HOMILY FOR SATURDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF LENT

Homily for Saturday of the 2nd week of Lent 

Micah 7:14-15,18-20. Psalm 103:1-2,3-4,9-10,11-12. Luke 15:1-3,11-32.

"The Lord is compassionate and gracious" is our Responsorial Psalm today, and this is reflected in the first reading and the gospel.

In the first reading, prophet Micah says, "Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever because he delights in mercy" (Mic.7:18-19).

Jesus, in today's Gospel, tells us the parable of the prodigal son to correct the scribes and the Pharisees of how merciful God is towards sinners and tax collectors when they truly repent.

In this parable of the prodigal son, it is the father who was prodigal with his mercy. Hence, I will title it the parable of the "Prodigal Father." All through this parable, it was the father who remains the hero with his mercy towards both the younger brother and his elder brother.

The parable could be divided into three sections, namely, when the younger brother was with the father, when he left the father, and his return back to the father. When he was with the father, he had everything at his disposal. But he wanted freedom, and the father gave him freedom even at the expense of wishing the father was dead by asking for his own share of his father's properties. He got what he wanted, and  he used it to destroy himself. 

On realising the negative effect of his freedom by becoming a prisoner of his own making, he realised and humbled himself and decided to return to his father and begged for forgiveness since to err is human but to forgive is divine, the loving father forgave him. He begged to be taken back as a servant, but he returned him back to his position as a son. He was blessed beyond imagination.

The elder brother, a typical example of the scribes and Pharisees, was not pleased with what they father did, and he expressed it with his action. He even stopped seeing his own brother as a brother. Hence, he said to his father, "But when this son of yours, who had devoured your living with harlots" (Luke 15:30). The loving father made him realise that he is still his brother.

Lent is a time to return to the Father like the prodigal son did. We need to acknowledge our sins, change from evil ways, and live. In returning and being forgiven, we must also forgive others.

May God grant us a humble and repentant heart through Christ our Lord. Amen.