FIRST READING
“The people of God entered the Promised Land and there kept the Passover.” A reading from the Book of Joshua (Joshua 5:9a, 10-12)
In those days: The Lord said to Joshua, “This day I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” While the sons of Israel were encamped in Gilgal they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. And on the next day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased on the next day, when they ate of the produce of the land; and the sons of Israel had manna no more, but ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
The word of the Lord
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 34:2-3.4-5.6-7 (R. 9a)
R/. Taste and see that the Lord is good!
I will bless the Lord at all times,
praise of him is always in my mouth.
In the Lord my soul shall make its boast;
the humble shall hear and be glad. R/.
Glorify the Lord with me;
together let us praise his name.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
from all my terrors he set me free. R/.
R/. Taste and see that the Lord is good!
Look towards him and be radiant;
let your faces not be abashed.
This lowly one called; the Lord heard,
and rescued him from all his distress. R/.
SECOND READING
God reconciled us to himself through Christ.
A reading from the second Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
Brethren: If any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
The word of the Lord
VERSE BEFORE THE GOSPEL Luke 15:15
Glory and praise to you, O Christ. I will arise and go to my father and I will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. Glory and praise to you, O Christ
GOSPEL
“This your brother was dead, and is alive.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke (Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32)
At that time: The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” So he told them this parable: “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me. ’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ “And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. ’ And they began to make merry. “Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Behold, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has‘ devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf! ’ “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”’
The Gospel of the Lord.
TODAY’S REFLECTION
The second reading speaks of the reconciliation that God has brought for us. In the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, we see how God has gone to take away our faults and give us a new beginning. Sin estranges us from God and makes us live apart from God, who is the source and goal of our life. In Christ, God opens to us the door of reconciliation. Like the father in the Gospel parable, God’s heart of mercy is always open to take us back. The appeal is: “Be reconciled to God.” But there can be no reconciliation with God without reconciliation with our fellow human beings beginning from the family, to our places of work or studies, to the market and to everywhere we encounter people. Why harden your heart to a brother or a sister or a neighbour or even a stranger who has offended you? As we seek forgiveness from God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, let us remember to extend the same forgiveness to those who have offended us.