Saint Michael the Archangel Parish Family

Sister Kate’s “Gospel Question of the Week” (Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32)… Weekend of 3/9-10/13 … 4th Sunday of Lent. Traditionally, the Fourth Sunday of Lent is called Laetare Sunday (Rejoice Sunday). Every Christian is familiar with this weekend’s Gospel. It’s the story of the Prodigal Son. Anticipating the joy of Easter, the story of the Prodigal Son invites us to rejoice by being reconciled with God through repentance and by celebrating OUR coming home to be with our loving and forgiving God. In today’s Holy Gospel we see the joy of the Prodigal Son “coming home” to rediscover his father’s forgiving and overflowing love. And let’s not forget, it is also the story of the rejoicing of a loving and forgiving father who celebrates the return of his wayward son by throwing a big party in his honor, a banquet celebrating the reconciliation of the son with his father, his family, his community and his God. And you remember, I’m sure, that there was a third character in this story…the Prodigal Son’s brother. He was somewhat self-righteous and is “ticked off” that the father makes such a big deal about his brother’s return. “After all,” he said, “I’ve been working my fingers to the bone here and you haven’t thrown me a party.” He does have a point, but, when you think about it, in no way do we want our God to be stingy with us when it comes to forgiveness and mercy!!! The story of the prodigal son asks each of us an important question: will you accept the Father's forgiveness and “partake of the banquet of life,” or will you remain a wanderer? Let’s remind ourselves of the purpose of Lent. It is a time to transform hatred into love, conflict into peace, death into eternal life. So, if we haven’t already begun to take this to heart, how do we begin now, keeping the story of the Prodigal Son close to our heart? The first step, of course, is to do as the younger son did: "When he came to himself, he said: “I will break away and return to my father, and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against you." That’s right…admit that we have made mistakes! When we come to the Eucharist each weekend, we come as prodigal children. Are you aware of what is happening…or could be happening…if you are alert and “into” the parts of the Mass when you’re at Mass? We begin the Mass acknowledging that we have sinned and have closed our hearts to God’s perfect love. Next, we listen to the Word that offers us a message about how we can return to the grace of God. In the Offertory, we offer ourselves, sinners as we are, back to the Father. At the consecration, we hear God’s invitation to us through Jesus: “… this is My Body, which will be given up for you... this is the chalice of My Blood … which will be poured out for you…” In receiving the Holy Eucharist, we participate in a “reconciliation,” the gift of unity with God and with His whole family. So, let us come to Mass focused on who we are and who God is, and be reconciled with God, our forgiving Father. In his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace, Phillip Yancey tells the story of Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway grew up in a very devout evangelical family, yet there he never experienced the grace of Christ. He lived a indulgent life that most of us would call “depraved "… but there was no father, no parent waiting for him and he sank into the mire of a graceless depression. A short story he wrote perhaps reveals the grace that he hoped for. It is the story of a Spanish father who decided to be reconciled with his son who had run away to Madrid. The father, in a moment of remorse, took out this ad in El Libro, a newspaper. "Paco, meet me at Hotel Montana, Noon, Tuesday… All is forgiven…Papa." When the father arrived at the square in hopes of meeting his son, he found eight hundred Pacos waiting to be reunited with their fathers. Was Paco such a popular name? Or is a father's forgiveness the balm for every soul? Gospel Homework for the Week: pay close attention during the next Mass you attend. Put yourself “into” what is happening.

Sister Kate’s “Gospel Question of the Week” (Luke 13: 1-9)… Weekend of 3/2-3/13 … 3rd Sunday of Lent.  The message of this weekend’s Holy Gospel is abundantly clear!  We can sum it up in one word…REPENT!   Although God’s love for us is constant and consistent, He will not save us without OUR co-operation. That’s why He invites us during Lent to repent our sins and to renew our lives by taking on the qualities of love, compassion, forgiveness, and faithful service.  Jesus emphasizes this point by telling the parable of the barren fig tree, which reminds us that our merciful God is patient, but we need to “make a move” to ask for forgiveness before we run out of time!!!  Although God patiently waits for us to repent, and gives us the grace we need to do so, we need to “get on the case” (as we French people would say, “tout de suite”).   Sooooo… a Lent without repentance is a year lost from the spiritual life.  This fact is a bit scary, isn’t it?  We shouldn’t delay our sincere repentance!  To be honest, we should be living consistent lives of repentance, because we never know when our time to meet our Maker will come. God is waiting for each one of us to turn to him with sorrow for our failings.  And when we turn back to Christ, acknowledge our faults and failings and receive mercy, forgiveness and the promise of eternal life from Him, our hearts will be freed from the heavy burden of sin. There is no better way to take these words of Jesus to heart than to avail ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Make a point to join us at this sacrament at one of the several times we have listed for Reconciliation (see your purple sheet).  God is the Master at giving “second chances” to us to reorder our lives, but WE have to take the step toward God’s enormous mercy and forgiveness.  “The Mission” is a 1986 film which tells the story of a Spanish Jesuit priest who went into the South American jungle to convert the enslaved natives who had been subjected to the cruelty of Portuguese colonials. One of the most telling scenes in this film occurs when Captain Mendoza, who had killed his brother in a fit of rage, is seen climbing a mountain with a backpack on his shoulders as an act of penance for his past sins. The backpack, which contained all the weapons of his former life as a slave merchant, was so heavy that he could not climb higher unless he gave up the back pack. He was relieved of it when one of the natives, whom he had formerly taken into slavery, forgave him and cut the rope of the backpack with a sharp knife. Thus, he saved Mendoza's life, instead of taking vengeance. The backpack represents sin. We cannot carry our "packs" of sin with us. Until we repent, are forgiven and let them go, "we cannot climb to where God needs us.” This scene in the movie illustrates today’s readings, which tell us of a merciful God who wants sinners to repent and who uses natural calamities and tragedies in life as loving warnings to awaken His children.  And another story…There was a man who sent a check to the government for back taxes with a note attached that said: “I felt so guilty for cheating on my taxes, I had to send you this check. If I don’t feel any better, I’ll send you the rest.”    Gospel Question for the Week:  are you using Lent to take a “long hard look” at your life and to ask for forgiveness from the Lord?