I greet you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today marks the 4th Sunday of Lent, and according to our Catholic Liturgical tradition, it is quite special, as shown by the rose-coloured vestments and the flowers set upon the Altar. Similar to the 3rd Sunday of Advent (‘Gaudete Sunday’), the 4th Sunday of Lent serves as a pause within an otherwise reflective season and signifies the midpoint in our preparation for Easter.
This Sunday is traditionally called “Laetare Sunday,” deriving its name from the opening words of today’s Mass, specifically the Introit’s ‘Laetare, Jerusalem.’ The Latin term ‘Laetare’ translates to ‘rejoice.’ Thus, today the Church celebrates in joyful anticipation of the Easter mystery. It feels as though we have reached the peak of the hill and can now see our destination ahead. My dear people of God, while Lent is a season of penance, there is much to celebrate at this brief midpoint and very fittingly, each of our three Scripture Readings of today highlights a different aspect of Easter joy.
They all look forward to the happiness of Easter and the joy that comes with reconciliation. In our first reading, we saw how the Hebrews celebrated their first Passover in the Promised Land (Josh 5:9- 12), St. Paul tells us that Christ has reconciled us to the Father (2 Cor 5:18-19) in our second reading and the prodigal son is welcomed back by his father (Luke 15:11-32) in our Gospel reading. The readings give us many reasons to rejoice and provide us with thought-provoking insights suitable for this Lenten season. The parable Jesus tells in today’s Gospel is unique to the Gospel of Luke.
Jesus has been teaching the crowds as he journeys to Jerusalem. As he teaches, the Pharisees and scribes complain and challenge Jesus because he is welcoming sinners to his table. Today we hear the third of three parables that Jesus tells in response to his critics. These three familiar parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and today’s parable of the prodigal son, invite us to consider the depth of God’s mercy and love. Many view this well-known parable as The Parable of The Prodigal Father, since while the younger son was reckless and extravagant with his father’s wealth, the father exhibited even greater ‘wastefulness and extravagance’ in his love and forgiveness, going to great lengths to celebrate his son’s return.
Additionally, his willingness to give everything to the older son, who struggles to forgive his younger sibling, portrays the father’s abundant generosity even further. Some also view this parable as ‘The Parable of The Lost Sons’ because the older son, filled with resentment, was unaware of his own “lostness.” Even though he remained physically close, he was just as lost as the younger son, who had ventured to a faroff land to waste his inheritance on a life of indulgence. His resentment reveals his limited understanding of the depth of his father’s love. Beloved in Christ, the Father was misunderstood by his two sons.
While the younger son saw him as a tyrant who imposed his will on others and restricted their independence, the elder one saw him as a master, whose orders were to be obeyed to get a reward. Do I conceive of God, the Father in any of these two ways? The younger son, in today’s parable, decided to be independent. In doing so, he decided to confront the father. His father did not stop him, did not reprimand or punish him, but allowed him to have his way. Why does God allow us to sin, even to the extent of committing murder? God does not tamper with our freedom. He did not create us to be robots. It is only when we are free to choose our actions that we can be held responsible for them. Secondly, God does not take delight in the death of a sinner but gives him the opportunity to repent and be saved (Ezekiel 18:23). The Prodigal Son later discovered that he did not achieve the happiness he desired in freedom. The pleasure lasted briefly, then disappointment set in.
It was actually hunger and suffering that brought him back to his senses. Sometimes difficulties, sickness, problems, and setbacks can draw us back to God. While that is bad enough, he only came to his senses when there was a famine in that country. We might ask ourselves how much longer he would have continued in his reckless lifestyle had famine not struck the country. A worrying issue is that the prodigal son did not seem to know there was something amiss in his life, and only became aware of it when everything he had was taken away from him. This is worrying because if the prodigal son only figured it out when a natural disaster overcame him, we might begin to wonder if we may have closed ourselves to God in any way without even knowing it like the prodigal son.
Lent is to see where we are before God so that we do not end up like the prodigal son with the pigs. The joy of the first celebration of the Passover in the Promised Land in the first reading (Josh 5:9-12) is surely tempered by the fact that all the parents of that generation had perished on the way up to Canaan from Egypt because they had turned against God. They did not appreciate what God was offering them and like the prodigal son, they lived their life in a distant country instead of enjoying what God was offering them. Sin slowed their journey and ultimately prevented them from attaining God’s gifts.
Is sin slowing us from attaining the gifts God offers to us? Lent is a time to see where we are before God so that we do not wind up like the prodigal son with the pigs or get stuck on our journey instead of attaining the gifts God offers us. We could see the turning point in the life and destiny of the prodigal son when he said “I will leave this place, and return to my Father….and he arose and came to his father….”. He took a decision and followed it up with action. Sometimes when we realize our miserable state, we decide to make the necessary changes but lack the willpower to put that decision into practice. We all need that turning point today.
The father’s reaction on sighting his returning son is also worthy of mention. He saw his son from a distance, was moved with compassion, ran towards him, embraced and kissed him. He was not ready to listen to his son’s well-rehearsed speech of apology, but rather quickly ordered his servants to put the best robe on him, put a royal ring on his finger, and shoes on his feet, to kill the fatted calf and make merry. We could see that the father was anxiously waiting for the return of his ‘lost’ son. No wonder Jesus tells us that there is great joy in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7).
The elder son, on the other hand, seems to know where his younger brother had been all along but made no effort to bring him back. He seems to be happy that his brother was lost and gone forever. Am I happy and comfortable when my brother or sister is lost in sin? What effort have I made to bring them back to our Father? Many of us fall within the category of the prodigal son, having ‘enjoyed ourselves’ in sinful living, and so have no stake in heaven. By giving us a picture of the elder brother as well as of the younger, the parable brings out the full character of God’s mercy. He relies lovingly on the person who is faithful to him, but he cannot therefore be insensible of the person who strays, repents, and returns. Rather, His inner feelings burst forth and show us the infinite love He has for anyone who takes even a single step toward him. The Lord not only waits hopefully for this step but even tries to get people to take it. Such is the full depth of God’s tender love for the sinner.
At this point in Lent, it is good to pause, return home, and let God hold us in the warmth of his loving mercy. We rejoice today because God’s great love for us has been revealed in Jesus. Through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ has reconciled us with God and one another. May God bless His words in our life through Christ our lord, Amen.
• Rev. Fr. Princewill Ugwumba, Associate Parish Priest, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Ibonwon, Epe, Lagos.
