A New Presentation for Sunday's Liturgy

The World and Homeland
(March 21, 2004 - 4th Sunday of Lent)

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This presentation is originally prepared in Spanish by Fr. Cristo Rey García Paredes, cmf. The original version,along with other very useful materials for pastoral agents and Christians in general can be found at: http://ciudadredonda.org

March 21, 2004 - 4th Sunday of Lent

A. A Father Prodigal with His Love
B. A Scandalizing Mercy

Readings:
Jos 5:9-12; Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; 2 Cor 5:17-21;
Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
(Listen to MP3 - The lost sheep and the lost coin [Lk 15:1-7]
The Prodigal Son [Lk 15:11-32] )

Commentaries / Gospel Reflections from:
Sunday's Into Silence • Diario Biblico • Daily Gospel • Preaching the Word

Greeting (See Second Reading)

Blessed be God our Father
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and has entrusted to us
the work of reconciliation in this world.
May his pardon and peace be always with you.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. A Father Prodigal with His Love

Can you imagine that, when half-heartedly sorry for the stupidities of your sins, you tell God that you come back to him, he embraces you and prepares a feast for you? It is almost like a hero's welcome! A God prodigal with his love waits for us; the past belongs to the past. Let us join in the feast of forgiveness.

B. A Scandalizing Mercy

Sometimes it is said of good, tolerant people: that's going too far to tolerate this, to forgive such a loss of face. Is there no spunk in him or her? No, we shouldn't be anybody's fool, but when it comes to forgiveness and patience we have still much to learn from God our Father. Has he not kept forgiving us? Has he ever stopped being patient with us? This is what we have to learn from him, however difficult it may be. Let us ask Jesus with us here to give us that strength.

Penitential Act

Why do we still hesitate
to return to the forgiving Father?
             (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you sat at table
with outcasts and sinners:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you forgave
those who nailed you to the cross:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, you invite us sinners
to the marriage feast of heaven:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, thank you for your patience
that does not tire of forgiving us.
Let your love change us completely
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to God our Father
that we may experience the joy
of his lasting forgiveness
             (PAUSE)
God with a big heart,
when we have lost our way,
when we seek fake happiness
in the dark land of sin,
you send your Son to search for us
and to bring us back home to you.
Let us feel deeply that you are looking forward
to welcome us with joy
and to restore us in your life and love.
Give us the humble courage to return to you,
our God and Father for ever. R/ Amen.

Scripture Readings

First Reading Introduction: The Joy of a Homeland
       God had led his people from the land of slavery into their new homeland. They celebrated this homecoming by renewing the covenant with God. Then they had to live as his faithful people.

First Reading: Jos 5:9-12

Yahweh said to Joshua, "Today I have removed from you the shame of Egypt." So the place is called Gilgal up to this day.

The Israelites encamped in Gilgal where they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. On the following day, they ate of the produce of the land: unleavened bread and roasted grain on that very day. And from that day on when they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased.

There was no more manna for the Israelites, and that year they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan.

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Glorify the LORD with me,
let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

Second Reading Introduction: Reconciled and Reconcilers
       God offers us a new world of forgiveness and reconciliation. We have to bring that reconciliation to all.

Second Reading: 2 Cor 5:17:21

The one who is in Christ is a new creature. For him the old things have passed away; a new world has come. All this is the work of God who in Christ reconciled us to himself, and who entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation. Because in Christ God reconciled the world with himself, no longer taking into account their trespasses and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

So we present ourselves as ambassadors in the name of Christ, as if God himself makes an appeal to you through us. Let God reconcile you; this we ask you in the name of Christ. He had no sin, but God made him bear our sin, so that in him we might share the holiness of God.

Gospel Introduction: Welcome Back Home!
       In the parable of the Father and his two sons, the father welcomes the repentant son back home with joy, but the self-righteous elder son, with the scribes and the Pharisees, refuses forgiveness.

Gospel Reading: Lk 15:1-3, 11-32
     (Listen to MP3 - The lost sheep and the lost coin [Lk 15:1-7]; The Prodigal Son [Lk 15:11-32] )

Tax collectors and sinners were seeking the company of Jesus, all of them eager to hear what he had to say. But the Pharisees and the scribes frowned at this, muttering. "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them." So Jesus told them this parable:

"There was a man with two sons. The younger said to his father: 'Give me my share of the estate.' So the father divided his property between them.
"Some days later, the younger son gathered all his belongings and started off for a distant land where he squandered his wealth in loose living. Having spent everything, he was hard pressed when a severe famine broke out in that land. So he hired himself out to a well-to-do citizen of that place and was sent to work on a pig farm. So famished was he that he longed to fill his stomach even with the food given to the pigs, but no one offered him anything.

"Finally coming to his senses, he said: 'How many of my father's hired workers have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will get up and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against God and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me then as one of your hired servants.' With that thought in mind he set off for his father's house.

"He was still a long way off when his father caught sight of him. His father was so deeply moved with compassion that he ran out to meet him, threw his arms around his neck and kissed him. The son said: 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you. I no longer deserve to be called your son…'

"But the father turned to his servants: 'Quick! Bring out the finest robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and kill it. We shall celebrate and have a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has come back to life. He was lost and is found.' And the celebration began.

"Meanwhile, the elder son had been working in the fields. As he returned and was near the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what it was all about. The servant answered: 'Your brother has come home safe and sound, and your father is so happy about it that he has ordered this celebration and killed the fattened calf.'

"The elder son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and pleaded with him. The indignant son said: 'Look, I have slaved for you all these years. Never have I disobeyed your orders. Yet you have never given me even a young goat to celebrate with my friends. Then when this son of yours returns after squandering your property with loose women, you kill the fattened calf for him.'

"The father said: 'My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But this brother of yours was dead, and has come back to life. He was lost and is found. And for that we had to rejoice and be glad.'"

Commentary

ONE of the meanings of the word "prodigal" is: lavish in the bestowal or disposal of things. If so, then this parable could equally well be called the parable of the Prodigal Father. The father lavished mercy and love on his son. Jesus told this story to illustrate what God is like:

"The Lord is compassion and love,
Slow to anger and rich in mercy." (Ps 102)

The younger son had the wisdom to throw himself on his father's mercy-much as he had thrown himself on the world some time before. They were a pair of Prodigals, with much in common! The older son couldn't throw himself at all, neither for better nor worse. He was a careful self-possessed man, and how poorly he understood his father! (See also March 13)

Read also Sundays Into Silence: A Love that is Too Much to Take!

General Intercessions

Let us pray to our merciful Father that his patience and love may be a constant invitation to everyone and all to return to him notwithstanding failures, and let us say: R/ Lord, renew us in your love.

- For the Church, that it may be to this world of fallible people a constant sign of reconciliation and peace, let us pray: R/ Lord, renew us in your love.
- For priests, that in the sacrament of penance they may always welcome repentant sinners with the patience and joy of the heavenly Father, let us pray: R/ Lord, renew us in your love.

- For our Christian families, that they may always be places of forgiveness where people take one another as they are and where prodigal children are received back with the warmth of love and joy, let us pray: R/ Lord, renew us in your love.

- For all Christians, that we who have experienced the Lord's forgiveness may learn to forgive one another wholeheartedly and without regrets and that we may not look down on people who have erred, let us pray: R/ Lord, renew us in your love.

- For our Christian communities, that we may welcome back in our midst social outcasts and ex-prisoners and give them the chance to rehabilitate themselves, let us pray: R/ Lord, renew us in your love.

Lord God, we thank you for the joy of forgiveness. Help us to express this gratitude by becoming new people in Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Prayer over the Gifts

Lord our God,
your Son welcomed sinners
and ate with them from the same table.
May our gathering here
around the table of your Son
also bring us, today's sinners,
reconciliation and peace
with one another and with you,
our understanding and patient Father,
on account of Christ Jesus our Lord. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Let us with joy give thanks to the Father for always forgiving us without conditions and without regrets.

Invitation to the Lord's Prayer

Repentant, like the prodigal son,
we turn to our Father in heaven;
we ask him to forgive us as we forgive others,
and to keep us from evil. R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil,
and grant us today the peace of forgiveness.
Guide our hesitant steps
and keep us from stumbling.
When in moments of weakness
we have turned away from you,
let the memories of your kindness
be stronger than our feelings of guilt,
and help us to return to the joy of your home,
as we look forward to the full coming
of our Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

We are not worthy to be called
sons and daughters of the heavenly Father,
but here is the sinless Lamb of God
who bore our sins
to give us the life and love of the Father.
Happy are we sinners to be invited
to eat his bread of life and strength. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

Father, in your patient mercy
you have prodigally poured out your love on us.
You have gathered us in your Son;
let him speak to us your forgiving words
and nourish us at his sumptuous meal,
even though we have offended you.
Let your love live on in us
and make us bring your reconciliation
to everyone far and near.
For we want to proclaim that you are
a Father who loves without measure
and embraces even the sinner.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing

We know from experience
that it is hard to forgive
when we have been hurt deeply.
We have all come to wear scars
of betrayed trust and friendship,
of love turned down or left unanswered,
of hopes in one another never fulfilled.
This has been God's experience with us too.
Yet he takes us back with joy,
holds no grudges, loves us no less.
May our love have grown more mature
through our encounter with a forgiving God
so that we too forgive those who have hurt us
without condition and with joy,
with the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Go in the peace of a loving and forgiving Father.
R/ Thanks be to God.

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Additional Resource Material for this Sunday

Ideal for catechetical and liturgical dramatization of today"s gospel.

The Sons of Ephraim
(Lk 15:1-3, 11-32)

(taken from the book A Certain Jesus, Vol. 1)
Click here for other Readings --> Index of A Certain Jesus