Saturday of the Second Week of Lent
March 2, 2024
Today’s Readings:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030224.cfm
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
Micah 7:18-19
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
We are all familiar with the powerful story of the Prodigal Son.
The word “prodigal”, like many words, can have both light and dark connotations. Its definition, according to Oxford Languages, is twofold:
- spending resources recklessly
- giving on a lavish scale
On the darker side, many of us interpret the parable from the viewpoint of the son, considering him “prodigal” because he is excessive in the abuse of his inheritance.
Others see the “Father” as an expression of God’s Lavish Mercy and Prodigal Love toward us even when we make life-changing mistakes.
Today, in God’s Lavish Mercy:
We might choose to pursue both understandings of the word “prodigal” in our prayer today:
- to ask God’s forgiveness and healing for any sinful prodigality in our lives
- to imitate God’s Prodigal Generosity in our interactions and relationships
Poetry: The Prodigal – Nancy Cardozo
Prodigal of prayer am I,
Prodigal of tear,
But I have used God sparingly —
I think He does not hear.
Stars to wish on flicker flash
And I know stars will wear;
But I doubt and if I weep,
Stars will never care.
I have let my prayer sift down
Through a starry sieve;
Will God gather up the dust
If I believe?
Music: He Ran To Me’ (The Prodigal Son) – Phillips, Craig and Dean
Lavish Mercy 