spending his share of his father’s wealth, the father still shows him concern and Love!
Are you concerned about your Children❔
2. He’s a Compassionate Father:
When he sighted his son from a distance, he ran and hugged him.
When someone offends you, why can’t you create a bridge for reconciliation❔ Are you Companionate to your son/daughter❔
3. He’s a forgiving Father:
What has your son/daughter done to you that cannot forgive❔
The forgiveness of the Father was unmeasured and could be seen in three lights:
A. Purity – The son appeared in rags but the father ordered for him to be dressed with the best robes!
B. Privilege – The father also ordered that a ring be put on his finger. The ring signifies his sonship and authority!
C. Reinstatement – Another item the father instructed the servants to bring are Shoes. In the Jewish society slaves walk barefooted, only sons put on shoes.
The Shoes given to his Signifies that he’s no longer Under the slavery (Of Sin). That privileged position has been returned back to him.
From the Life of the younger son, we can learn lessons of sin and repentance.
Sin is an abuse if the father’s freedom.
Sin is the Journey from the father’s house into slavery. He abandoned the presence of the father and went into a life of reckless living.
How many times have we abandoned the presence of God and live our lives recklessly❔
The Account of the younger son, it could be summarized in Ten(10) Rs:
1. Realization: He realized he has sinned!
2. Recognition
3. Remorse: He was Sorrowful and said, I’ll go back to my father’s house.
4. Resolution: He made a resolution to Return to his father’s house.
5. Restitution: He said, I no longer deserve to be called your son, treat me as one of your hired servants!
6. Returning: He returned back to the father.
7. Reconciliation: He reconciled with the father.
8. Restoration: All that he lost was restored back to him
9. Redemption: He was Saved
10. Rejoicing: The father called for a massive Celebration!
We can also have Lessons from the Life of the older son..
In the Older son, we see a Self deserving and Self righteous Christian.
He had:
– Tendency of self righteousness
– Tendency to Pride
– Tendency of Eventual Lost of the father’s feast by his Utter refusal to attend the celebration of the return of his younger brother, because of Jealousy, Anger, Self Centeredness and Greed.
Will you be part of the “Father’s” Celebration on the Last day❔
If you must attend, you must avoid Anger, greed, jealousy and a self righteous attitude‼
Happy New Month‼ Have a great week Ahead!
PHOTO SPLASH
SUNDAY SCHOOL CORNER❕
The Children aged between 7-10yrs in the children section were also taught about the Story(Parable) of the Prodigal son.
The Prodigal son was described as a person who spends extra vagantly, carelessly and foolishly but was later repentant and repentant!
The Father of the Prodigal son was also said to be Merciful, forgiving and Loving and as children of God, we should forgive anyone that offends us 70 × 7 times.(Matthew 18: 22)
They were not left out in the celebration of the mother’s day as they learnt some songs and acronyms about mother’s, some are:
M- is for the Million times she gave to me
O – Only that she’s growing old
T – Tears she shed for me
H – Heart of Purest Gold
E – Eyes with Love Light
R- Right, she’ll always be.
&
M- Marvelous
O – Outstanding
T -Talented
H – Heavenly
E – Endearing
R – Ravishing.
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
The memory verse of the week is Psalm 34: 4
“I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.”