Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12

Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

2 Corinthians 5:17-21

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.’”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you have reconciled us to yourself through your Son, Jesus Christ. You did not give up on me when I sinned against you but sought me out and ran toward me and embraced me when I turned to you.

Encountering the Word of God

1. The Day after the Return of the Prodigal Son: In the Parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger son returns to his father’s house without any hope of reconciliation. The parable tells us that the younger son had either contrition or attrition for his sins and confessed his sins to his father and that the father forgave his son’s sins. Contrition, confession, and forgiveness… but there is one more step in the process that was hinted at but not spoken about – that of reconciliation. The day after the party celebrating his return, several reconciliations were needed. The father and the younger son needed to work on repairing their relationship. The younger son needs to show his love through filial obedience – working in the fields, helping run the family business, helping around the house, and so on. The two brothers also need to be reconciled. Everything now belongs to the older son and there is a real question about whether or not he will forgive his brother and work to repair their relationship. The younger son also needs to be reconciled with his mother, if she is still alive, and with the household servants. He really messed up, and likely squandered a third of his father’s property. Feelings of betrayal, envy, and resentment all need to be addressed. Have I confessed any sins and been forgiven by God but still need to work on reconciliation and repairing relationships that were broken?

2. The End of the Exodus: In the First Reading, we continue to meditate on the great events in the history of salvation. The passage from Joshua records the last Passover during the 40 years of exodus wandering in the wilderness. The scene follows the crossing of the Jordan River into the Promised Land. The time of their slavery in Egypt has ended: as the Lord said: “Today, I have removed the reproach of Egypt from you.” As well, the time of their trial and testing in the wilderness has ended. The time of the manna in the desert has ended. Now, the people, under the leadership of Joshua, must begin the conquest of the Promised Land. All of this can be seen as a symbol of our life in Christ, the New Joshua: we have been freed from the slavery of sin – our reproach has been removed – through the waters of Baptism and now we are called to work to extend the Kingdom of God in the world, led by Jesus and his Spirit. God feeds us with the New Manna every time we celebrate the New Passover of our Lord.

3. Reconciliation and Recreation: In the Second Reading, Paul speaks to the Corinthians about their new life in Christ: “Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God has reconciled us to himself through Christ and entrusted the ministry and message of reconciliation to the Apostles and the Church. Paul implores the people of God in Corinth to “be reconciled to God.” Reconciliation with God and our brothers and sisters is possible because of what God did for us in Christ Jesus: “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” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus was like us in all things but sin. He lived our life, was tested and tempted as we are, and yet was victorious. Jesus took the old, broken creation, and made it new, sanctifying it with his Spirit.

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, you recreated the world through your incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection. You now sit enthroned at the Father’s right hand, interceding for the new creation until the time of its consummation and your glorious return in glory.

Living the Word of God: Have I confessed any sins and been forgiven by God, but still need to work on reconciliation and repairing relationships that were broken? Do I see this as a work of grace within me? How am I working to extend the Kingdom of God in my life? What areas remain to be conquered for Christ, the New Joshua?