Fr. Martin Ali keke Ndemsou, sx
Twenty-fourth Sunday in ordinary Time, Year C
The Pharisees and the Scribes were terribly scandalized by Jesus’ compassion and mercy towards sinners. Yet Jesus made it clear, “I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners” (Lk 5: 32). In response to them, Jesus told three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the merciful father.
The first two parables show us that God always takes the initiative to look for sinners who seem to be lost. His joy is to find them and bring them back to him. Indeed God rejoices when a sinner repents. In fact, the conclusion of both parables is: “There will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The third parable (the merciful father) shows us that, even if we go astray, God respects our freedom. Like the younger son, we are free to leave the Father and free to come back to Him. He will never tire of waiting for our return. He is always ready to welcome us as beloved sons and daughters when we decide to come back to him because he loves us unconditionally.
Let us recall what Pope Francis says in Evangelii Gaudium: “How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who may get tire of seeking his mercy. Christ, who taught us to forgive one another ‘seventy times seven (Mt 18: 22)’ has given us his example: he has forgiven us seventy times seven. Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love”
God’s mercy is really limitless. However, we must repent if we want to be forgiven. This is what the younger son did. He felt very sorry for his stupidity of abandoning his father: “I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.” And his father totally forgave him.
Let us not tire of seeking God’s mercy since he never tires of forgiving us. Let us believe what Jesus says: He is ready to welcome sinners and to eat with them. “Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”
Twenty-fourth Sunday in ordinary Time, Year C
The Pharisees and the Scribes were terribly scandalized by Jesus’ compassion and mercy towards sinners. Yet Jesus made it clear, “I have not come to call the righteous to repentance but sinners” (Lk 5: 32). In response to them, Jesus told three parables: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the merciful father.
The first two parables show us that God always takes the initiative to look for sinners who seem to be lost. His joy is to find them and bring them back to him. Indeed God rejoices when a sinner repents. In fact, the conclusion of both parables is: “There will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
The third parable (the merciful father) shows us that, even if we go astray, God respects our freedom. Like the younger son, we are free to leave the Father and free to come back to Him. He will never tire of waiting for our return. He is always ready to welcome us as beloved sons and daughters when we decide to come back to him because he loves us unconditionally.
Let us recall what Pope Francis says in Evangelii Gaudium: “How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who may get tire of seeking his mercy. Christ, who taught us to forgive one another ‘seventy times seven (Mt 18: 22)’ has given us his example: he has forgiven us seventy times seven. Time and time again he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love”
God’s mercy is really limitless. However, we must repent if we want to be forgiven. This is what the younger son did. He felt very sorry for his stupidity of abandoning his father: “I will leave this place and go to my father and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.” And his father totally forgave him.
Let us not tire of seeking God’s mercy since he never tires of forgiving us. Let us believe what Jesus says: He is ready to welcome sinners and to eat with them. “Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”