Breaking the Word

24^th Ordinary Sunday – 11^th September 2022 — Gospel: Lk 15,1-32

Father’s tenderness

The three parables, (the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son and brother) share a common theme: loss, found and celebration (vv.6&9; vv.7&10; vv.24&32). The first two parables are well written, with a careful parallelism of wording substantially telling the same story or subject-matter, but also with stylistic variations. These twin parables are given identical interpretation but both are introduced with a formula ‘this parable … or…” that denotes them as a single parable. The third parable describes with touching simplicity what God is like, his goodness, his grace, his boundless mercy, and the abounding love. While the father may be referred to an image of God, the picture is blurred when God is referred to in the parable alongside but in distinction from the father, in “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you” (v.18,21; Ex 10,16). However the father’s behaviour towards both the sons indicates the respect of God for the choices of men. He exhorts, educates, advises, accompanies, but always leaves freedom also to make mistakes. In his house God does not want slaves, but free people; he does not want servants but children (Jn 15,15). In the parable, the younger son uses five times the word ‘father’ because of him the father is really a “Father”. He knows he cannot make claims in his regard, is convinced to have received all free, not deserving anything. Instead, on the lips of the eldest son the word “father” never appears. He shows of being not a son but, a servant; the father for him is only a master. The consequence of this wrong relationship with the father is the refusal of the brother who is called: “this son of yours” (v.30). However, immediately the father, with great delicacy corrects him: “this brother of yours…” (v.32). The father always received with tenderness both: the younger son who stays inside and outside, and the older brother who lives with contempt and arrogance.

23^rd Week in Ord. Time, Saturday – 10^th September 2022 — Gospel:  Lk 6,43-49

Good Fruit and Good Heart

Our actions are signs of our inner attitude. The nature of a tree is known by the fruit it produces, and each tree produces a different kind of fruit. A tree bearing good fruit has likely been cared for; it has a strong trunk and branches and is free from pests. It gets plenty of water, nutrients, and sun. A tree bearing rotten fruit likely suffers from neglect of enough water, nutrients, or surrounded by weeds or pests. The tree is an apt image of our spiritual health. If a person’s heart is good, then what s/he produces will also be good, whereas if a person’s heart is evil, then the deeds of that person will also be evil. When our soul is healthy and well nourished, we produce good fruits. As James taught, true faith is active and “completed by works” (Jas 2,22). However, a person who lives in unrepentant sin also bears fruit, because God often uses desperately broken people despite their flaws (Jona 1,1-3; Judg 14,1-4).  It is not the heart of the person, in and of itself, which produces good fruit; it is the redemptive grace of God through the Holy Spirit.