Jesus told
many stories (parables) to explain the loving mercy of God, one of them being
the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15). The Parable of the Prodigal Son is one of the
most compelling parables in the Gospels, because we can relate to the
characters in this family story:
–The
prodigal son who left his family, taking his inheritance, and squandering it on
“wine, women and song”,
–The
merciful father who hoped and prayed and watched on the road for his son to
return.
–The dutiful
son who stayed and worked the land with his father, and who resented the lavish
celebration that his father made when his brother returned.
How could we
see ourselves in these people?
Of course, perhaps we all can identify with the younger brother who is forgiven his many
sins. But I wonder what gave him the
nerve or perhaps courage to ask his father for half the inheritance destined
for him before his father died? Was
there something about his father that indicated a request like that wouldn’t be
met with punishment or derision? We are
all heirs of God (Romans 8:16-17). Do I
dare to ask God for my inheritance? And
what IS my inheritance, anyway? Grace. Love. Peace.
His Son, the Christ. The sacraments making real for me all those
gifts. The list is long.
Another
aspect of the parable struck me as I read it again today…the image of the
father seeing from afar his wayward son returning. I can picture the father eagerly sighting him
who he had waited for perhaps for years. He runs to embrace his son…..he is all love,
all forgiveness, all joy that his son has returned. I hope that everyone may have experienced
something like this from a parent. Surely
we can all hope to experience this from our loving Lord.
Have you
ever identified with the older son? The
one who always did his father’s will and never asked for a thing? Who resented the love heaped on his younger
brother? His concern for himself and
what he didn’t receive blinded him to what he had been receiving all along. The father reassures him that “everything I
have is yours.” Everything, not just
half! Maybe if he had only asked…….
****************
The Highs
and Lows and Ups and Downs of the Most Holy Rosary (continued):
Speaking of our
“inheritance” of Grace, Love, Peace, Jesus Christ—all made real through the
Sacraments, there is one sacrament in particular which is the “Source and
Summit” of our Catholic faith, and it’s beginning is the subject of the last
Luminous mystery.
V. The Institution of the Eucharist at the Last
Supper
Brief meditation:
The final
Luminous Mystery takes us to Jesus’ last supper, where He shares His very Self
with His disciples in the form of bread and wine. This holy meal unites
us in love with God and with one another so that we become the one body
of Christ. Jesus’ essential gesture at
the Eucharist is His handing over His body and blood to the community gathered
around Him. After Jesus does this, He
says, “Do this in memory of me.” He’s
not saying simply that we should repeat this liturgical ritual. He also wants
us to repeat what He has done for the community during His life here on earth. He has, literally, handed
Himself over to them. We’re being
asked in our own day to hand over our bodies as well—in loving service to the
Christian community.
Scriptural
meditation:
1. Jesus said, “I am the bread of life”. (John
6:35)-Hail Mary…
2. “He who comes to me shall not hunger, and he
who believes in me shall never thirst.”
(John 6:35)-Hail Mary…
3. “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has
life everlasting and I shall raise him up on the
last day.” (John 6:54)-Hail Mary…
4. “For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is
drink indeed” (John 6:56)-Hail Mary…
5. And while they were at supper, Jesus took
bread and blessed and broke it, and gave it to his disciples and said (Matthew
26:26)-Hail Mary…
6. “This is my body which is being given for
you; do this in remembrance of me.” (Luke 22:19)-Hail Mary…
7. And taking a cup, he gave thanks and gave it
to them, saying (Matthew 26:27)-Hail Mary…
8. “This is my blood of the new covenant which
shall be shed for many.” (Mark 14:24)-Hail
Mary…
9. “Do this as often as you drink it, in
remembrance of me.” (1 Corinthians 11:25)-Hail Mary…
10. For as often as you shall eat this bread and
drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord,
until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26)-Hail Mary…
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