Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish of St. Jude Thaddeus, Naga City | v.4, n13 | issn 2599-5030 | 31 March to April 2019
RECONCILIATION IS A GOD’S GIFT
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s we deduce from the parable of the Prodigal Son, reconciliation is a gift of God, an initiative on his part.” (Reconciliatio et Paenitentiae) In the parable of the Prodigal Son, “the Father caught sight of his son while he was still a long way off” (Lk 15:20). This showed that the father was all the while waiting for his son’s return, even during those very days when the son was wallowing in sin. The Father’s waiting was a kind of a “longing love,” a love that is waiting, waiting with sadness and hope that his son will return at any moment. This is a basic truth about reconciliation: God’s Spirit is in us, inspiring our conscience to move us to repentance and genuine conversion—to go home. reconciliation. “There are some who even In the strict sense then, we have no power on our own to be reconciled with God consider that reconciliation is an impossible dream.” (Reconciliatio et Paenitentiae) As St. who is our Creator, the God of the universe, John Paul II puts it, relative to the elder son: maker of all things visible and invisible. Yet “Man—every human being—is also this elder God freely chooses to stoop down to brother. Selfishness makes him jealous, our level in order to call us to hardens his heart, blinds him and return to His fold. This sentiment SUNDAY is beautifully expressed in the REFLECTION shuts him off from other people and from God. The loving epistle of St. Paul, thus: “For kindness and mercy of the father irritate and Christ, while we were still helpless, enrage him; for him the happiness of the yet died at the appointed time for the brother who has been found again has a ungodly. Indeed, only with difficulty does bitter taste. From this point of view he too one die for a just person, though perhaps for needs to be converted in order to be a good person one might even find courage reconciled.” (Reconciliatio et Paenitentiae) to die. But God proves his love for us in that In the story of the Prodigal Son, both sons while we were still sinners Christ died for us. need to be converted—to “come back home,” How much more then since we are now the younger one to his father’s house and the justified by his blood, will we be saved elder one to loving his brother and father. through him from the wrath. Indeed, if, Reconciliation is one gift of God that while we were enemies, we were reconciled needs to be properly appreciated. Without a to God through the death of his Son, how much more, once reconciled, will we be saved person’s free willingness to accept God’s gift, reconciliation cannot happen. God never by his life (Rom 5:6-10).” impose reconciliation, it is free. For many of us, it is very difficult to RECONCILIATION/next page really understand that God offers this gift of
giya sa prayer meeting
juan 8:1-11
Domingo 5, Kwaresma, Taon C
“P
inatindog ninda an babae sa tahaw.” May duwa, babae asin lalaki, na nadakop sa tahaw kan saindang ginigibo, an pagsambay. An babae binutong sa harong asin inatubang sa publiko. Mayong kasurog. Dai dinamayan kan lalaki. LECTIO Duman ibinareta an DIVINA saiyang kasàlan, asin an maninigong kahatulan, na gapuon sa kagadanan. Sa dikit na panahon, sya magagadan asin dai tatàwan kan maninigong paglubong. Alagad mayong pakilabot an mga eskriba asin Pariseo sa saiyang kasupog-supog na kamugtakan. Kasangkapan sana sya para sa maitom na plano ninda tumang ki Jesus. Kasuarin ako nakamati nin siring na kasusupgan?
“Nagduko si Jesus saka nagsurat sa daga.” Matapos na pagirumdumon si Jesus kan batas na sinurat ni Moises, sya nagduko sa pag-alok sainda sa dikit na panahon nin paghurop-hurop. Dangan, tuminindog sya tanganing atubangon an mga nag-aakusa sa babae: An sisay man saindo na mayong kasàlan, iyo an enot na gumapo saiya. Susog sa batas, an saksi kan kasàlan iyo an enot na dapat magdaklag. Alagad, linangkawan ni Jesus an patakaran. An mayo sanang salà an may katanusan magkondenar sa kapwa. Sisay na an nagkundinar sako? Tàno?
“Lakaw asin dai ka na magkasalà.” Dai si Jesus naghapot sa babae kun totoo an sahot saiya. Hapot nya sana: mayong nagkundinar saimo? Mayong nangahas magdaklag gapo saiya huli ta aram ninda an kasàlan kan lambang saro. Tinàwan nya an babae kan pagkakataon na magbakli. Dawa mayo syang kasàlan, dai sya nagkundina sa babae. Sisay man an kinundinar kong tawo kaidto? Kumusta ngunyan? 4