Fr. Martin Ali Keke Ndemsou sx
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR C
Sunday Mass Reflection
“God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.” We used to repeat this as slogan during our celebrations and gatherings. Indeed, God has been always good to humanity. He demonstrated it by being endlessly merciful. And let us not forget that God’s mercy has a face which is Jesus Christ. Pope Francis, in Misericordae Vultus, said: “Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy.” We have to cling to him if we want to become good in today’s world where evil seems to be triumphant.
That is why, in the second reading, Saint Paul says: “For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God.” Thus our goodness must come from our sincere relationship with Jesus Christ who “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). Lenten season is a great opportunity for all Christians to go about doing good as their master did despite ingratitude of people.
In addition, Pope Francis, in his message for Lent 2022, inspired by God’s word taken from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians, encourages us saying: “Let us not grow tired of doing good for in due season we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all” (Gal 6: 9-10). Therefore our goodness should not be selective or partial. It has to be done to all.
In fact, God’s goodness, which we are called to put into practice tirelessly during this Lenten season, has no boundaries: ethnic, social, political etc. In this regard, Jesus, in the gospel according to Luke, says: “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same” (Lk 6: 33).
In today’s gospel, using the famous parable of the prodigal son, Jesus shows us clearly that God is not partial at all. The father who represents God welcomed and reconciled both of his sons. In his goodness and mercy, God always welcomes us in spite of our shortcomings. There is always a great joy when we return to God who is the source of all goodness. Like the prodigal son, let us return to God our Father so that we can taste and see his goodness towards us.
Fr. Martin Ali keke Ndemsou, sx
FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR C
Sunday Mass Reflection
“God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.” We used to repeat this as slogan during our celebrations and gatherings. Indeed, God has been always good to humanity. He demonstrated it by being endlessly merciful. And let us not forget that God’s mercy has a face which is Jesus Christ. Pope Francis, in Misericordae Vultus, said: “Jesus Christ is the face of the Father’s mercy.” We have to cling to him if we want to become good in today’s world where evil seems to be triumphant.
That is why, in the second reading, Saint Paul says: “For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God.” Thus our goodness must come from our sincere relationship with Jesus Christ who “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). Lenten season is a great opportunity for all Christians to go about doing good as their master did despite ingratitude of people.
In addition, Pope Francis, in his message for Lent 2022, inspired by God’s word taken from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians, encourages us saying: “Let us not grow tired of doing good for in due season we shall reap our harvest, if we do not give up. So then, while we have the opportunity, let us do good to all” (Gal 6: 9-10). Therefore our goodness should not be selective or partial. It has to be done to all.
In fact, God’s goodness, which we are called to put into practice tirelessly during this Lenten season, has no boundaries: ethnic, social, political etc. In this regard, Jesus, in the gospel according to Luke, says: “If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do the same” (Lk 6: 33).
In today’s gospel, using the famous parable of the prodigal son, Jesus shows us clearly that God is not partial at all. The father who represents God welcomed and reconciled both of his sons. In his goodness and mercy, God always welcomes us in spite of our shortcomings. There is always a great joy when we return to God who is the source of all goodness. Like the prodigal son, let us return to God our Father so that we can taste and see his goodness towards us.
Fr. Martin Ali keke Ndemsou, sx