Fourth Sunday of Lent-C
Good morning every one, I am so happy to welcome you all for today's Holy Mass. The fourth sunday of Lent is called 'Rejoice Sunday' as we are getting closer to celebrate the glorious resurrection of Christ our Lord. Dear friends, every time we come to church, we celebrate God our Father who is full of love and compassion; we celebrate Christ who says that there is no sin that can not be forgiven for our lovig Father. So as we go to the Him with who we are, there we will completely be forgiven and be given life that will never end.
One day a teacher showed his students a crisp hundred dollar bill and asked who wanted it and every one raised their hands and said, "I want it...I want it". Then he purposely soiled and crumpled and rumpled the hundred-dollar bill and showed to them saying, "Now who wants the soiled bill?" Again everyone raised their hands and said, "I want it...I want it". Then he looked at them all and said, "whether the hundred dollar bill is crisp or soild, it has the same value and likewise whether a person is good or bad, he is always precious in the sight of god. Nothing can change the heart of God from loving His children and we are all equal in His sight".
Today's gospel is all about how precious we are in the sight of God. We are humans and fall into the same sin again and again. We go away from Him and face with human challenges and difficualties but at the same time, nothing can change God. Our sins can not touch the heart of God our Father.Sin takes us away from God. When we leave our sins behind, we will change and come to know the unchanging power of God all around us.
once there was a sailor whose job was capturing people from one country and sell them to another country. Since he did not believe in God, he never felt morally responsible for what he was doing. One day as he was taking people to sell as slaves, he encountered a huge cyclone and Tsunami and he knew that he was going to die with all those people, so he finally knelt before God and prayeds saying, "Almighty God, I have never beleived in you and I have sinned against you. Please forgive and save my life and I will never sell people and will dedicate my whole life to you" Then a miraculous thing happened, the sea was calm and so was his mind. He released all the people and dedicated His life to God and God alone. He was John Newton who wrote his experience in a beautiful poem and even today we sing his peom in Church. He wrote, "Amazing grace how great thou art. I was lost but now I am found and I was blind and now I can see"
John Newton was a prodigal son and as he came back, he experienced only love and forgiveness. Today we are asked to come back to God who is full of love and compassion. Though the son went away from his father and squandered all his propety, as he came back to senses and asked for forgiveness. The father said, " My son was dead and now he is alive. He was lost and now he is found". Then there was a celebration of love and acceptance. Yes, it is God who is our Father loves us all wihtout limit or any condition.
once a woman came to her parish priest and said, "Father, last night I had a divine vision. Christ appeared and talked to me". The priest who did not believe her and smiled and said, "That is a very good thing and keep praying". But she kept coming to him every day and talking about her divine vision. At one point, the priest who was annoyed at her claim, looked at her and said, "If Jesus appears to you the next time, just ask Him about my private sins; then I will know whether it is really Jesus". The next weekend, the priest waited for her but she did not show up. Three weeks later, as she came back to the priest said, " Jesus appeared and talked to me". Then the priest looked at her and said, "Did you ask him about my private sins". She said, "Yes, I did and he said, "He does not remember your sins".
That is our God who forgives all our sins and accepts who we are. As we go to Him, He never says "No" but showers upon us all His countless blessings.
Once there was a holy man who prayed to God five times and day fasted three times a week and did every thing according to the will of God and followed the commandments of God in all he was doing and then one day he met with a woman who was leading an immoral life. He condemned her saying, ‘you are living against God and He will definitely punish you. You will go to eternal punishment’. She then pleaded him to do something for her but he refused saying, ‘there is no salvation for you people’. You will die in your sins. Then one day the holy man died and went to heaven. He was celebrating everlasting life there. Two weeks later the woman also died and went to heaven. When the holy man saw the woman in heaven, he got so mad and asked god what was going on? God said, “ son, you lived your life well and good and thus you are given life everlasting and this child of mine was a prodigal one but she came back to me and she was lost but now she is alive. Join her and celebrate life”.
Today we have one more question to ponder. The prodigal son's story talks about the Father and the two sons and what about the mother? Why did the gospel not talk about the Mother? Who would be the mother? The mother figure is purposely left behind so that as we come to church, practice our faith and receive all the churches sacraments know that the mother is still alive and she is the holy Catholic Church where we experience love, kindness and above all else forgiveness.
Conclusion: Let us thank God for He is good and His love surpasses everything. Let us not judge others but accept and pray for them. Let us see the presence of Christ our Savior in them all. Amen.
