Daily Readings - Sat Mar 11 2023
Micah
14Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance, which lives by itself in a forest, in fertile pasturelands. Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead as in days long ago.15"As in the days when you came out of Egypt, I will show them my wonders."18Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy.19You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.20You will be true to Jacob, and show mercy to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our fathers in days long ago.
Luke
1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him.2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."3Then Jesus told them this parable:11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons.12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.'20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. '22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate.24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'31"'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'"
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the boundless mercy and compassion of God. In the first reading from Micah, we hear a beautiful expression of trust in God’s faithfulness. The prophet describes God as a shepherd who guides His people with care, even in times of difficulty. He reminds us that God’s mercy is not limited by our failures but is instead a constant source of hope and renewal. The passage concludes with a promise: God will cast our sins into the depths of the sea, a powerful image of forgiveness and new beginnings.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son, a story that has become a cornerstone of Christian teaching on mercy. The younger son, who squanders his inheritance and hits rock bottom, decides to return to his father, expecting only to be treated as a servant. Instead, he is met with overwhelming love and generosity. The father’s reaction—running to embrace his son, clothing him in the best robe, and celebrating his return—reveals the heart of God. The elder son’s resentment, on the other hand, reminds us that receiving mercy can sometimes be as challenging as offering it. The parable ends with an invitation to rejoice in the restoration of what was lost, a theme that ties back to Micah’s promise of God’s enduring faithfulness.
These readings remind us that God’s mercy is not something we earn but something we receive with humility and gratitude. In our daily lives, we are called to approach God with the same trust as the Prodigal Son, knowing that no sin or failure can separate us from His love. At the same time, we are challenged to extend that same mercy to others, just as the father in the parable did. Let us ask ourselves: Where do we need to receive God’s mercy more fully? And where can we be instruments of His mercy to those around us? The Good News is clear: God’s compassion is infinite, and His forgiveness is always available. Let us live in the freedom and joy of being His beloved children.