Gospel for March 27 2022 – Luke 15:1-3
Gospel Reflections for March 27 2022
The father …and his two angry sons
Two sons in today’s Gospel could not be more opposite, and yet they are brothers with the same father, who is even more different! The younger son leaves home in haste to get away …and takes his inheritance with him. The older brother stays home …but resents his own lot in life as well.
They have different personalities. I am sure they never got along. I wonder if the younger son left home just to get away from his angry older brother!
Their home must have had much tension and resentment. Yet, this remarkable father reaches out to both sons with deep love and affection. Despite the opposite character of these two brothers, the father never forgets they are both still his sons!
This is a timely Gospel for this week. Two nations that should be brothers have become enemies with little understanding or feelings of good will towards each other. The world is also deeply divided into Russian and Ukrainian camps.
The father in this Gospel is amazing. He gave a share of his estate to his younger son because he knew and understood his son’s need to get away. He later welcomed him back because he knew and understood his son’s desire to repent and change. He expressed his love for the older son because he knew and understood his resentment at feeling left out.
All of the Father’s actions came from his wonderful ability to know how another person feels and to understand how another person acts. That is the beginning of wisdom and love, to see the world through another person’s eyes.
In this parable, the father represents God, who knows and understands you so well and never misunderstands you. That is the true source of peace between people …and nations as well.
Misunderstandings have brought the world to a terrible state of war. However, that is never an excuse for violence against innocent people no matter what the cause. That violence must be resisted using every appropriate resource. I am glad the whole world is uniting now in this effort to resist unjust invasion.
This war started a long time ago with deep misunderstandings between Russia and Ukraine that led to this deadly conflict now.
Today’s Gospel of the father with two combative sons reveals how you can avoid that problem in your own family.
Love begins when you can see the world through another person’s eyes.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Your essay today is an excellent analogy of the world situation and also of my two sons.
I always-look forward to reading your message on Saturday mornings. Thank you.
Thank you for your kind words. Interesting that the Gospel reflects your family situation. I hope all goes well.
Thanks for your message about your two sons. I hope all goes well!
Fr. Dave,
This gospel has always reminded me of my younger sister and I. She was always the outgoing one, who often turned on the charm, and whom my parents always obliged, while I was the self-contained introvert who cared little for making appearances or impressions. Ironically, in recent times, we have grown closer and we no longer argue or quibble over smaller matters. We even talk on the phone regularly and join my mom for dinner once or twice a week. I have been praying for the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart. When the mass commenced yesterday, I was filled with emotions of agape, contrition, sadness and anxiety. But when he finished, I felt a surge of hope. I hope the Pope’s consecration was fully and satisfactorily effectuated. There has been much buzz swirling around whether it actually successfully happened. I was curious as to your thoughts.
Thank you for you message about your nice relationship now with your sister. I am glad that happened. Yes, the consecration event was beautiful to watch. However, we should remember that the pope is not bound by any Marian apparition message that has been officially declared a private revelation, which is the case for Fatima, Lourdes, and even Our Lady of Guadalupe. Catholics are perfectly free to accept these apparitions or not. Those that are officially declared in accord with our faith will often have feast days in the liturgical calendar or events like the recent consecration of Russia and the Ukraine but they are still optional beliefs. The official public revelation of the faith ended with the Apostles in the first century. Whatever the pope does in the consecration prayer is official and definitive since Our Lord gave full authority to Peter and his successors. We must take Our Lord at His word and not doubt Him!
Family rivalry is a common problem as is understanding how anyone could decide to do what is being done to Ukraine and the people that reside there. We should remember that We all contain a bit of God in our Creation. This spark of the Creator that loves us more than we can imagine can inspire us to truly love each other.. with Prayer and Fasting we can reach that spark and make the World a better place.
Thanks Father Dave for these words of Faith and Hope. I Pray Daily for Peace.
I think the whole world can take heart in the fact that the whole world is coming to the aid of the Ukrainian people in many practical ways. This is a shining moment in worldwide compassion!
Beautiful words father Dave!!!Love our loving Pope and the precious Consecration of Ukraine and Russia to our beautiful Blessed Mother!!! She will help us for we are her beloved children and she and our precious Jesus want us to live in Love and Peace!!!My heart hurts so for the beloved people of Ukraine and their suffering!! Let us all pray the Rosary everyday for peace and love in our world and with our loving God, our precious Jesus, our beautiful Blessed Mother showering us with their blessings, love and peace will occur in LOVE!!
Thank you!
Dear Father Dave,
Today’s Gospel humbles us in God’s message of love.
We are and always will be, His.
God bless you, Father Dave in all the work you do.
Kathleen
Thank you!