Daily Readings - Sun Mar 27 2022

⁹And the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have taken away from you the disgrace of Egypt." And the name of that place was called Gilgal, even to the present day¹⁰And the sons of Israel stayed at Gilgal, and they kept the Passover, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, in the plains of Jericho¹¹And on the following day, they ate unleavened bread from the grain of the land, and cooked grain, of the same year¹²And the manna ceased after they ate from the grain of the land. And the sons of Israel no longer made use of that food. Instead, they ate from the grain of the present year, from the land of Canaan

2 Corinthians

Chapter 5

¹⁷So if anyone is a new creature in Christ, what is old has passed away. Behold, all things have been made new¹⁸But all is of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation¹⁹For certainly God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not charging them with their sins. And he has placed in us the Word of reconciliation²⁰Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, so that God is exhorting through us. We beseech you for Christ: be reconciled to God²¹For God made him who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the justice of God in him

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

The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of renewal, reconciliation, and the boundless mercy of God. In the first reading from Joshua, we see the Israelites marking a new beginning as they celebrate the Passover in the Promised Land, leaving behind the hardships of the wilderness. This moment signifies their transition from a life of wandering to one of stability and covenant fulfillment. The second reading from 2 Corinthians reminds us that through Christ, we are made new creatures, and our old selves have passed away. Paul emphasizes that we are ambassadors of reconciliation, called to share the message of God’s mercy and forgiveness with the world. The Gospel, the parable of the Prodigal Son, beautifully illustrates this mercy. The younger son, after squandering his inheritance and hitting rock bottom, returns home to a father who runs to meet him with compassion and celebration. Meanwhile, the elder son’s resentment highlights the challenge of embracing God’s unconditional love and forgiveness. These readings are deeply connected, as they all point to the transformative power of God’s grace. The Israelites in Joshua experience a new beginning in the Promised Land, symbolizing the end of their old way of life and the start of a new covenant. In 2 Corinthians, Paul speaks of a spiritual renewal through Christ, where believers are called to live as new creations. The parable of the Prodigal Son brings this to life, showing how God’s love is not limited by our failures but is instead poured out in abundance, calling us to return to Him. The elder son’s reaction, however, reminds us that we must also let go of our own sense of self-righteousness and resentment, embracing the joy of reconciliation. In our daily lives, these readings call us to reflect on our own relationship with God and with others. Have we, like the younger son, wandered away from God and are in need of returning? Or are we like the elder son, holding onto resentment and struggling to accept God’s mercy? The message is clear: God’s love is always available to us, and He rejoices when we return to Him. Let us ask ourselves: Are we open to receiving His forgiveness? Are we willing to extend that same forgiveness and mercy to others? The readings remind us that reconciliation is not just a one-time event but a continuous process of turning back to God and living as new creations in Christ. May we embrace this call to renewal and reconciliation, trusting in the boundless love and mercy of our Heavenly Father.