Sunday 27 March 2022 – IV OF LENT

The word of the Lord.

At that time, all tax collectors and sinners approached Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying: “This one welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
And he told them this parable: “A man had two sons. The younger of the two said to his father: “Father, give me my share of the estate.” And he divided his possessions among them. A few days later, the youngest son, collected all his belongings, left for a distant country and there he squandered his fortune by living in a dissolute way. When he had spent it all, a great famine struck that country and he began to find himself in need. Then he went to serve one of the inhabitants of that region, who sent him to his fields to feed swine. He would have liked to be satisfied with the carob pods the pigs ate; but no one gave him anything. Then he came to himself and said: “How many of my father’s hired workers have bread in abundance and I am dying of hunger here! I will get up, go to my father and tell him: Father, I have sinned towards Heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Treat me like one of your hired workers ”. He got up and went back to his father.
When he was still far away, his father saw him, took pity on him, ran to meet him, threw himself on his neck and kissed him. The son said to him: “Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son ”. But the father said to the servants: “Quickly, bring the most beautiful dress here and let him wear it, put the ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fatted calf, kill it, let’s eat and celebrate, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life, he was lost and has been found ”. And they began partying.
The eldest son was in the fields. On the way back, when he was close to home, he heard the music and the dancing; he called one of the servants and asked him what all this was. He replied: “Your brother is here and your father had the fattened calf killed, because he got it back safe and sound.” He was indignant, and did not want to enter. His father then went out to beg him. But he replied to his father: “Behold, I have served you for so many years and I have never disobeyed your command, and you have never given me a kid to celebrate with my friends. But now that this son of yours has returned, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him ”. His father answered him: “Son, you are always with me and all that is mine is yours; but it was necessary to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come back to life, he was lost and has been found ”».