Daily Readings - Sat Mar 03 2018

First Reading - Micah 7.14-15, 18-20

¹⁴With your rod, pasture your people, the flock of your inheritance, living alone in the narrow forest, in the midst of Carmel. They will graze in Bashan and Gilead, as in the ancient days¹⁵As in the days of your departure from the land of Egypt, I will reveal miracles to him¹⁸What God is like you, who takes away iniquity and passes over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance? No longer will he send forth his fury, because he is willing to be merciful¹⁹He will turn back and have mercy on us. He will put away our iniquities, and he will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea²⁰You will give the truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, which you swore to our fathers from the ancient days

Gospel - Luke 15.1-3, 11-32

Luke

Chapter 15

¹Now tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to him, so that they might listen to him²And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This one accepts sinners and eats with them.³And he told this parable to them, saying¹¹And he said: "A certain man had two sons¹²And the younger of them said to the father, ‘Father, give me the portion of your estate which would go to me.’ And he divided the estate between them¹³And after not many days, the younger son, gathering it all together, set out on a long journey to a distant region. And there, he dissipated his substance, living in luxury¹⁴And after he had consumed it all, a great famine occurred in that region, and he began to be in need¹⁵And he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that region. And he sent him to his farm, in order to feed the swine¹⁶And he wanted to fill his belly with the scraps that the swine ate. But no one would give it to him¹⁷And returning to his senses, he said: ‘How many hired hands in my father’s house have abundant bread, while I perish here in famine¹⁸I shall rise up and go to my father, and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you¹⁹I am not worthy to be called your son. Make me one of your hired hands.²⁰And rising up, he went to his father. But while he was still at a distance, his father saw him, and he was moved with compassion, and running to him, he fell upon his neck and kissed him²¹And the son said to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. Now I am not worthy to be called your son.²²But the father said to his servants: ‘Quickly! Bring out the best robe, and clothe him with it. And put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet²³And bring the fatted calf here, and kill it. And let us eat and hold a feast²⁴For this son of mine was dead, and has revived; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to feast²⁵But his elder son was in the field. And when he returned and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing²⁶And he called one of the servants, and he questioned him as to what these things meant²⁷And he said to him: ‘Your brother has returned, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safely.²⁸Then he became indignant, and he was unwilling to enter. Therefore, his father, going out, began to plead with him²⁹And in response, he said to his father: ‘Behold, I have been serving you for so many years. And I have never transgressed your commandment. And yet, you have never given me even a young goat, so that I might feast with my friends³⁰Yet after this son of yours returned, who has devoured his substance with loose women, you have killed the fatted calf for him.³¹But he said to him: ‘Son, you are with me always, and all that I have is yours³²But it was necessary to feast and to rejoice. For this brother of yours was dead, and has revived; he was lost, and is found.’

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful themes of mercy, forgiveness, and the boundless love of God. The first reading from Micah offers a message of hope and redemption, spoken to a people in distress. Micah describes God as a shepherd who guides His people with care, promising to cast their sins into the depths of the sea. This passage emphasizes God’s faithfulness and willingness to forgive, highlighting His role as a merciful shepherd who restores His people. The Gospel parable of the Prodigal Son, from Luke, beautifully illustrates this divine mercy. Jesus teaches that God’s love is not confined to the faithful but extends to those who have wandered away. The younger son’s return is met with open arms, celebrating his restoration. Meanwhile, the older son’s resentment reminds us of the human struggle to understand God’s generosity towards others. This parable, fulfilling Micah’s prophecy, shows Jesus embodying the Father’s mercy, welcoming the lost with joy. In our daily lives, we are called to embrace this mercy—both receiving it and extending it to others. Just as the father in the parable, God’s love is not limited to the deserving but is available to all. Let us reflect on our own experiences of God’s forgiveness and strive to be instruments of His mercy. In doing so, we live out the forgiveness we’ve received, becoming beacons of God’s love in a world that deeply needs it.