Gospel for March 30 2025 – John 9:1-41
Gospel Reflections for March 30 2025
Standing by you…
When things go wrong, you can feel very alone. It is one of the worst feelings anyone can have. Do you know who will always stand by you …in good times and in bad?
This Gospel wants you to recognize that person.
The younger son in this famous story has deeply insulted his father by demanding his inheritance before his father has died. The father is humiliated in his own village by the arrogance and greed of his youngest son. Moreover, the son leaves the family farm, where he was sorely needed, and goes off to a far country to find a better life. He soon loses all his money and is now destitute. Everything has gone wrong and he is alone and desperate.
He decides to return home, knowing that no one there would ever want him back. He will just work in the fields.
Much to his surprise, his father has been patiently waiting for him, and rushes out to meet him …rejoicing at his return! He even prepares a party to celebrate.
The son would have expected anger, revenge, insults, and constant reminders what a bad person he was. Instead …he gets a party! His humble return is all that his father needs to know that his son is a changed person.
I have often counseled couples where one person has offended the other. The person at fault wants to return but worries about a lifetime afterwards of always being reminded of their mistake, and how bad a person they were. They only find a hardened heart of anger and revenge.
The father in this Gospel provides a soft landing for his son to return. Good advice for anyone welcoming back a wayward spouse as well.
Every relationship is a series of starts and stops. Every marriage will have a crisis to endure, but those who know how to recover …end up the happiest of all. Forgiveness can lead to authentic reconciliation, not bitter recrimination. (See my article Forgiveness …is not forgetting)
You can be glad that with God that there is no anger or revenge if you sincerely repent and change your ways. He will not hold your mistakes over you day after day but simply rejoice in your return.
This is exactly what this season of Lent is for!
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
Loveeeeeeeeeee our precious God of forgiveness, loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeour precious God of forever love!! Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee our precious Faith!! We are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooBlessed in Forgiveness and loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! and Faith!Loveeeeeeeeeee your beautiful words Father Dave for they touch our hearts with loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee and we loveeeeeeeee you for giving us our loving God’s forever loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Franca and Dick and yes I do loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee vowels!!! hahahhaha
Thank you!
I heard on a Catholic web site recently that if we do not go to confession we will not get in to heaven……
I don’t understand how this could possibly be true ….
I would greatly appreciate your insight on this…..thank you….
God bless you✨
Confession is for the forgiveness of mortal sins. Venial sins are forgiven at every Mass. No one can say that this or that person has a mortal sin, since we cannot read their mind or their soul.
This Gospel is a favorite of mine. Like the Prodigal Son ,We have sinned , confessed our Sin, Received Absolution and vowing to never do that again. Displaying the Unconditional Love of Our Creator.
We celebrate this Fourth Sunday of Lent with the Priest vested in Rose Colored Robe Thus signifying the Feast of Easter drawing nigh. We are Benefactors of celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus over Two Thousand Years ago…
Let us all Be ready and appreciate this Faith we are Blessed with. Thanks Father Dave for your splendid Vocation and these reminders.