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Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Praise
Almighty God, by the prayer and discipline of Lent
may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings,
and by following in his Way
come to share in his glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Psalm 103.1-4, 9-12
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits;
Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your infirmities;
Who redeems your life from the Pit
and crowns you with faithful love and compassion;
He will not always accuse us,
neither will he keep his anger for ever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his mercy upon those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he set our sins from us.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Reading
Luke 15.1-3, 11-32
All the tax-collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, ‘This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.’
So he told them this parable: ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.” So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, “How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.’ ” So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly, bring out a robe – the best one – and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!” And they began to celebrate.
‘Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.” Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, “Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!” Then the father said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.”‘
Reflection
The parable of the Prodigal (or Lost) Son is one of the most famous of Jesus’ parables. It shines the spotlight upon the motivations of every one of us. It is a parable that examines our greed and self interest. It examines our capacity to exploit and reject others, even those closest to us. It demonstrates God’s unlimited love and forgiveness for those who come to realize the folly of their very human ambitions and actions.
The story of the son who takes his share of the family wealth and squanders it is well known. Having fallen into the most desperate of conditions, he realizes that it is only by returning to the loving arms of his father that he will find the comfort and consolation of forgiveness and the warmth of genuine welcome. The dissolute son shows us what true repentance can achieve as he turns around and follows the new road that will bring him home, rather than leaving him lost in the wilderness.
Of course, there is a second brother in this parable. He is someone who has remained loyal to his father. He is the one who has worked hard and not wasted his inheritance. But, he is also the one whose journey is far from complete.
The elder brother, the one who stayed at home, is the one who showed no humility or joy in his faithful behaviour. When his younger brother left home there was a sense of his having gone from their lives for ever. He had gone to make his own way in life, rejecting all that he knew, and all who had nurtured him from birth. The younger brother was dead to the family, he had chosen to become cut off and exiled. Then, one day and without any warning, he came back. He did not come back in splendour, rather he returned as the lowliest of his father’s servants. The younger brother had swallowed his pride and admitted his total failure, and the elder brother was angry at his father’s rejoicing.
The words and actions of the elder brother show us the path that Christ does not want us to follow in this life. Jesus is showing us how unconditional God’s love is for humanity. Jesus is also showing us how unconditional our love should be for our fellow human beings. This message of love and forgiveness runs throughout the gospel narrative and, sadly, it flies in the face of our very human instincts.
Let us pray that we may learn the message of this famous parable. Let us pray that we may set aside our sense of human ‘justice’ and become more Christ-like in our love and acceptance of others.
Prayers of intercession
Let us pray to the Father who meets us in our need and receives us in his love.
Renew the Church in the faith of Christ, rejoicing in the new birth of our redemption. We pray that through him your people shall be granted repentance and reconciliation.
Give to all the wisdom to make good use of your gifts and the grace to be thankful for them. Where there has been offence and separation between nations and races, bring the desire to forgive what is past and live in peace.
In our families and in all our lives, grant us the spirit of true forgiveness and reconciliation. Correct us when we go astray, and help us to live in love and harmony with all.
We pray for all who have separated themselves from those they love. We pray for those whose own folly has brought them into want. Restore them and bring them back to the life that they have lost.
Have mercy on the departed, not condemning them for their sins but receiving them into the perfect life that is in Christ. Grant peace to the living who grieve because they feel unreconciled with any who have died.
As sinners who have strayed and who seek to be forgiven, we pray through Christ our Saviour.
Prayer for the week
Lord Christ, who came to call
not the righteous but sinners to repentance:
help us in this season of Lent
to hear and respond to your call;
that by your grace
we may turn from whatever in our lives
is at variance with your will,
and walk in the way of holiness and love,
to the glory of God the Father.
Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Grace
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore. Amen.