Catholic Commission for Social Justice
“Trust in the Lord my God and turn to Him with all your hearts since nothing is impossible for Him” (St Patrick, Confessio)
Today, March 17, the fifth Sunday of Lent, is also St Patrick’s Day, which is celebrated in many parts of the world. I hope to join my brother, his wife, and their team at Mahogany Carnival Ltd in London as we take part in London’s annual celebration of St Patrick’s Day.
Gospel Lk 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.
Jesus’ parables are sometimes referred to as earthly stories with heavenly meaning. During this Lenten season, I invite you to reflect on the parables in our Gospels. Today’s Gospel, Luke 15:1-3, 11-32, is part of a series of three parables that seek to demonstrate God’s mercy – The lost sheep, The lost drachma (coin) and The lost son (the “prodigal”) and the dutiful son. The latter is one of the longest parables in the Gospels.
Gospel Lk 13:1-9
Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. Jesus said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”
During this Year of Faith, CCSJ plans to organise a series of workshops to focus on some of the parables in our Gospels. One of these will be the parable of the barren fig tree (see today’s reading: Lk 13:1-9).
In some ways this parable reminds me of my early teaching career in London at a school where many poor black students of Caribbean origin were being suspended or expelled.