Daily Readings - Sat Mar 22 2025
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 love of God, as well as the human experience of sin, repentance, and reconciliation. In the first reading from Micah, the prophet speaks of God’s compassion and faithfulness to His people, despite their sins. He describes God as a shepherd who guides and protects His flock, even when they wander. The passage emphasizes that God’s mercy is not limited by our failures but is instead a profound expression of His love and faithfulness. In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son, a powerful story of a father’s unwavering love and forgiveness. The younger son squanders his inheritance and falls into sin, but when he returns home in humility, the father welcomes him with open arms, celebrating his return with joy. This parable underscores the truth that God’s love is not conditional but is always ready to embrace those who turn to Him with a repentant heart.
Both readings highlight the theme of divine mercy and the call to trust in God’s love. In Micah, we see God’s promise to cast our sins “into the depths of the sea,” symbolizing the completeness of His forgiveness. In the Gospel, the father’s extravagant mercy toward his wayward son challenges us to rethink our understanding of love and forgiveness. The elder son’s resentment reminds us that we, too, can struggle with jealousy or self-righteousness when we see others being forgiven. Yet, the father’s response—“all that I have is yours”—reminds us that God’s love is not limited by our worthiness but is always abundant and generous.
These readings call us to reflect on our own relationship with God and with others. How do we respond when we recognize our own sinfulness? Do we approach God with the humility and trust of the Prodigal Son, or do we hold back, fearing judgment? Additionally, how do we extend God’s mercy to others? The father in the parable does not lecture or punish his son but instead showers him with love and restores him to his place in the family. This is a powerful reminder that we are called to be instruments of God’s mercy in the world, offering forgiveness and compassion to those around us. Let us ask for the grace to receive God’s love fully and to share it generously with others, just as the Father has shared it with us.