Cuarto Domingo de Cuaresma 2025.

Queridos hermanos y hermanas, en este cuarto domingo de Cuaresma, somos invitados a presenciar la manera en que Dios actúa con misericordia con sus hijos y, especialmente, con aquellos que se han extraviado. De igual manera, como el hijo pródigo, somos invitados a reconocer nuestros pecados y pedir perdón por ellos.

Pensemos por un momento en esta bella parábola del hijo pródigo.

¿Qué sentimientos me produce?

¿Me parece justo el comportamiento del padre?

¿Con cuál de los personajes me identifico?

¿Qué enseñanza me deja acerca de Dios y de mi propia familia?

¿Algún miembro de mi familia se ha ido de casa y nos ha abandonado?

¿Cómo me sentí con esta situación?

La lectura de la carta a los Corintios y del evangelio de Lucas nos habla de perdón, reconciliación y misericordia: el hijo que se fue de casa finalmente vuelve y encuentra en el padre a alguien que lo ha esperado siempre y lo reconcilia consigo mismo y con la familia. Por otro lado, es triste el comportamiento del hijo mayor, que se siente como si no lo estuviera estando en casa. Se ha vuelto una persona de corazón duro e incapaz de acoger y perdonar al pecador. De este hijo mayor, al que todos consideramos el Bueno porque siempre ha estado en casa y se ha portado bien, se esperaba que fuera capaz de perdonar y acoger a su hermano, pero la envidia, el resentimiento y los celos lo carcomen hasta el punto de no dejarlo participar en la fiesta. La parábola no nos permite saber si el

padre logró convencerlo para que entrara y se reconciliara con su hermano. Finalmente, nos queda la imagen del padre, de aquel que acoge, perdona y recibe, el que sabe que tanto el hijo bueno como el malo necesitan su cariño y apoyo, y está allí para acompañarlos en su recorrido vital y en su proceso de conversión.

Este padre es la imagen de Dios misericordioso, que siempre está ahí para acompañarnos y darnos la bienvenida cuando nos hemos extraviado y hemos errado el camino, pero también para corregirnos cuando, estando a su lado, hemos permitido que los celos y los resentimientos contra los «pecadores» se aniden en nuestro corazón y nos impidan actuar con misericordia.

Mis queridos hermanos, que las lecturas de este domingo nos ayuden a entender que, como católicos, todos somos mensajeros de la reconciliación de Dios y que debemos hacer todo lo posible para no vivir resentidos y reconciliarnos con Dios y con nuestros hermanos. Pidamos también para que nos sirvan de ocasión para examinar nuestra conciencia a la luz de la parábola del hijo pródigo, reconocer nuestros errores y pecados y volver a la casa del Padre misericordioso para pedir su perdón y reconciliarnos con nuestros hermanos a quienes hayamos ofendido con nuestras acciones erróneas. Amén.

P. Luis Segura M.S.C.

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Fourth Sunday of Lent 2025

 Dear brothers and sisters, on this Fourth Sunday of Lent, we are invited to witness how God acts with mercy toward his children, and especially toward those who have strayed. Likewise, like the prodigal son, we are invited to acknowledge our sins and ask forgiveness for them. Let us think for a moment about this beautiful parable of the prodigal son. What feelings does it evoke in me? Does the father's behavior seem fair to me? With which of the characters do I identify? What does it teach me about God and my own family? Has a member of my family left home and abandoned us? How did I feel about this situation?

The reading from the Letter to the Corinthians and the Gospel of Luke speaks to us of forgiveness, reconciliation, and mercy: the son who left home finally returns and finds in his father someone who has always waited for him and reconciles him with himself and with his family. On the other hand, the behavior of the older son is sad, as he feels as if he were no longer at home. He has become hard-hearted and incapable of welcoming and forgiving the sinner. This older son, whom we all consider good because he has always been at home and behaved well, was expected to be able to forgive and welcome his brother, but envy, resentment, and jealousy eat away at him, so much so that he does not allow him to participate in the feast. The parable does not allow us to know if the father managed to convince him to enter and be reconciled with his brother. Finally, we are left with the image of the father, the one who welcomes, forgives, and receives, the one who knows that both good and bad children need his love and support, and is there to accompany them on their life journey and in their process of conversion.

This father is the image of a merciful God, who is always there to accompany us and welcome us when we have strayed and lost our way, but also to correct us when, while at his side, we have allowed jealousy and resentment against "sinners" to take root in our hearts and prevent us from acting with mercy.

My dear brothers and sisters, may this Sunday's readings help us understand that, as Catholics, we are all messengers of God's reconciliation and that we must do everything possible not to live resentfully and to be reconciled with God and with our brothers and sisters. Let us also pray that they may serve as an opportunity to examine our conscience in light of the parable of the prodigal son, to recognize our errors and sins, and to return to the house of the merciful Father to ask for his forgiveness and to be reconciled with our brothers and sisters whom we have offended with our erroneous actions. Amen.

Rev. Luis Segura M.S.C.

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True Repentance Calls For Celebration…

The Gospel for this Sunday’s Liturgy recounts the so-called Parable of the Prodigal Son (cf. Lk 15:11-32). It leads us to the heart of God, who always forgives compassionately and tenderly. Always, God always forgives. We are the ones who tire of asking for forgiveness, but he always forgives. It [the parable] tells us that God is a Father who not only welcomes us back, but rejoices and throws a feast for his son who has returned home after squandering all his possessions. We are that son, and it is moving to think about how much the Father always loves us and waits for us.

But there is also the elder son in the same parable who manifested his resentment in front of this Father. He bases his relationship with his Father solely on pure observance of commands, on a sense of duty. This could also be our problem, the problem among ourselves and with God: losing sight that he is a Father, and living a distant religion, made of prohibitions and duties. And the consequence of this distance is rigidity towards our neighbor whom we no longer see as a brother or sister. In fact, in the parable, the elder son does not say my brother to the Father. No, he says that son of yours, as if to say: he is not my brother. In the end, he risks remaining outside of the house. In fact, the text says: “he refused to go in” (v. 28), because the other one was there.

Seeing this, the Father goes out to plead with him: “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours” (v. 31). He tries to make him understand that for him, every child is all of his life. Parents know this well and are very close to feeling like God does. Something a father says in a novel is very beautiful: “When I became a father, I understood God” (H. de Balzac, Le Père Goriot). At this point in the parable, the Father opens his heart to his elder son and expresses two needs, which are not commands, but essentials for his heart: “It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive” (v. 32). Let us see if we too have in our hearts these two things the Father needs: to make merry and rejoice.

First of all, to make merry, that is, to demonstrate our closeness to those who repent or who are on the way, to those who are in crisis or who are far away. Why should we do this? Because this helps to overcome the fear and discouragement that can come from remembering one’s sins. Those who have made mistakes often feel reproached in their own hearts. Distance, indifference and harsh words do not help. Therefore, according to the Father, we have to offer them a warm welcome that encourages them to go ahead. “But father, he did so many things”: a warm welcome. And we, do we do this? Do we look for those who are far away? Do we want to celebrate with them? How much good an open heart, true listening and a transparent smile can do; to celebrate, not to make them feel uncomfortable! And then, like the Father, we have to rejoice. When someone whose heart is synchronized with God’s sees the repentance of a person, they rejoice, no matter how serious their mistakes may have been. They do not stay focused on errors, they do not point fingers at what they have done wrong, but rejoice over the good because another person’s good is mine as well! And we, do we know how to look at others like this?

Do we know how to rejoice for others? May the Virgin Mary teach us how to receive God’s mercy so that it might become the light by which we see our neighbors. [Synthesized from Pope Francis, Angelus, 27 III 2022]

Rev. Jos Rajesh Peter M.S.C.

4th Sunday of Lent 2025, Cycle C

My friends, today, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, is called “Latare Sunday.”  Latare is Latin for “Rejoice.”  That’s why we have Rose colored vestments and liturgical cloths today. In fact, the very first word in today’s Liturgy is, “Rejoice.”

We have special reason to rejoice because Pope Francis is healing and has returned to the Vatican.

We Rejoice and give thanks because God our Father loves us more than words can ever say; more than thoughts could ever think….

Our gospel reading today is about unconditional love.  I’m sure many of us have heard it many times. 

The parable Jesus tells is usually called “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” but I think a more appropriate name would be “The Parable of the Loving Father” because it tells of the unconditional love and forgiveness of God.

My friends, whenever Jesus tells us about God, he tells a story, a parable – or uses the word “Like.”  Jesus never described God exactly because our human mind does not have the capacity to comprehend God.  So he would use comparisons.  Jesus would say, “Our Heavenly Father is like….”  Or, “The Kingdom of God is like…” 

For example: “The Kingdom of God is like:

• …The woman who had 10 coins and lost one.  She searched and searched until she found it and then she invited all of her friends to celebrate with her because she found what was lost.

• Or, the Kingdom of God is like the shepherd who left 99 safe sheep to search for the one lost sheep.

And, so it is with today’s Gospel.  Jesus tells us what God our Father is like by telling us a parable. 

An important thing to remember is:  Whenever Jesus tells a parable, we must ask:

• ”Why is Jesus telling this parable ?”  And,

• “What was going on at the time and what was being said just before Jesus started this parable ?”

In today’s gospel – just before the parable – were are told that the 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.”  …Apparently they thought that “bad” people should not be allowed to be with and associate with the “good” people.

So, why is Jesus telling us this story ?  This parable tells us so much about God and humanity:

• Through the father in this story, the parable tells us about our loving God who rejoices because someone has repented and wants to return to him.  In this story, the father did not even listen to his son’s well-prepared confession.  This is what God is like….

• Through the younger son, it tells us that it is never too late to turn away from a life of self-destruction.  God is always there, waiting for us when we’ve wandered off.  God waits for us and for all who have wandered.

• Regarding the older son, the story tells us that reconciliation is good and necessary for peace in our life.  The older son’s reaction also tells us that we should not be angry but should rejoice whenever someone turns away from their former ways, even at the last minute. 

• It is indeed a blessing to be reconciled with someone, especially God.  I have heard many times that a person was angry with God because someone in their life died or some unfortunate thing happened to them.  The blessing occurred when they realized that God did not cause their pain and they realized that God was with them all along, offering comfort.

• The father’s conversation with his older son reminds us that God is always with us – even when there are times when we think God is not there – or not listening to us.

My friends, whenever Jesus tells a parable, he is revealing God to us.  And,  the intention is to have us see our own self in the parable.  I am sure that, at one time or another, many people have been all three characters in this story:

• The one who is forgiven and how happy to have that guilt taken away and be accepted back into the family or relationship again.  Or to be forgiven by God and now be at peace.

• The one who has always been faithful but is unhappy because the unfaithful or irresponsible person is back and everyone is making a big deal over him or her.  Why should this person be treated so well when I have always been faithful and it seems that I have only been ignored.

• Or, the third character in this story:  the Father, who forgives.  This is the person who usually has it the toughest because he or she is the Peace Maker, the Reconciler.  Please know that  this is what the Kingdom of God is like:  People at peace with one another…..  

My friends, we rejoice during this season of Lent.  It gives us a time to reflect on our life and our relationships:  our relationship with God and our relationships with each other.  Recall the gospel last Sunday when Jesus told the people how important repentance is.  This is why our Church hosts so many Penance Services in Lent…

On this Latare Sunday, we have the Good News that our loving God is like the father in this story.  He is always there.  He is always waiting  – and eager – to welcome home every one of his children who may have wandered away – for whatever reason.  And –  when one of his lost ones repents and returns – there is more joy than ever can be imagined.

There is a wonderful message written by Pope Francis as part of his weekly General Audience. Although the Holy Father could not give it in person because he is still recovering at the Vatican, he asked that his text be published.

In his text, Pope Francis tells us: “Even if we hit rock bottom, God lets us start over with Him.”

Here is the link to his entire message:

https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-03/pope-francis-general-audence-prograamed-26-march-2025.html