March 2, Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
Memorial of St. Chad of Mercia
Daily Readings: Micah 7:14–15, 18–20, Luke 15:1-3, 11–32
How do we understand God’s love and concern for His people? God is like a Shepherd who cares for His flock. He is like a Father who loves His son or daughter, whatever type of person he or she may be. Prophet Micah tells God to take care of the sheep that belong to Him, reminding Him of the marvelous things He did to His people when they were in Egypt. He is a God who forgives their iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His possession.
He forgives without any conditions. He casts all sins into the sea's depths. He is a God who is faithful to both Abraham and Jacob. The Psalmist echoes the same kind of sentiments regarding God. He tells his soul to bless the Lord and His holy name. He not only forgives the sins of His people but also heals all of their diseases as He crowns them with mercy and compassion.
The parable of the prodigal son is very unique to the Gospel of Luke, which is known for Jesus embracing more and more sinners and tax collectors. In the parable, the father obliges all of his younger son's requests without hesitation. When he returns to the father after having squandered everything in dissolute living, he has no qualms about embracing him and reinstating him to the honor of being his son again.
It is amazing to realize that, if all, the Father is aware of the process of repentance he has gone through. He doesn't allow the son to speak or express himself. It doesn’t matter at all. The most important thing is that the son has returned home. While we appreciate the son for his courage to acknowledge his falsehood and stage a strong comeback, we fold our hands before the dad, who embraces his son with all the dirty attire. This dirt is both inside and outside. This is the story of a sinner returning to God with all of the burdens of his or her sinful life.
Call to Action for Catholic Living: God, the Father, is ever-loving and compassionate. He is waiting to embrace the sheep that go astray. Am I ready to realize my falsehood and make a strong comeback?
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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