As we continue our Lenten journey into the Fourth Sunday of Lent, our readings for Mass offer lessons about God’s mercy and love which call us to reconcile with Him and with one another.
In the first reading from Joshua 5:9a, 10-12, the Israelites celebrate Passover by eating the fresh produce of Canaan — replacing the manna they had been eating in the desert.
God had fulfilled His promise to Israel, and they arrived at the Promised Land after a journey spanning forty years.
For us, the Promised Land is a symbol of Heaven, and the Eucharist — the new manna — is a foretaste of glory yet to come.
In the second reading from 2 Corinthians 5:17:21, Paul reminds us that through Christ, God reconciles the world to Himself.
In Christ, we become a new creation and the old person within us must be transformed through God’s renewing power and grace.
The Gospel from Luke 15:1-3; 11-32 is the familiar parable about a father with two sons.
The younger son wastes his inheritance but is welcomed back with joy after he repents and returns home.
The older one is resentful upon his brother’s return and must be reminded that they are celebrating the lost being found.
As we continue our Lenten journey, we are encouraged to seek God’s mercy and to embrace new life in Christ.
We are invited to celebrate the Lord’s forgiveness and share it generously with others.
The third step of the Walk With One initiative is determining how we might do so by choosing the best way to connect with the one person we have been spiritually accompanying.
Whether they are a family member, friend, neighbor, or coworker, how might we nurture a closer connection with them?
Perhaps all we need to do is simply love them and express our gratitude to God for bringing them to our attention on this Lenten pilgrimage of hope.
Consider ways to connect with them so that you gain a better understanding of their life situation and perhaps identify what obstacle might be keeping them from the Lord.
A casual conversation over coffee or on a walk together might be a way to get to know them and for them to get better acquainted with you at a deeper level.
By providing this person with a certain space and freedom, he or she might be more responsive to a later invitation to faith when the circumstances allow it.
Like the father of the Prodigal Son, we must wait patiently and keep our eyes fixed on the horizon for the right moment.
Keep in mind that Our Lord wants the person we are accompanying to come to Him, but never by force or coercion.
By providing a warm and welcoming stance of compassion and openness, we reflect God’s patient perseverance toward us.
Be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as you strive to listen and learn.
Any eventual return will only happen when they “come to their senses,” much like the Prodigal Son.
Until then, we must be witnesses to hope by fervently praying for them and patiently waiting for the right time to invite them “back home” into a right relationship with Christ and His Church.
May the Lord use us as icons of the Heavenly Father to radiate the mercy and compassion of Christ to those who are in need of His loving forgiveness.
Michael D. Wick is the director of mission for the Diocese of Madison.