Fourth Sunday of Lent: C: March 30, 2025

 THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON

First Reading: Joshua 5: 9 to 12

Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5: 17 to 21

Gospel Reading: Luke 15: 1 to 3 and 11 to 32

   *First reading is from the book of  Prophet Joshua. The liberation of Israelites from the slavery of Egypt by the mighty power of the Lord God and their journey to the promised land is narrated in detail. On entering the promised land, their first act of public worship, giving thanks to the Lord God is the celebration of the Passover Feast lasting seven days. Their possession of the land becomes a reality when they eat the produce of the land of Canaan. 

   *Second reading is from the second letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Paul explains to the Christian community at Corinth that the whole aim of Christ's mission is to bring about reconciliation between God and humankind. The Apostle reminds us that we are ambassadors for Christ and for God. 

'I will arise and go to my father.'                                                                                Today's Gospel reading is from St. Luke. The parable of the prodigal son - one of the immortal parables of Jesus - is narrated. It has been rightly called the greatest short story ever told. Prodigal means wasteful. We are all wasteful where God's grace is concerned. We misuse His gifts to us. We squander life's opportunities. It is a story about a father and his two sons. The father loves both his sons very much. Yet, the younger son asks for his share of the property and he sells it and goes to a distant country. He lavishly spends his share of the property in loose living. When he has exhausted all that he possessed, he finds himself in a very miserable situation: Feeding the pigs for a living. Desperate as he is, he comes to his senses and realizes the great love of his father. Finally he returns to his father's house with a heavy heart. As he approaches the house, he sees his father coming towards him and from the expression on his face, he knew he was right to have come back. As far as the father is concerned, there was no need of recriminations. The only thing that matters to him is that his son has come back alive. The loving father forgives him and accepts him back unconditionally. He showers love and affection on his prodigal son. The father's love for his lost son vividly portrays the unconditional love and forgiveness of God for the lost and prodigal sons and daughters. In the later part of the parable, we meet the elder son who served the father faithfully. The elder son is not amused by the turn of events. He in fact revolts against his father for his forgiving love for the lost son. His attitude is harsh and judgmental. This parable vividly tells us about the story of our own lives. The parts played by the prodigal son and the elder son are two sides of the same coin: Our own selves. Let us remind ourselves during this season of Lent that the merciful Father is always waiting for us to return to Him no matter how often we have rejected His love  and gone away to some distant country. Our loving God is prodigal with His forgiveness, mercy and love. The prodigal son shows us the way to the Father's house. He tells us what to do: 'I will arise and go to my Father's house and I will say to him..' Millions of people have heard those words and are inspired by them. In this context H. More says: "Love never reasons, but profusely gives: it gives like a thoughtless prodigal its all, and then trembles lest it has done too little." John Ciardi says: "Every parent is at some time the father of the un-returned prodigal with nothing to do but his house open to hope." Helder Camara a theologian says: "I pray incessantly for the conversion of the prodigal son's brother." May the Lord Jesus, who teaches us about the immense love and forgiveness of the Heavenly Father through the parable of the prodigal son, bless you and help you to leave all prodigal ways and return to the love of the Father. Amen. 

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, March 30, 2025." Thanks.) 

Third Sunday of Lent: C: March 23, 2025

 THE CALL TO REPENTANCE: ONE MORE CHANCE

First Reading: Exodus 3: 1 to 8 and 13 to 15

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10: 1 to 6 and 10 to 12

Gospel Reading: Luke 13: 1-9

   *First Reading is from the book of Exodus. The call of Moses is described in detail. The Lord God calls Moses when he was taking care of sheep on Mount Horeb. The Lord God tells Moses that the cry of His chosen people who are suffering under the task masters of Egypt has reached Him. He instructs Moses to bring them out of their misery to a land flowing with milk and honey. In response, Moses tells the people of Israel that the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob has sent him to liberate them from the slavery of Egypt. Thus the Lord God sees the miserable state of His people in Egypt. He takes pity on them and decides to liberate them. It shows the Lord God's concern and care for those oppressed and persecuted. 

   *Second reading is from the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians. Paul warns the Christian community at Corinth that those who are unfaithful to God and grumble against Him will perish: Like those Israelites who grumbled against God in the wilderness. He further says that all that happened in the past is written down so that we may take heed of God's message. Though all the people of Israel were led out of Egypt, yet because some of them revolted against God, most of them perished on their journey to the promised land. It is a lesson and a warning for all of us.

"Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."                                              Today's Gospel reading is from St. Luke. In the Gospel we hear the warning of Jesus: 'Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish'. To repent means to be converted and conversion is the starting point of every spiritual journey and is a pre-requisite for being part of the kingdom of God. It implies that we recognize the presence of sin in our lives and in the world we live. Jesus emphasizes the need for repentance in the life of everyone of His followers. In the first part of the Gospel, Jesus recalls to mind two recent incidents of that time: 1. Pilate killing the Galileans. 2. Eighteen people who got killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them. Jesus warns His disciples and us that those people were killed not because they were worse sinners than others but that these are specific warnings for us to take heed of so that we may not face such disasters and calamities in our lives. In the second part of the Gospel, Jesus explains this warning through the parable of the unproductive  fig tree. This fig tree does not produce any fruits for a long period of time. The master decides to cut it down. But the gardener pleads with the master to allow him to water and manure it for another year. The master agrees to this request. The tree is given a final chance to produce or to perish. The message of the parable is very explicit. Unless we take heed of God's warnings and make use of our God-given opportunities to turn away from our sinful and unproductive life, we too may face unpleasant and irrevocable consequences. Lent is the appropriate and opportune time to take heed of God's warnings and to repent and to turn away from our evil ways and sinful life. In this context Martin Luther King Jr. says: "We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people." A.P. Esquivel, a Nobel Peace Prize winner says: "The sin of omission is one of the worst things in the world." May the Lord Jesus, who warns us to repent and produce fruits of true repentance and turn to the ways of God, bless you and lead you in the path of life eternal. Amen.

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, March 23, 2025". Thanks.)

Second Sunday of Lent: C: March 16, 2025

 THE TRANSFIGURATION OF LORD JESUS

First Reading: Genesis 15: 5 to 12 and 17 to 18

Second Reading: Philippians 3: 17 to 4: 1

Gospel Reading: Luke 9: 28 to 36

   *First reading is from the book of Genesis. The Solemn Covenant made between the Lord God and Abraham is narrated in detail. Abraham expresses his deep faith in the Lord God. The Lord God in return promises him descendants as many as the stars in heaven and promises that his progeny would have the land to live in. The Lord God in His Covenant with Abraham takes greater obligations and responsibilities. He assures Abraham that He would be always faithful to the promises that He made. With the Covenant, not only is Abram's name changed by the Lord God to Abraham, but his whole destiny is transformed as he now becomes the father of many nations. 

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to Philippians. Paul makes an earnest appeal to Christians in Philippi to hold fast to the faith they have received. He assures them that the Lord Jesus will transform their lowly bodies to be like His glorious body but they need to stand firm in the Lord. Paul clarifies and assures us that our homeland is in heaven. It is from there our Saviour will come "to transfigure those wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body." (Philippians 3: 21)

This is my Son, my chosen, listen to Him.                                                           Today's Gospel reading is from St. Luke. The transfiguration of  Lord Jesus on Mount Tabor is described in great detail. Jesus takes Peter, James and John to Mount Tabor. On the mountain, He is transfigured in the presence of His beloved disciples. They witness His heavenly glory on the mountain. They see Jesus with Moses and Elijah: Two great prophets of the Old Testament. During the transfiguration experience, they are overshadowed by a cloud and a voice from heaven proclaims: "This is my Son, my chosen, listen to him." It is very significant to note that, at the transfiguration scene, the whole Trinity-The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit-are present: The Father, in the voice from heaven; the Son, in the human Jesus and the Holy Spirit, in the bright cloud. Just as at the time of baptism of Jesus at Jordan. The transfiguration experience greatly strengthens the disciples and opens their eyes to have a glimpse of God's abiding presence in His Son Jesus. The key to the transfiguration experience and to the revelations of God consists in prayer: In union with the heavenly Father. It is in those moments of intense prayer that we are most likely to witness and experience the glory of God as in the transfiguration of Jesus or in any other heavenly experiences. Lent is the chosen time to have a glimpse of the transfigured Jesus. That experience has to begin from within us with the grace of God. On Mount Tabor, Peter, James and John got a glimpse of the heavenly glory that was present in Jesus, and they were delighted by it. Through faith we too can witness the glory of the Risen Lord who lives among us. Transfiguration of Jesus is also a pointer to our own transformation at resurrection when we too will experience the heavenly glory with Him. In this context the great theologian St. Augustine says: "The clarity which Christ assumed in His transfiguration was the clarity of glory as of its essence, but not as to its mode of being. For the clarity of the glorified body is derived from that of the soul." May Lord Jesus who transfigured on Mount Tabor bless you abundantly and lead you to the heavenly experience that His beloved disciples Peter, James and John had. Amen. 

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, March 16, 2025." Thanks.)

First Sunday of Lent: C: March 9, 2025

 THE TEMPTATIONS OF JESUS IN THE DESERT

First Reading: Deuteronomy 26: 4 to 10

Second Reading: Romans 10: 8 to 13

Gospel Reading: Luke 4: 1 to 13

We are in the first week of Lent. Lent is a special time of grace for all of us. The Church invites us to practice 3 important aspects of our spiritual life during this time of lent: Prayer, fasting and almsgiving. These are means to help us to purify our lives and to help us to be in communion with God, with our fellow humans and with Nature. 

   *First reading is from the book of Deuteronomy. Moses instructs the people of Israel how the priest should offer to the Lord God the first produce of the land as a thanksgiving. These instructions are to be observed meticulously. They are given in the context that the Lord God had liberated them from the slavery of Egypt and led them to the promised land: A land flowing with milk and honey. The chosen people  are to be always thankful and grateful for the many marvelous and mighty deeds the Lord God had done in their lives.

   *Second reading is from the letter of St. Paul to the Romans. Paul instructs the Christian community at Rome that salvation is for all humankind. Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and calls upon His name will be saved. Further, he affirms that in the sight of God, there is no distinction between Jews and Greeks: People from different races and nationalities. God's blessings are open to everyone, provided they call upon the name of Jesus the Lord. 

Jesus is tempted in the desert                                                                        Today's Gospel reading is from St. Luke. A detailed account of the temptations of Jesus at the beginning of His public ministry is narrated in detail. Jesus spends forty days in fasting and praying in the wilderness. After that, the devil appears and tempts Him. The temptations are of three kinds. The first one is to change stones into bread. A temptation that He could satisfy His hunger and the hunger of the people around Him without apparently doing any work. The devil tempts Jesus in a very subtle way and asks Jesus to be a mere miracle worker or a magician who removes the hunger of the masses. But Jesus firmly rejects this temptation. He sternly tells the devil: "Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God." The second temptation takes place on a high mountain. The devil shows the glory and power of the kingdoms of the whole world and promises that he would give Jesus all these worldly glory just by worshipping the devil. Jesus firmly rejects this temptation too by telling the devil: "You shall worship the Lord your God." Thus Jesus firmly affirms that worship is only for God. Worldly possessions, power, positions and all that belongs to the devil are not to be worshipped. In the third and final temptation, the devil asks Jesus to jump down from the pinnacle of the Jerusalem temple. Jesus is assured that the angels of God would protect Him from any bodily harm. This is a temptation to test the power of God's protection. Jesus makes it very clear to the devil that we have no reason to put God to the test in any matter whatsoever. God is not the cause of man-made disasters, calamities and wars. Lent is a time of grace and a God-given time to overcome the many temptations we face through fasting and prayer as Jesus did in the desert and became victorious over devil. In this context D.B. Allender says: "Fasting from nourishment, activity, involvement or pursuit - for any reason- sets the stage for God to appear." Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer says: "When the flesh is satisfied, it is hard to pray with cheerfulness or to devote oneself to a life of service which calls for much self-renunciation." A Chinese proverb says: "You cannot stop birds flying over your head but you can prevent them from nesting in your hair." (so also with the temptations we face). May the Lord Jesus, who overcame all temptations by the devil, bless you and protect you from worldly temptations and sins of every kind and lead you in the path eternal. Amen. 

(Kindly note: Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph is available on YouTube. Please view, like, share and subscribe to the video version on YouTube. "YouTube/Sunday Reflections with Fr. Joy Joseph, March 9, 2025."  Thanks.)