By Nirmal Kumar csc –
Readings: Jos 5:9,a 10-12; Cor 5: 17-21; Lk 15: 1-3, 11-32
As we are in the fourth Sunday of Lent, all the readings invite us to repent our old sinful ways. As per the old tradition, Pharisees kept the sinners away. No one dared to get along with sinners as they did not want to give up their old tradition, but they did not realise that Jesus came to make new covenant with us.
St. Paul mentions in his letter to the Corinthians that Christ is a news creation. Jesus is a bridge for us to connect with God, the Father.
We may have to undergo lots of sacrifice and troubles as Jesus did by dying for us and our sins. Jesus died for our sins not out of compulsion but by willingly accepting it. When the younger son in the gospel repented and came back to his father, the father was the one who first recognised his son and ran to him.
This is similar to the way when we return from our old sinful ways to our father. When we take a step, he takes two steps and holds us. The only thing we have to do is we should not be stuck in our old sinful lives like the Pharisees.