Overflowing Mercy

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 11, 2022 — Year C
Readings: Ex 32:7-11, 13-14 / Ps 51 / 1 Tm 1:12-17 / Lk 15:1-32
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

Today’s readings from the Holy Scriptures teach us about the overflowing mercy and forgiveness of God.  They also talk about sin and repentance, confession, and communion, courtesy of the prodigal son and his father.

We heard in the First Reading that when Moses was on Mount Sinai, the chosen people were acting perversely.  They had cast for themselves an image of a cow, were worshipping and making sacrifices to it, and giving credit to the idol for bringing them out of slavery in the land of Egypt.  With that, the Lord became very upset.  God was prepared to destroy them all.  But Moses implored God to have mercy and forgiveness for the sinful people.  Hearing the plea of Moses, God changed His mind and decided not to destroy the people as He had originally planned.

In the Second Reading, we also heard how the mercy and forgiveness of God sanctified St. Paul, because he had sincerity of heart.  By the mercy of God, St. Paul, formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and a man of violence, was made an example to those who would come to believe in Jesus for eternal life.

Today’s gospel also speaks of the mercy and forgiveness of God.  In this case, three parables are given to declare the magnitude of the mercy of God.  These are the parables of the lost sheep, of the lost coin, and of the Prodigal Son.  Many tax collectors and sinners came to Jesus, and this drew criticism on the part of the Pharisees and the Scribes.  They grumbled because Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them.

Brothers and Sisters, let us meditate on the parable of the Prodigal Son.  The parable begins with a request.  The prodigal son says to his father, “Father, give me the share of the estate that should come to me.”  Here we are given our first insight concerning sin:  Sin always involves the misuse of something good.

For example, sins of the tongue, like gossip, slander, swearing, and lying, all involve the misuse of something good: namely, the God-given gift of speech.  Sins of the flesh are committed when people misuse the good gift of sexuality, which the Lord intends for marriage only.

Notice that in the story, the younger son requested the share of the estate that was coming to him.  He was not making an improper request.  He was not asking for something evil.  He was requesting something good, which his father was planning to give him anyway.  His sin came when he misused the good gift and squandered his inheritance on what the gospel calls “dissolute living,” a life of dissipation.

The next interesting point is that he does all this squandering in a distant land.  I don’t think that was a coincidence.  When people commit sins that they intend to repent of, they desperately try to run away from the Heavenly Father, just like this boy tried to run away from his father.  Those of us who commit sins make every effort to keep them secret, so that nobody knows about them.  But that is a very big mistake because, eventually, all sins catch up with us, as the boy’s sins eventually caught up with him.  In the parable we are told that he spent all his money, and then a famine broke out, and he found himself with nothing to eat.  He ended up dining with pigs.

There we have another insight concerning sin:  Sin turns us into slaves.  This is something that people who have an addiction know a great deal about.  A recovering alcoholic will tell you that when he started to drink excessively, he was acting in total freedom.  But eventually it came to the point where he could not stop.  He had become a slave to his sinful behavior.

Finally, praise God, the prodigal son wakes up and comes to his senses.  He repents, but notices that his repentance is rather superficial.  He has what the Church would call “imperfect contrition.”  Imperfect contrition is when we are sorry for our sins because we fear the consequences, especially Hell.  Perfect contrition is when we are sorry for the best possible reason:  because we have offended our Heavenly Father, whom we love above all things.  But notice that his father still forgives him.  The Church teaches us that our Father will do the same for us.  He will forgive us our serious sins if we go to Confession with at least imperfect contrition in our hearts.

Once the prodigal son is forgiven, he is able to share once again in the family meal.  For us, that is symbolic of the Eucharist.  That is why the Church teaches us that, if we have mortal sin, we cannot receive the Eucharist again until we have gone to Confession and confessed our sin.

The Vatican II document, Lumen Gentium, has a beautiful description of sin:  Sin is before all else an offense against God and a rupture in our communion with Him.  At the same time, it damages communion with the Church.  For this reason, conversion entails both God’s forgiveness and reconciliation with the Church, which are expressed and accomplished liturgically by the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation.

Mother Theresa had advice for living a good life.  She said:

People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of having selfish ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies.  Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you.  Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight.  Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous.  Be happy anyway.

The good you do today people will often forget tomorrow.  Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.  Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.

So, as we continue our Eucharistic celebration today, let us pray for those who have fallen away from the grace of God, so that divine mercy and forgiveness may reach out to them before it’s too late.  May their ears be open so that they will hear that Jesus is welcoming them back home.

Our Guiding Star

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
December 8, 2021 — Year C
Readings: Gn 3:9-15, 20 / Ps 98 / Eph 1:3-6, 11-12 / Lk 1:26-38
by Rev. Nixon Negparanon, Pastor

St. Thomas Aquinas once said, “As sailors are guided by a star to the port, so are Christians guided to heaven by Mary.”

It is a nice coincidence, as we prepare to commemorate the birth of Jesus with the Advent season, that we also have this season to celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the womb of her holy mother, Saint Anne, the wife of Joachim.  The feast we celebrate today, the Immaculate Conception, is that of Mary being conceived by her mother, Saint Anne, not Jesus conceived by Mary. (more…)

The Beauty of Confessing

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 26, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Nm 11:25-29 / Ps 19 / Jas 5:1-6 / Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48
by Rev. Mr. Mark De La Hunt, Permanent Deacon

My hope in today’s homily is that all of us might leave today with one temptation and sin in mind that we are going to root out of our life with an intentional plan of attack that includes changes in our behavior and Jesus’ grace in the Sacrament of Confession. (more…)

Forgiven and Forgotten

Fifth Sunday of Lent
March 21, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Jer 31:31-34 / Ps 51 / Heb 5:7-9 / Jn 12:20-33
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

All of us who have attended funerals in the past where there is a eulogy know that the friends and members of the bereaved family will always say all of the good things that the deceased has done. If ever the person being eulogized has done something wrong, all those things are forgiven and forgotten. But of course it is unfortunate that most people only do this to the dead and very seldom to the living. The great news for all of us is that we have a God who forgives and forgets. (more…)

Care for God’s Temple

Third Sunday of Lent
March 7, 2021 — Year B
Readings: Ex 20:1-17 / Ps 19 / 1 Cor 1:22-25 / Jn 2:13-25
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A story is told about two altar servers who, one Sunday morning, while waiting for the Mass to begin, noticed that the priest was wearing a vestment in a color that was out of the ordinary. One of them said, “It is quite unusual that Father is wearing a pink robe today.” The other corrected him, saying, “It’s rose, not pink.” “How do you know?” the first asked. He answered, “Because Jesus ROSE from the dead; he didn’t PINK from it.” (more…)

Baptism: Together in Ministry

The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord
January 12, 2020 – Year A
Readings: Is 42:1-4, 6-7 / Ps 29 / Acts 10:34-38 / Mt 3:13-17
by Father Louis Benoit, Guest Celebrant

Today is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, and an interesting question is why did Jesus get baptized? He had no need of it, yet He did it. In Jesus’ baptism, He gets baptized in solidarity with us. He identifies with us in our simple state. He walks with us as we are.

That’s the baptism of Jesus, and of course, there is a good analogy here, in that we are made holy in the waters of baptism. Jesus, in His baptism, makes the waters holy. And so we have Jesus identifying with us, and He is identifying with us in a simple way, walking with the people, curing people, taking care of them, preaching to them, preaching a kingdom of peace and justice and love. (more…)

Life-long Repentance

Second Sunday of Advent
December 8, 2019 – Year A
Readings: Is 11:1-10 / Ps 72 / Rom 15:4-9 / Mt 3:1-12
by Father Louis Benoit, Guest Celebrant

We heard in the gospel about John the Baptist in the desert – wearing weird clothes and eating weird food. He’s attracting quite a crowd, calling people to repent. His baptism is a baptism of repentance. Repentance basically means to make a 180-degree turn – to turn away from a sinful life to a life of the Lord.

Of course, for Jesus to be born in our hearts, we have to repent. I suggest that repentance is not a once-and-for-all thing: one time you’re here and then suddenly you’ve done a 180. It’s a life-long process. We have to spend a life turning away from sin and evil and turning toward what Jesus wants for us. We have to keep working on it. (more…)

Living In Mystery

Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time
November 10, 2019 – Year C
Readings: 2 Mc 7:1-2, 9-14 / Ps 17 / 2 Thes 2:16-3:5 / Lk 20:27-38
by Father Louis Benoit, Guest Celebrant

We’ve had two readings today of seven brothers, all of whom have passed away. The first reading from the Book of Maccabees is about the time when the Jewish people were being persecuted and tells of seven brothers who went to their death for what they believed, with the hope of resurrection and new life. And that is what today’s readings are all about: resurrection and new life. (more…)

What Have You Failed To Do?

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 29, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Am 6:1A, 4-7 / Ps 146 / 1 Tm 6:11-16 / Lk 16:19-31
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A story is told about David Rockefeller of Chase Manhattan Bank traveling through South America. A group of bank officials of the government of Uruguay invited him for lunch, hoping for a sizable loan. The affair was held at a club that was famous locally for its magnificent appetizer buffet. Rockefeller passed through the buffet line first, and thinking that this was the entire meal, served himself generously. When seated, he noticed that others had taken skimpier portions. He said to the President of Banco Central, “I have so much and you have so little.” The host responded, “I am glad you mentioned that, Mr. Rockefeller, because that is exactly what we want to talk to you about.” (more…)

Lost and Forgiven

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 15, 2019 – Year C
Readings: Ex 32:7-11, 13-14 / Ps 51 / 1 Tm 1:12-17 / Lk 15:1-32
by Rev. Salvador Añonuevo, Pastor

A story is told about a teenager who, after Sunday morning Mass, went to his pastor for advice. He said, “Father, I left home and did something that will make my dad furious when he finds out. What should I do?” The pastor replied, “Son, I have known your dad for many years. He is a good and holy man. Go home, tell him your sins, ask for forgiveness, and he will surely forgive you and treat you like the Prodigal Son in the Gospel.”

Sometime later the boy reported to his pastor. “Well, I told Dad about what I did.” The priest was so happy to hear the good news, and asked, “Well, did he kill the fatted calf for you?” The boy answered, “No, but he almost killed the Prodigal Son!” (more…)