Readings

• Joshua 5:9a, 10-12 – The entry into the Promised Land.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 – God reconciled us to himself through Christ.
• Luke 15:1-3, 11-23 – The Prodigal Son.

Living Eucharist "Common Threads"

Homily

During the Lenten season, the Church highlights the idea of reconciliation. We are reminded that our sins have alienated us from God and are called to reconcile ourselves to him in Christ. That process, which is frequently inhibited by our fears, is made easier by the message contained in the parable of the prodigal son. God's merciful love, personified by the father who reaches out to reconcile his erring son to himself, gives us confidence as we turn to God in search of forgiveness for our sins. We know that he eagerly awaits us and is ready to restore all the blessings we have lost through our selfish use of the good things he has given us.

This parable was originally addressed to the Pharisees who criticized Jesus for associating with sinners. They are represented by the elder son who protests the joyful reception that his younger brother received. The Pharisees to whom Jesus spoke are long gone, but their attitude still persists among those whose contempt for the weak and the wayward does little to manifest God's merciful love.

St. Paul, on the contrary, is an example of someone whose whole life became a witness to God's gracious goodness. He, who was once the strictest of Pharisees and a persecutor of the Church, was reconciled to God by Christ through a totally unmerited act of divine mercy. Thereafter, as he tells is in his second Letter to the Corinthians, he saw himself as entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. He became an ambassador for Christ and traveled the world to offer others the grace he himself had received.

Each of us has, in our own way, been reconciled to God and is, like Paul, sent to be a minister of reconciliation to others. Our commission is renewed every time we celebrate the Eucharist. At the end of every Eucharistic celebration, we are sent out to witness God's gracious goodness to those among whom we live. We do this by living out the Gospel values, especially the values of forgiveness and compassion. Forgiving those who have offended us and showing compassion to the weak and the wayward are two of the ways we share in Jesus' mission and become true children of our heavenly Father.

Intercessions

1. That our participation in the diocesan Living Eucharist Initiative will lead us to become ministers of reconciliation in our homes, our neighborhoods, and our parishes. We pray to the Lord.
2. That we who confidently seek the mercy of God will be generous in showing mercy to those who have offended us. We pray to the Lord.