Fourth Sunday of Lent
Fourth Sunday of Lent
Reading I
The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I have removed the
reproach of Egypt from you.” While the Israelites were encamped at Gilgal on
the plains of Jericho, they celebrated the Passover on the evening of the
fourteenth of the month. On the day after the Passover, they ate of the produce
of the land in the form of unleavened cakes and parched grain. On that same day
after the Passover, on which they ate of the produce of the land, the manna
ceased. No longer was there manna for the Israelites, who that year ate of the
yield of the land of Canaan.
1. What
do you know about Passover? Is there something you should research to
understand Passover during the Lenten season?
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2. How
are the events in this reading a sign of hope?
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3. What
is your unleavened bread and manna….bread for the journey today and where do
you find it? If you don’t know where, how can you know what it is and find it?
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Responsorial Psalm
R. (9a) Taste and see the goodness of
the Lord.
I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let
my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD,
and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with
shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress
he saved him.
R. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
1. Think about the word Taste, how do you
taste the goodness of the Lord?
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2. During this Lenten season has God
revealed any goodness for you to see? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Reading II 2
Corinthians 5:17-21
Brothers and sisters:
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, who has reconciled us
to himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely,
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their
trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So
we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore
you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be
sin who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in
him.
Verse before the Gospel
I will get up and go to my Father and shall say to
him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
Gospel
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to
listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This
man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this
parable:
“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me
the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the
property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his
belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance
on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine
struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out
to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he
longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him
any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have
more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up
and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as
you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his
father.
While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was
filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son
said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer
deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly
bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals
on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate
with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he
was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on
his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He
called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has
slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He
became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and
pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I
served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a
young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed
up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me
always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because
your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been
found.'"
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