GOSPEL OF LUKE 15:1-3;11-32 (LAETARE SUNDAY)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT: THE CHOICE OF JOY GospelLK 15:1-3, 11-32Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought,‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father.While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

The Greater Context of this passage: It is perhaps most clearly discovered in a penitential season: Lent.

Jesus inspired thousands, multitudes of in Israel in His day to repent…not by calling them out on the sins for which they already are so ashamed…rather by revealing God’s Love…

GOSPEL OF LUKE 15:1-3;11-32 (LAETARE SUNDAY)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT: THE CHOICE OF JOY GospelLK 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

GOSPEL OF LUKE 15:1-3;11-32 (LAETARE SUNDAY)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENTThe Joy of Gods Love: Question 1:

What struck your Heart?

How did God speak to you in this passage?

What did you see in these words or this story?

What bothered you? And what are you curious about?

GOSPEL OF LUKE 15:1-3;11-32 (LAETARE SUNDAY)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENTThe Joy of Gods Love: Question 2:

What is the basic story of the younger (prodigal) son?

Answer: You could help them to go deeper here, after the answer some in their own words, by explaining that essentially the prodigal or younger son is saying effectively, “Dad I wish you were dead so that I could already have my inheritance.” The way inheritance worked in that culture at that time was that the sons would be divided their Father's inheritance upon the Fathers death. The Father, if he so chose, could give to his sons their inheritance before his death…which was very rare.You could also point out there are basically three steps away from the Father and three back to the Father. Three steps away: (1) rejects Father to get the money (2) spends his fortune (3) despairs. Three steps back: (1) hopes (2) expends effort to return (3) Father runs to meet him before he could even fully repent!

GOSPEL OF LUKE 15:1-3;11-32 (LAETARE SUNDAY)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENTThe Joy of Gods Love: Question 3:

What is the basic story of the older son?

Answer: The older sons story is in some ways more surprising than the story of the prodigal. He never left, always worked hard for the Father, yet then rejects the father for simply embracing his sinful brother. Here the story is left hanging. You might ask them to explain why the older brother might have had such a hard time with the brother and now even the Father? The answers will vary but essentially he feels that he deserves more from the Father if the sinful son is getting anything. He feels betrayed by the Father whom he had stood by even when the other son betrayed him. He is alone, because he cannot love a person who was so unjust to his Father. You might also point out that his own (the older brother) inheritance was damaged by the younger leaving because the over all value of the property, etc, would be lost in flushing half of it down the drain.

GOSPEL OF LUKE 15:1-3;11-32 (LAETARE SUNDAY)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENTThe Joy of Gods Love: Question 4:

What is the basic difference between the sons? And what is the overarching point of their stories?

Answer: The younger son rejects the Father and then scraps a plea to come back…finding that the Father had only grown in love for him with his departure. The older son is perfectly obedient to the Father, yet rejects Him when the sinful son is shown mercy. While there is a lot to be said about the two sons, the point of the story is not really the sons at all!

The point of the story is to reveal the love of the Father…of God our Father and how He loves us. The point of the story is to help us to see the mission of Jesus…why the Second Person of the Trinity, the Word became a man just like anyone of us…to lead us back to the Father!

Let them mull this over for a bit…perhaps have them consider the behavior of the Father from beginning to end with each of the sons and talk about how God our Father is with us…as revealed through the person of Jesus Christ!

GOSPEL OF LUKE 15:1-3;11-32 (LAETARE SUNDAY)

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENTThe Joy of Gods Love: Question 5:

How did your mindset change in this Gospel Contemplation?

What changed in your thoughts about God?-your sense about God?-your feelings toward and with God?

And what actions might you take to solidify these thoughts, senses and feelings?

TAKEAWAY:I BELIEVE IN…. I LIVE IN…I LIVE FOR….GOD'S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE!

Lent 2016

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

“YOU’RE MY SON ALWAYS!EVERYTHING I HAVE IS YOURS!WE MUST REJOICE FOR YOU WERE DEAD, BUT IN ME NOW YOU’RE ALIVE!”JESUS CHRIST - LENT 2016