Readings for Sunday March 14, 2010

1st Reading from the Book of Joshua 5:9, 10-12

On Sunday's 1st reading as Joshua is leading the people back to the Promised Land, we encounter a grown-up, matured Israel, ready to be on its own. Israel has now reached the age on which she can be by herself, and as evidence of this fact, the Manna from the heavens has stopped.

Joshua has one big task at hand: deal with the circumcision of all males. During their time in Egypt, the Israelites have not observed this ritual, but before entering the Promised Land Joshua has to make sure that everyone is on the right side of this requirement.

So the journey comes to a temporary halt, and while the travelers celebrate the feast of Passover, the effects of wine helps them deal with the physical pain of being circumcised. And so, before crossing the River Jordan the requirement is satisfied and everyone is able to say that they have left the "reproach of Egypt" behind them.

Our ancestors, the Israelites, reached the Promised Land, and their example can be used as a blueprint to almost every project that we engage in... Before doing C, we have to do A and B...
For us, mere humans who hope to one day be able to sit at the right side of our Eternal Father, we need to walk the right path and comply with what is required of us. And like Paul said to the Phillipians (on the Scriptures, two weeks ago), external transformations are not enough. We need to have a change of heart so our reproaches can be separated from us; we need to live a life away from sin in order to make it to our promised land...

May our journey through the season of Lent be for us like the journey back to the Promised Land was for the Israelites; may we follow the example of the Israelites, leaving our "individual reproaches" behind us...

***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

2ND Reading from the 2ND letter of Paul to the Corinthians 5: 17-21

At the time when Paul wrote his 2ND letter to the people of Corinth, many negative things had happened. Although Paul had been the object of attacks by some members of the church, his longing for peace and reconciliation was ever present.

On this letter Paul tells the Corinthians that "anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being..." He reminds them, and us too, that God grants to all of us the ability of being able to move on, leaving our errors and our sins in the past. Paul says "the old is gone, the new has come."

Paul has deep faith in our Lord's promise of reconciliation, and he asks us to mirror his actions: he left his wicked ways in the past and became a new man, completely dedicated to spread the word of God, embracing new and positive ways.

Like Paul suggests, let us become a better edition of ourselves.


***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****

The Gospel according to Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

The uber famous parable of the prodigal son is our Sunday's Gospel. Who has not heard of it? Who has not heard about it? And how many have felt the different kinds of pain experienced by the three main characters of the story?

On the parable of the prodigal son, we read about the younger of two brothers who - having asked his father for his inheritance-, moves away to lead a life of parties, women, and liquor. Once all the money is used all the "friends" go away too, and the young man finds himself alone, poor, hungry, and without a roof over his shoulders. He knows how immense his father's love is, so the young man goes back to his father's house, hoping to find lodging within the farm animals. And as the news of the return of the young man reach his father's house, a royal welcome, a grand feast is prepared in his honor. Plenty to eat and drink for everyone, the father orders, because the return of his son is reason for celebration.

But wait... what about the older son? He never left, he was always there...

Every so often, kids of families with more than one child experience the pain of being blurred into the back of the picture... If not at home, then in school, when the teacher favors another student... As adults, when the boss recognizes someone else efforts...

The pain experienced by the prodigal son was a direct result of his actions. He misused the treasure of his inheritance and realized that the only way to survive was to ask his father for forgiveness for his ignorance.

But what about the pain experienced by the oldest son, the one who stayed with dad... Let's stop for a minute and think about this unattended person of the story. The one who has always done the right thing, the one who has kept up with Dad's expectations, with the community's expectations... He is like all of us, who constantly try to stay within the right path; like those of us who are always working towards our spiritual improvement... His pain, though not mentioned, is very real and very powerful.

And lastly, the father's pain who witnesses one of his two children go away... It's very likely that this man knew how fast the son's inheritance would disappear, and yet he said yes and complied with his son's request... A father like many other, who kept his pain inside, allowing his son the freedom of deciding what was best...

There are so many different angles to the parable of the prodigal son... To me, more than the hapiness of the returning son, I remain in awe to the father's big heart... This father who not only was ready to welcome the returning son, but who was also ready to offer comfort to the son who felt displaced and taken for granted.