Fourth Sunday of Lent – Year C: 29.03.25
Vigil Mass – Conclusion of ’24 Hours for the Lord’, Cathedral of the Assumption, Carlow
Introduction:
You have just concluded ‘24 Hours for the Lord’ – an initiative of Pope Francis and hosted here in the Cathedral, also in St. Peter & Paul’s Church, Portlaoise, St. Michael’s Church, Portarlington and Cill Mhuire, Newbridge over the past twenty four hours.
We don’t approach the sacrament of reconciliation, confession, to beat ourselves up about sin, but we go aware of His mercy, His love and His embrace.
The Prodigal story is told very vividly by St. Luke, the canvas he paints is nearly too close to the bone. It should be compulsory reading during every Lent. This Lent it sets the tone of ‘Laetare Sunday’ – our fourth Sunday!
Returning to the vivid picture or the ‘too close to the bone’ reference – we all know that son, that daughter, that father, that mother – the younger one, the elder one …
Penitential Act:
… as pilgrims of hope we make our Lenten journey believing that God is merciful and full of compassion. Let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate these sacred mysteries.
- Lord Jesus, you free us from all our fears. Lord, have mercy.
- Christ Jesus, you reconcile us to the Father and call us to be your ambassadors of reconciliation and forgiveness in the world. Christ, have mercy.
- Lord Jesus, you feed us with the bread of life, your body and blood. Lord, have mercy.
Homily:
Hands up those who have an older brother? It’s never easy … an older sibling brings an element of competition or rivalry into the fray. I confirmed four sets of twins in Newbridge last week. I always ask twins, who is the older one? “Him by two minutes” comes the response. With family there is always a little friction, an element of healthy competition, once its not rooted deeply, we can live with it.
I love to see an older sibling sponsor a younger sibling, its shows the regard, respect, esteem for one another. The younger one sees them as “a role model”; I always say to the older one “always be friends, and don’t let one another down”. We know of too many stories where siblings let down the other. Luke’s great parable speaks of the two sons! It could as well have been two daughters!!
Laetare Sunday, they call this day! And there you are ready tomorrow to celebrate ‘Mother’s Day’! The ‘Parable of the Prodigal’ celebrates Father’s, Mother’s, everyone who is big enough to forgive! Forgiveness needs the shoulders of that Prodigals dad; it needs the embrace of his wide open arms; it needs the ability that dad had for thinking outside the box, outside the limits of ‘eye for eye’, ‘tooth for tooth’ or ‘snitch for snitch’.
St. John Paul II reminded us that the prodigal was “disappointed by the emptiness of the mirage which had facinated him”[1]. He came to his senses and set out on his return. As for his prepared contrite speech … he hadn’t even time to get the bit in about being treated “as one of your paid servants”[2]. Mind you the young lad’s mind was never far away from money, even in calculating his return, he had no desire to be unpaid! The Father interrupts the flow of the speech, calling on the same servants to dance attention on this young spoilt brat who basically spent a few years burning up his inheritance! Can you blame the older lad? The greek word the dad calls the older son is ‘teknon’ which is not ‘son’ but ‘child’. A much more tender word!
The rawness of the older brothers response, even to the point of disowning his brother “this son of yours”[3] is very unsettling. Too many are disowned and remain so. Perhaps in the reading of the parable don’t lose its context. It was a response to the scribes and Pharisees seeing Jesus welcoming sinners and tax collectors. It’s what happens at every Eucharist, in every Mass, He “welcomes sinners”[4] and offers them nourishment. All of us, presider and people, are sinners and He welcomes us!
Returning to the Prodigal in your family who may have squandered everything, welcome them home … Never close a door tight on anyone. Laetare Sunday encourages us to keep those doors open, you never know when the Prodigal might come knocking!
By the way for mams present, young children were recently interviewed about mothers: “What’s the difference between mums and dads?” They answered: “Dads are sometimes taller and stronger, but mums have all the power, because they are the ones you have to ask, if you want to go for a sleepover”. “If you would change one thing about your mum, what might it be?”: “She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean!” Have a great Mother’s Day and keep that door ajar for ‘the Prodigals’!
We have all heard of Thomas Edison, the inventor of the light bulb. With painstaking effort he experimented with thousands of different filaments to find just the right materials to glow well and be long lasting. Eventually he produced a bulb that could glow for 1,500 hours. You may not have heard the story of that first bulb he asked his son to carry up the stairs and leave it in a quiet room and warned him to be very carfeul. Just as the son turned the top of the stairs, he tripped on a mat and the first bulb crashed to floor. The son came back, was very contrite and after a few days Edison had a second bulb created. What do you think he did with it? … he asked his son once again to carry it upstairs carefully and gently … and the rest is history. That is mercy, that is forgiveness.
While the ’24 Hours for the Lord’ has come to an end, just like the clock going forward one hour tomorrow morning, God’s mercy is never limited by time.
[1] Pope John Paul II, ‘Reconciliation and Penance’ – Post Synodal Exhortation, 02 Dec, 1984
[2] Lk.15:20
[3] Lk.15:30
[4] Lk.15:2