Dear Church Family,
Traditionally we welcome the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for all those who stand in need of healing. To me this anointing with the help of our good Francian Priest, Friar Ed, we pray for healings whatever comes to your mind and heart with confidence that all is well. We pray persistently not just at this service but for the rest of this week. We are persistent and confidence that the Lord will bless us.
The parable of the prodigal son with the loving father and angry, jealous older brother is always intriguing. I like to think of myself and maybe you playing all three roles. First of all we want to be that loving father as Pope Frances has said, “It’s a year of mercy.” So the first thing we think of in any disagreement or altercation are hurts so let’s give mercy. The most important thing is to have union and love. We want to be that way, to just extend ourselves above and beyond. We want to look out and constantly search for ways of reconciling above and beyond. We are so happy like the father when we can run out and forget about the “I told you so, etc.” and just be so glad all is well.
We are certainly like the younger son who did have humility and admitted he was wrong and needed forgiveness big time as we do. We often say, “By the Grace of God, go I” referring to our constant need for forgiveness and the Lord’s love. We will try to reform and if we don’t reform this time as we said last week “Our God is a God of second, third, fourth chances, etc.”
Of course there is a bit of the older brother in us where we are a little bitter, jealous, and resentful of forgiveness offered to someone when we have been the good and loyal person. We just can’t see ourselves being so glad that our brother or sister has been forgiven. Now we finally are “ever so glad” that he is received back into the family.
Church, enjoy again this great parable. We are in that parable and it’s a parable with lots of feeling and love. We continue our Lenten journey and are motivated all the more to do extra things because of our abundantly love for our abundant lover, the Lord. Amen!
Love, Fr. Bob
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