Commentary on the Gospel of
God’s Mercy and Love unites us to Himself.
The Prophet Micah, after expressing the reality of his day before the Lord God, envisions what would happen upon the Lord’s intervention. Miracles will once again flow in the land as blessings upon God’s people and the neighbor will behold the Lord’s marvels with astonishment. All these the Lord will accomplish out of mercy and compassion, for he is ‘kind and merciful’ as the Psalmist points out. What a reminder and a refocusing on God goodness. His goodness flows like an unending river from where all quench their thirsty. The Lord’s blessing like the flowing river nourishes and refreshes all the beneficiaries.
Tax collectors and sinners come to draw from this same stream of the Lord’s blessings from our Lord Jesus Christ! The Scribes and Pharisees, like the neighbors, are astonished! But unfortunately, instead of thanking and praising God for his mercy, they are full of complaints. What fascinates me the most is Jesus’ response to them. He presents the parable of the Father’s unconditional love and mercy.
We are in the second week of lent and are being reminded not to let anything, especially sin, become an obstacle between us and God. Sin performs one ugly act: distances us from God just as the son in the parable distanced himself from the father by running away to a ‘distant country.’ But God is our Father who, with open arms and heart, welcomes each of us back to Himself. We are His. The Lord Jesus is in the world to lead us back to reunion with God. God loves having us united with Him as the parable displays. Let us therefore heed the clarion call of the Lenten season, namely ‘reunion with God.’ And so, through the Sacraments of reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist, let us remain closely united with our Lord and God.
