Last Sunday was Laetare Sunday (Rejoice Sunday). Midway through our Lenten journey the Church invites us to rejoice.
Look to Him that you may be radiant with joy.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the Prodigal Son. This youngest son was very selfish and self-indulgent. So much so, that he demanded his share of the inheritance, while his father was still alive. It was like wishing that his father was dead. He then took the money and went away from the Jewish faith and lived in a pagan country, where his conscience wouldn’t be pricked and where he could indulge himself in a life of debauchery. When he spent all his money, the country experienced a famine and in desperation he ended by living with and looking after the pigs. Jews were forbidden to keep pigs, because they were considered unclean. Finally, he reflected on how he had ended up in such a miserable state, through his sins, and he decided to go back to his father’s house and beg forgiveness. He was willing to be treated just as another servant and no longer the younger son of his father. He did not know the heart of his father, who had been waiting a long time for the return of his son. The father saw his son approaching from a long way off, ragged and barefoot. His father ran to meet the boy, embraced him and the son throwing himself at the feet of his father, repented and begged for forgiveness. The father immediately forgave his son, clothed him in the best robe, representing grace, put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet and organized a great celebration, because his son who was spiritually dead had come back to life, through his humble repentance and promise to amend his life.
The younger son’s sins, his many serious sins, were forgiven when he repented. What is mortal sin? This involves three things 1. Grave matter (e.g., The Commandments), 2. Full knowledge that it is grave sin and 3. Freely consenting to the sin anyway. The younger son freely turned his back on God and lived a life of impurity. Many people especially in today’s culture, squander God’s gifts and live a life of sin before marriage, living as de-facto couples. Others obtain abortions in order, to try and avoid responsibility for their sins. Still others are unfaithful to their marriage vows. These just to name a few are all grave matter and unless the people repent will have eternal consequences. Two things can’t exist in the same soul at the same time: True love of God and mortal sin. The more we love Christ, the more sensitive we become to what saddens Him and the more often we will go to Confession. This explains why great saints, such as St Alphonsus Liguori and St Pope John Paul II went to Confession every day. As the Scriptures say: For a righteous man falleth seven times; and rises up again: but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. Let’s love the Sacrament of Divine Mercy and go frequently, casting ourselves at the feet of the Father, in order to be healed. Let’s remember especially, to make a good Confession before Easter. Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever.