Short and Sweet Headlines are Best!
March 30, 2025
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Joshua 5:9a, 10-12
Psalm 34
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Reconciliation, the Effective Way to Get Even!
We observe war between nations, arguing among our elected officials and we might argue within our own homes. There is childish behavior among childish adults. One observes rivals who try to “get even” with each other. The world seems to be a mess.
How does God feel about all this vitriol? Is it possible God wants to “get even” with all of us, his creatures? Perhaps the Lord is tired of all we have done with his creation. What would be getting even on God’s part? How would he get even for all the hatred we have built up in the world? That is, if God wanted to get even.
It might be conjectured, the ultimate “getting even” would be to reconcile the world, all of us with each other. The most effective means to get even is to reconcile. When people are reconciled, they are even.
To reconcile means to bring together, to make one. As one might recall from the readings of the Second Sunday of Lent, God is the Prime Mover. God is the first to move. God reaches out to make us His friends. Friends reconcile when they have a falling out. In the case of Joshua and the people of his time, God has led them into the Promised Land and it is fruitful.
While the people had wandered on their journey to the Promised Land, they were not always faithful to God as they should have been. Nevertheless, God, as a good friend, reached out to them and brought them back to Him, to reconcile with them. The fruitfulness of the land was a sign of the reconciliation.
As in the time of Joshua we, today, are constantly being redeemed by the grace of God. New things come to us, perhaps each day that let us know God is still working with us. Sometimes we have spent enough time in prayer worship and celebration to see God’s actions. Sometimes we have not. Yet, God continues to try to be one with us regardless of our own deficits.
The gospel story, the Prodigal, shows how we hurt our relationship with God. You and I can be demanding of God but not be properly responsible with gifts He gives us. After some wayward episode we might run back to God and say, “I am sorry.” While God might offer some correction of us, to get us right again, He never seeks vengeance. He is not out “to get even” but to get even as in to reconcile.
When we reconcile with God we can be reconciled with people. Reconciling with God shows we are open to His reconciling Grace. That Grace of God can serve to make us one with other people. In this way we become one again with them as well as God. This is what most effectively makes us even.
Give reconciliation a try. You might find out that something very simple and silly caused a rift between you the other person. Maybe a misunderstanding that was left to fester. Or you just decided not to hear the other person’s side of the story and walked away from a long friendship. Perhaps the other person even tried to get you to listen and hear his or her explanation.
Truly get even. Reach out or accept the other person’s effort to reach out to you. Get even! Reconcile.
How does God feel about all this vitriol? Is it possible God wants to “get even” with all of us, his creatures? Perhaps the Lord is tired of all we have done with his creation. What would be getting even on God’s part? How would he get even for all the hatred we have built up in the world? That is, if God wanted to get even.
It might be conjectured, the ultimate “getting even” would be to reconcile the world, all of us with each other. The most effective means to get even is to reconcile. When people are reconciled, they are even.
To reconcile means to bring together, to make one. As one might recall from the readings of the Second Sunday of Lent, God is the Prime Mover. God is the first to move. God reaches out to make us His friends. Friends reconcile when they have a falling out. In the case of Joshua and the people of his time, God has led them into the Promised Land and it is fruitful.
While the people had wandered on their journey to the Promised Land, they were not always faithful to God as they should have been. Nevertheless, God, as a good friend, reached out to them and brought them back to Him, to reconcile with them. The fruitfulness of the land was a sign of the reconciliation.
As in the time of Joshua we, today, are constantly being redeemed by the grace of God. New things come to us, perhaps each day that let us know God is still working with us. Sometimes we have spent enough time in prayer worship and celebration to see God’s actions. Sometimes we have not. Yet, God continues to try to be one with us regardless of our own deficits.
The gospel story, the Prodigal, shows how we hurt our relationship with God. You and I can be demanding of God but not be properly responsible with gifts He gives us. After some wayward episode we might run back to God and say, “I am sorry.” While God might offer some correction of us, to get us right again, He never seeks vengeance. He is not out “to get even” but to get even as in to reconcile.
When we reconcile with God we can be reconciled with people. Reconciling with God shows we are open to His reconciling Grace. That Grace of God can serve to make us one with other people. In this way we become one again with them as well as God. This is what most effectively makes us even.
Give reconciliation a try. You might find out that something very simple and silly caused a rift between you the other person. Maybe a misunderstanding that was left to fester. Or you just decided not to hear the other person’s side of the story and walked away from a long friendship. Perhaps the other person even tried to get you to listen and hear his or her explanation.
Truly get even. Reach out or accept the other person’s effort to reach out to you. Get even! Reconcile.
Remember, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is available on Saturdays from 3:00pm-3:30pm
And
Each Thursday prior to the Stations of the Cross or
Scripture Sharing from 6:30pm-6:50pm.
Peace and blessings,
Father Bob
Father Bob
Solidarity With Christ and His Faith Community During Lent. What do We Do?
Fast and Abstinence
On Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.
To fast is to eat lightly. That is to eat the equivalent of one meal for the whole day.
To abstain means to refrain from something. In this case we abstain from eating meat other than fish.
Abstinence on all Fridays of Lent.
Abstaining from something.
Giving up something for Lent has been a part of Lenten practices for a long time.
-Fast from fault finding and nagging, a critical tongue or closed mind. -Give up impulse purchases.
-Give up an unhealthy habit, like smoking, drug addiction, pornography.
-Limit time watching T.V. or surfing the WEB.
-Give up fast food and donate the money you save.
DO Something.
Do something good that you have not been doing. Sin is also the sin of omission.
-Go to Mass in the middle of the week besides on Sunday. -Attend the Stations of the Cross on Thursday evenings during Lent at 7:00pm.
-Read the up-coming scripture readings that are prescribed for Sunday Mass. (Listed in the Bulletin and on the website every week.)
-Volunteer at an apostolate.
-Get up early to pray.
Holy Week Begins
Passion Sunday, April 13th
Holy Thursday, April 17th at 7:00pm
Good Friday, April 18th at 7:00pm
Easter Vigil, April 19th at 8:00pm
Easter Sunday, April 20th Masses at 9:00am and 10:45am
Scripture Sharing Begins Again May 1st and continues every
Thursday from 7:00 to 8pm
Holy Thursday, April 17th at 7:00pm
Good Friday, April 18th at 7:00pm
Easter Vigil, April 19th at 8:00pm
Easter Sunday, April 20th Masses at 9:00am and 10:45am
Scripture Sharing Begins Again May 1st and continues every
Thursday from 7:00 to 8pm
Father Bob's
Video Reflections
Each week Father Bob posts a Video Reflection on the Spiritual readings for the weekend Mass. These Videos are not intended to replace your prescence at mass each week! Much like Scripture Sharing on Thursday evening from 7 pm - 8 pm, these videos act as a point of reference to enhance your knowledge and better prepare you to participate in each weeks celebration.
Each week the videos are archive and can be streamed by clicking on the Bulletin/Videos button above.
Each week the videos are archive and can be streamed by clicking on the Bulletin/Videos button above.
The Jesus Prayer...
Lord Jesus Christ
have Mercy on me a Poor Sinner.
have Mercy on me a Poor Sinner.
Sacraments of Christian Initiation
Sacraments of Healing
Sacraments of Service
Click on the links below for more information
This Weeks Scripture Readings
March 30, 2025
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Reading I
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.
Psalm
Psalm 34
R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
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. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
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. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
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. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Reading 2
2 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.
Verse Before the Gospel
Luke 15:18
I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to him:
Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
The Gospel
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 slaughtered 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.'"
Next Weeks Readings
April 6, 2025
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:8-14
Joel 2:12-13
John 8:1-11
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:8-14
Joel 2:12-13
John 8:1-11
