The Abbot's Homily for 4th Sunday of Lent

4th Sunday of Lent—2010
Cycle C
2010

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	FIRST READING 4th Sunday of Lent - Cycle C—2010 Joshua 5:9a, 10-12
The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.” While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month. On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan.
	SECOND READING 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
	GOSPEL Cycle C Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
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 father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and 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 treat 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.’ But his father ordered his 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 to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now 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 and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked 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 these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; 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.’ He 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.’”

My sisters and brothers in Christ, Today’s readings draw us into the Promised Land. The first reading speaks about this change in the lives of our ancestors in the faith. They no longer had manna but they had food from the produce of the land. God no longer fed them with the manna and quail. Instead they now took on the responsibility of obtaining their own food. God remains with them, but now in a different way. The second reading repeats the theme, now in terms of Christ saving us and making us a new creation. Far too often we forget that we have been made a new creation in Christ Jesus and we live as if we had never been baptized or changed at all. This is our human condition of sinfulness. The more we become aware that we are made new, the more we can life in the newness of life and give glory to the Lord. It is always a matter of asking our loving Father: change us and make us in your image. The Gospel is the story of the two sons who are so very different and yet both of whom in the end seek to do the Father’s will. We can presume that if the Father is so good, then the second son eventually accepts His words. We find elements of both the first son and the second son within ourselves. It doesn’t matter whether we think in terms of sons or daughters, the teaching is the same. We can also think of God as our Mother here, as Pope John Paul I once said. The teaching is about our humanity and not about our gender. What is the teaching: we are made new, we make mistakes, we reject the good—but God always is happy and delighted to have us return to the way of salvation and to come to enjoy divine life with Him. We are invited to the Promised Land. We are invited to be part of the New Creation. We are invited to see the love our Father has for us, whether we have been one of those who strayed or one of those who tried to stay on the path always. May our Lord send His Spirit on us this Sunday and move our hearts and our minds so that we may love others as He has loved us.