A New Creation

4th Sunday of Lent March 27, 2022

Joshua 5:9a, 10-12; Ps 34; 2nd Cor 5:17-21; Lk 15: 1-3, 11-32

He was in a hurry as he drove home from work
He had to go to a class at the church
He was a little angry with the priest 

Why did he have to go to this class? 
His son was the one receiving first communion, not him
But the priest was insistent that all parents must go to the class

The class was full of parents just like him
There was a prayer
And then the teacher asked everyone to share their experience
When they received the Eucharist

All of a sudden he began to panic
He hadn’t received the Eucharist in over two years
He didn’t know what to say
He prayed so hard for something to say

Luckily, one person in the room talked for a long time
And he didn’t have to say anything…

But, he decided he would go to Confession, so he could receive Communion and have an experience to share
He went to Confession
He talked to the priest
And it changed his life…

When he exited the confessional 
He was a new creation
He had been reconciled to God

Today, we hear the famous parable of the Prodigal Son 
We hear of a father and his two sons

The youngest son leaves his father
He goes and lives a life of sin
He spends all of his inheritance
And he ends up poor and hungry


And he remembers how good he had it back home
He feels repentant
And goes back home to confess to his father

The father is an awesome person
He loves his son
He prays for his son
He waiting for his son to come back to him

And when the son does come back…
He is welcomed
Welcomed with a great party
He has been reconciled to his father

The older son, on the other hand, is jealous
He is jealous that his younger brother is getting so much attention

But what does the father say to the older son?
“Everything I have is yours…”
The father loves both sons
He invites both sons to the party

Our Father in Heaven
Is inviting us all to the banquet
The banquet of the Eucharist

When we are like the younger son
And have turned away from God
He invites us to come back to Him
To be reconciled with Him

When we are like the older son
When we are jealous and are only following God to be rewarded
He invites us to come back to Him
To be reconciled with Him

During this time of Lent
We have time to reflect… to think
To think about our lives

We have time to go to Confession
To come back to God
To be reconciled with Him
To become a new creation