COLLECT: “O GOD, WHO GRANT US BY GLORIOUS HEALING REMEDIES WHILE STILL ON EARTH TO BE PARTAKERS OF THE THINGS OF HEAVEN, GUIDE US, WE PRAY, THROUGH THIS PRESENT LIFE AND BRING US TO THAT LIGHT IN WHICH YOU DWELL. THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, YOUR SON, WHO LIVES AND REIGNS WITH YOU IN THE UNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, GOD, FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN”.
Mic 7:14-15,18-20; Ps 102:1-4,9-12 and Lk 15:1-3,11-32.
We meditate today on a passage from the Gospel of Luke (15:1-32) which contains the story of the Prodigal Son/the Merciful Father. The Prodigal Son is a model for us during the Lenten season. Sin always makes us prodigal children who need God our Merciful Father. Sin will always alienate us and eventually lead us to humiliation and degradation: it separates us from God. It puts us in a life which we experience in a kind of distant ‘foreign country’, where we will definitely experience some famine and misery. When we sin, we cut ourselves off from God’s family, his protection, guidance, love, care and compassion, and we become vulnerable to Satan and his temptations.
In our sinful state where it is like we are on the run away from God, he beckons us, and calls on us during special moments and seasons like this Lent, to come back to him to be part of his Kingdom where he prepares a great feast for us. All of us, sinners though, are always invited, except those who, out of envy and jealousy, pride and arrogance, anger and hatred, etc., will deliberately refuse or excuse themselves from this divine invitation.
Let us pray during this season of Lent, to realise the humiliation and degradation, as well as the separation and the distance life we are going through on account of our sinful and wrong deeds, and then humbly come back to our senses and return to the Merciful Father for his blessings. We also pray that pride and arrogance may not prevent us from coming to God during this special season, for his merciful compassion and love. Let us make whatever little effort it takes to assist one another to one day be received by God into his heavenly banquet hall to be part of the celebration. May Saint Perpetua and Felicity intercede for us. Stay blessed and happy feast to all who bear the names Perpetua and Felicity.
WE MEDITATE TODAY, SATURDAY, ON THE JOYFUL MYSTERIES: ‘THE ANNUNCIATION, THE VISITATION, THE BIRTH OF JESUS, THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE AND THE FINDING OF THE CHILD JESUS IN THE TEMPLE’. (LET US PRAY FOR HUMILITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOUR, POVERTY IN SPIRIT, OBEDIENCE AND JOY IN FINDING JESUS) “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us, sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen”.
PRAYER: “MAY YOUR DIVINE SACRAMENT, O LORD, WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED, FILL THE INNER DEPTHS OF OUR HEART AND, BY ITS WORKING MIGHTILY WITHIN US, MAKE US PARTAKERS OF ITS GRACE. THROUGH CHRIST OUR LORD. AMEN”.
Rev. Fr. Aloysius Kpiebaya, Catholic Diocese of Wa, UW/R, Ghana. (00233) 0207867239/0545462863. Email: aloybaya20@yahoo.com
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!