Your Homecoming

~~~ Fourth Sunday of Lent ~~~

~~~ Joshua 5:9A, 10-12 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ 

~~~ 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 ~~~ Luke 15:1-3, 11-32 ~~~

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

The Lord hears our cries of distress...

in times of need he is near.

He delivers us from all our fears.

His praise shall ever be on my lips.

The goodness of the Lord is manifest

 before us in so many varied ways.

Today we once again hear the comforting story 

of the Prodigal son returning home to his father.

No matter how many times we listen to this story

 we can picture ourselves as the delinquent child.

Time after time we ask God for our share of heavenly bliss

only to take it and run away to seek our own passions.

Whoever is in Christ is a new creation:

the old things have passed away;

behold, new things have come.

If we are a new creation then the old ways

 of our sinfulness must fall to the ground.

If we truly want to be a new creation by the end of Holy Week

we must be intent on cleansing our heart...

we must seek the face of the Lord...

the face of mercy.

The father in today's Gospel

 looks past every poor decision made by his son.

He excuses the foolishness of his son...

He lets go of the hurt and heartache caused by his child.

How much more will God rejoice 

when one of us returns home.

He sees into the depths

 of your soul; there he finds

the goodness placed there when you

 were conceived.

That goodness is always there 

even when we, like the prodigal son,

run away and squander our inheritance.

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

There are no boundaries or expiration date on God's mercy.

We implore you on behalf of Christ,

be reconciled to God.

Return to God the Father.

See God running out to meet you.

Let the celebration begin

 with his blessings over you.

Close your eyes and picture God 

rejoicing in your homecoming.

~~~Peace~~~