Hymns for Mass – Press Here

FIRST READING (The people of God entered the promised land and there kept the Passover.)

A reading from the Book of Joshua (5:9a,10-12)

The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.”

While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the fourteenth of the month. On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the yield of the land of Canaan. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (34: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7)

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. (Ps 34:9a)

I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the Lord; the lowly will hear me and be glad. (R)

Glorify the Lord with me, let us together extol his name. I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (R)

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the Lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him. (R)

SECOND READING (God reconciled us to himself through Christ.)

A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (5:17-21)

Brothers and sisters: Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him. —The Word of the Lord.

R. Thanks be to God.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (Lk 15:18)

Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. (R)

GOSPEL (Your brother was dead and has come to life again.)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (15:1-3, 11-32)

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable: “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.’” So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtererd the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’” —The Gospel of the Lord.

R. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayers

Celebrant: The story of the prodigal son expresses in a simple but deep way the reality of conversion, that is, the working of love and the presence of mercy in the human world. It moves us to hasten in prayer to the Father.

READER: That guided by the Pope and Bishops, our priests may constantly welcome those who repent and seek reconciliation, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That acts of charity will bring food to the victims of war, famine or economic crisis, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: That families divided over issues of inheritance or relationships may choose forgiveness and reconciling love, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For those members of our community who will receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist during this Easter season and for all of us gathered here today, that we grow closer Christ in Lent, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: In thanksgiving to God for his many blessings, (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

READER: For the deceased members of our community, the intentions we carry in our hearts, and for all those who have asked for our prayers and who we remember now in silence. (Pause) LET US PRAY TO THE LORD.

CELEBRANT: Almighty God, welcome the prayers of sinners, returning in devoted love to your unchanging mercy. We ask this, through Christ, our Lord. (all) AMEN.

Homily

Joshua 5: 9a, 10-12
Psalm 343 – “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord”
2 Cor. 5: 17-21
Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32

“… By Turning, we come Round Right!”

Today we join the Universal Church in celebrating Laetare Sunday, taken from the Opening words of the Mass, “Rejoice!”… rejoice because we are at the midpoint of our Lenten journey, and the joyful feast of Easter is approaching. One aspect to express this joy is the option for rose-colored vestments today used to replace the more somber violet or purple vestments of Lent. One of the principal themes of Lent is conversion, and conversion is about turning toward God. To turn toward God renews our hearts and minds, and this brings us joy.

One of my favorite hymns from my early life is a hymn taken from the Shakers entitled Simple Gifts with these lyrics:

“‘Tis a gift to be simple, ‘tis a gift to be free,
‘Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be
And when we have arrived at the place just right
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,
To bend and to bow we shall not be ashamed,
To turn, turn will be our delight
‘Til by turning, turning, we come round right.”

These lyrics use a simple language to talk of the true meaning conversion, turning around and around with the goal of attaining joy.

And this turning around to “come round right” is at the heart of the parable of the Prodigal Son. In the past, I have delved on the character of the “other son,” but today I want to return to the central role also of the “Prodigal Father, a father who was lavish in his love; a father with a heart as loving as any human heart can be. And this parable – this story – has many twists and turns.

We have of course the young son who turns away from his father, humiliating him with demanding a share in his inheritance – when such inheritance would only come upon the death of the father. So, the request “for a share” was like telling your father, “I want you dead!” And by demanding this portion prematurely would risk the security and fortune of others in the family. But the father gives this son “his share,” and the son leaves. And we see what happened – from a life of largesse and luxury, all is wasted away and the boy loses friends and ultimately his own freedom. The son finds himself in the worst possible position, working as servant for Gentiles, in a far-away place, tending pigs – unclean animals who made those near them considered “unclean” and “ostracized.”

Now the son turns inward and takes a look at his life, and “coming to his senses,” he turns round again to return to his father and humbly ask to be accepted as if a hired worker. Was the son being practical or was he truly contrite? As the Shaker hymn states:

“When true simplicity is gained,
To bend and to bow we shall not be ashamed.
To turn, turn will be our delight,
‘Til by turning, turning we come round right.”

The Prodigal Son had come to experience the simple truth: he had sinned against his father, been a selfish and self-serving little brother, and focused only on what he could get from his family, without contributing anything. But now he had turned in the right direction, and he had “come to his senses.” He had “come round right.”

In the parable, the father sees the son coming from a distance. He turns from whatever he had been doing and, catching sight of his lost son returning, he runs towards the son with open arms and kisses him. One commentator points out how the father running out to greet the Prodigal Son is important. Remember how this son had run off with the family fortune which affected those who stayed behind, including the older brother. After squandering everything, anyone noticing him even at a distance coming home would have – naturally – reported this to others who would want to go out and throttle him, beat him, revile him. That is why the father runs to his son, before anyone else can get to him first.

The Prodigal Son begins his prepared speech, but the father cuts him off… he turns – yet another turn – to his servant and through tears of joy commands a feast be prepared. “My son has come home! He was dead to us but, look, he’s alive! He was lost but look, now he’s found.”

The next scene is yet another turn – that of the older brother who refuses to celebrate his younger brother’s return and who rebukes his father’s generosity. He is almost as disrespectful as the Prodigal Son. But does the father get angry? The father “turns” and goes out to speak with this older son, and lovingly reminds him, “You are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we must celebrate your brother’s return. So… Come back with me. Let’s return together to the house.” We don’t know if the older brother “came round right” – I would like to think that he did, that he too, “came to his senses.”

On this Laetare Sunday, with the theme of rejoicing, we are reminded that God patiently waits for us, his children, to return to him, and yearns to celebrate the return of any sons or daughters who have wandered off. Let calls us to to turn inward, to look at ourselves, and, if anything separates us from God, “come to our senses,” to “turn ‘til we come round right.” And when we do this, we are assured that we will be greeted with great joy.

Our Sunday Eucharist as a community offers us a place at the table which is a sign of the banquet we will one day sit down to, when in the fulness of time, the Kingdom comes. In the meantime, we are nourished by the body and blood of the Son and strengthened by this food for the journey, we are sent forth, in the words of St. Pasul today, as “ambassadors for Christ… so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” God has given to us the message of reconciliation.

Dear friends, as we listen to God’s Word and hear again this parable of the Prodigal Son let us be inspired to turn, turn around and be converted, turning, turning, to come round right…,

And when we have arrived at the place just right
It will be in the valley of love and delight.

And there, our loving Prodigal Father, a father lavish in his love; a father with a heart as loving as any human heart can be welcomes each of us into his warm, loving embrace. Welcome home!