March 6, 2010
Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
“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.’” Luke 15:31-32
Piety
http://www.mamarocks.com/closer_walk_with_thee.htm
(Click this link and enjoy some music on today’s theme while reading today’s edition of Your Daily Tripod)
Just A Closer Walk With Thee
I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I'll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Through this world of toil and snares,
If I falter, Lord, who cares?
Who with me my burden shares?
None but Thee, dear Lord, none but Thee.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
When my feeble life is o'er,
Time for me will be no more;
Guide me gently, safely o'er
To Thy kingdom shore, to Thy shore.
Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.
Study
Father, shepherd your sinful people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance. We dwell apart from your, always moving in our own direction in the midst of Virginia. Yet you constantly ignore our transgressions.
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance; Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins; You will show faithfulness to all who accept the invitation to walk with you, as you have sworn to our ancestors from days of old and to us today.
We are often looking at Gospel stories which are repeated from one writer or evangelist to another and considering the slight differences between these stories. Luke and Matthew both share with us the parable of the lost sheep. However, Luke takes God’s compassion and pre-occupation with reconciliation even further and provides more stories to help his listeners better understand Jesus' particular concern for the lost and God's love for the repentant sinner.
This unique “only in Luke” story of the Prodigal Son has become the archetype of Cursillo and Christianity. In it is the retelling of the Genesis, Exodus, the Gospels, the Letters, and all of salvation history. Gone is the talk of a God of vengeance who will wreak human violence on those who oppose us and persecute us.
In its place is a Father who defies the model of the patriarch of the contemporary Jewish family. In his place is a God who is kind and merciful. “Not according to our sins does he deal with us, nor does he requite us according to our crimes.” (Psalm 103).
Action
Are you still off living in a distant country, waiting for the time of your exodus home?
Have you been to a reconciliation service so far this year?
Put the Parable of the Prodigal Son in your mind, on your lips and in your heart. Use it as motivation to perform what we cradle Catholics commonly were taught to refer to as part of our “Easter duty.” Today the parlance of “going to confession” has been replaced with “seeking reconciliation.”
Your Father is waiting by the window and watching for you to arrive home.
(Editor's Note: The School of Leader referenced in the Friday March 5 edition of YDT will take place on March 13 at St. Anthony of Padua in Falls Church, VA.)
