God does not want us to be sinners, but that is what we are. Now fortunately for most of us, we are not terrible sinners. We are not murderers or embezzlers or those who ruin the reputations of others. We are often ungrateful, taking our blessings for granted, complaining even though we have so much. We are sometimes indulgent, wasting our time and our resources on ourselves when so many others are in need. We can be lazy, refusing to take care of our own health, assuming a careless attitude towards our responsibilities. Often we are prejudiced, impatient and nasty with those we love. So what should our attitude be to these imperfections, to these sins which are an ongoing part of our lives? I think it would be a mistake to define ourselves in terms of our sinfulness, to conclude that we are worthless, or to beat ourselves up about our poor decisions.
User account menu
Main navigation
The Lord is Merciful and Compassionate. Readings: 1st: Ex This brief reflection was written by Rev. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C. On this twenty fourth Sunday of ordinary time, united by our faith in Christ, we have gathered in the presence of our Lord who is merciful and compassionate. This is fully revealed in His son Jesus Christ. One important fact that runs through all the readings of this Sunday is the readiness of God to welcome and receive us irrespective of how much we have fallen and gone away from him.
God’s Promise to Come
The Lost Son. Today is one of those days when I feel a homily might steal the gospel reading of its depth. The parable that we heard read is a much-quoted story and we are all too familiar with it. Perhaps I might just challenge that familiarity, so that the Word of God may become alive in us today. In the parable of today, there are clearly three main characters: the elder son, the younger son, and the father.
Dearly Beloved, I do remember growing up as the eldest of five 5 siblings. I remember once coming from school and hungry. Mum was not at home to give snacks. I knew where she put loose coins. I went over and took a couple for snack. It was after two days that she needed a coin or two to buy an item from the supermarket. What she thought was there had disappeared. She was a bit angry and started calling my name. I sensed trouble.
