Fifth Sunday of Lent
Dear Parishioners,
The Lenten season has many wonderful readings that revolve around forgiveness. Last week we had the story of the prodigal son. This week we have the story of the woman who is saved from being stoned to death by Jesus. All these readings are meant to prick our conscience so that we might be aware of our own sinfulness and so that we might experience the mercy of our God.
We don’t like to admit our own shortcomings. But it is a basic fact that if we are to grow in our spiritual lives, we need to admit our sins. We feel bad about our sins because we realize that God’s love is without end. We feel unworthy of the total commitment of God to us. God sees what is bad about us, but God also is always aware of the good in each one of us. God does not want us to wallow in shame, but God wants us to recognize the divine spark in ourselves.
One point of reflection for us might be to consider what the prodigal son story is all about. Prodigal is a word that means wasteful extravagance. Two people are prodigal in the parable Jesus tells about two sons and a father. The wayward son is prodigal when he wastes his inheritance on hedonistic pursuits. The father is also prodigal when he uses his wealth to restore his son to the family, throwing him a party, giving the wayward son presents, etc.
What is the sin we need to reflect on? We might consider how we have wasted resources in our life to amuse ourselves. Have we eaten too much, drank too much, spent money on things we do not need? At the other end of the spectrum was the older son. He was grudging with his forgiveness. He was stingy about sharing what belonged to him.
Wastefulness, stinginess, and being unwilling to forgive. All these are things we might bring to the Sacrament of Reconciliation this Lent. All of us probably need God’s mercy when we consider these areas of our lives.
May we all encounter God’s mercy these last days of Lent.
Blessings,
Fr. Mark
P.S. We have presently collected almost $1,800,000 in pledges for Sacred Heart Parish. Seton Catholic School has over $850,000 in pledges. Sacred Heart would like to have $3,000,000 for its needs. Keep in mind, there are still stained-glass window sponsorships available. Over 435 households have responded. We would like to have a commitment from every family if possible. Please return the cards that were sent to you as soon as you can. If you need another card you can call our office. If you would like to pledge on line go to www.catholictogeher.com.