Last Sunday presents the Parable of the Prodigal Son; many call it the parable of divine mercy. The Gospel today; carries the same theme where we draw closer to the heart of the mystery of mercy. Jesus shows mercy in action with the story of the woman caught in adultery.

1. In the story of the prodigal son, the father condemned not the returning son who asks for forgiveness. And when the older son arrives, the father tries to convince and win his heart to extend mercy towards the younger brother.

Lk 15:1-3, 11-32

The Gospel today is about the Parable of the Prodigal Son. In the parable, a father had two sons, and the younger claims his inheritance in advance. But know that in Jewish custom, the first-born by right inherits most of the wealth.

The older son - based on the cultural standard at that time pictures an ideal son. He is obedient and works hard even if he is guaranteed a double share of the inheritance. But he shall acknowledge the first son by giving him a double portion of all that he owns; for he is the first-fruits of his strength, the right of the first-born is his. (Dt. 21:17).

The action of the younger son appears selfish and insulting to the father. When he asks for an early distribution of inheritance, he insults and disrespects his honor and authority. His desire for independence dishonors and neglects the needs of the aging father.

After receiving his share, he proceeds to squander everything on a life of debauchery in another country. The parable shows a sad reality; from the same root, the two sons grew to be different in their values and the direction of their life. Many families, like soil, from the same dirt, grow fruits of every kind.

Scriptures provide us with hundreds of proofs that God’s mercy knows no bounds. In the New Testament, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection makes evident His love and power over sin and death. The forgiveness of sins is possible through the Paschal Mystery and the mediation of the Church. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained (Jn. 20:23). God forgives sins, and He never tires forgiving sins. But it is in the sacrament of reconciliation that He forgives sins, and He completely blots out all our offenses. Jesus is the Divine Mercy; through the absolution, the priest gives in the Sacrament of Penance - restores the penitent to the grace to act with charity, and grow in love with Him.

In the Old Testament, many consider Abraham as the Father of Faith. The first reading narrates the story of God choosing Abram, later to Abraham, and the promise God made to provide him and his descendants both progeny and land. Although childless and now over seventy-five years old, Abraham responds with great faith because this is how he built his friendship with God. God establishes a covenant with Abraham, whose descendants would be as numerous as the number of stars in the sky. Despite being without a child at that time, Abraham believed. The faith of Abraham is the faith we received as his spiritual descendants.

Our Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to bring salvation to humanity: And you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins (Mt. 1:27). Jesus saves His people from the power of Satan, from sin and its ultimate consequence, death. In His ministry, especially; of healing and casting out unclean spirits, Jesus would forgive sins and reconcile us with the Father. The salvific sacrifice on the cross brought about reconciliation and peace; served as a ransom for all our sins.

One of the growing concerns by many here at St. Rose and Good Shepherd Mission is the level of talking and other noise in the church before and after the Mass. I remember that there was a time when we would enter the church even when it was capacity - like entering into the realm of mystery and holy silence.People didn’t talk in church. One would enter, find their pew, genuflect, and then kneel for private prayer before Mass began. And when the Mass is over, people kneel for a brief moment for prayer; but then leave quietly, not talking until in the vestibule or outside the church.

At every Mass, before the priest or deacon proclaim the Gospel - he silently prays: Cleanse my heart and my lips Almighty God, that I may worthily proclaim the holy Gospel. Praying this is the only way a man can stand before the congregation and proclaim the word of God. And as soon as He announces the Gospel, he signs the Gospel book, himself, and everyone else in the congregation signs themselves with the cross on the forehead, lips, and breast. We all pray to be cleansed by the word of God as we listen to it.

The Gospel today aims to show how Luke can put together several events to bring home the message he wants to focus on. The scene symbolizes how many of the Jews rejected Jesus, while the ostracized Gentiles readily accepted Him. The woman of Zarephath and the Syrian Naaman represent the Gentiles in general. Many in Israel denied Him, a sign of what is to come - they will try to drive Him out of their cities and eventually be successful in crucifying and putting Him to death.

After the baptism of Jesus - from Judea, He returned to Galilee and started His public ministry, which includes preaching in synagogues. - Immediately, news of His preaching and the power of the words of Jesus rapidly spread, and His fame preceded Him everywhere. - His listener marveled at His teaching and were astonished by the authority of His Words. Because of this, more and more people flock to His preaching to hear Him. Words about Jesus slowly reach the ears of Jewish authorities; they start to come or send someone to ask questions or argue with Him.

The Gospel of the wedding at Cana shows how John the Evangelist could present the earthly dimension and reveal its divine mystery. His narrative is what the theologian Henri de Lubac describes as the spiritual interpretation of Scriptures: “The spiritual meaning is, then, found in all sides, not only or especially in a book, but first and foremost in reality itself.” Divine mysteries and realities are present in and revealed in the ordinary events of salvation history.

To understand the theological implication of the event at Cana, we go back to Jewish Shavuot, or Pentecost, commemorating the giving of the Torah and the covenant at Mt. Sinai. When the Lord offers a covenant relationship to Israel after bringing them out of Egypt, the people responded: Everything the Lord has said, we will do. (Ex. 19:8)

John the Baptist fulfills his role as the precursor of the Messiah - proclaiming a baptism of repentance. He is the voice in the wilderness crying out: Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand. People begin to wonder if John might be the awaited Messiah. John is quick to dismiss this claim by saying that someone mightier than him is coming, he baptizes with water, but He will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire.

The Feast of the Nativity of our Lord reinforces the truth of His real identity; that He is true God and true man, the incarnate Son of God. The Feast of the Epiphany celebrates the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. He is the light of the world, one who gives light to all nations. His light invites us into the radiance of the saving promise of God. The Second Vatican Council calls this radiance: Lumen Gentium, Jesus Christ as the “Light of All Nations.”