TwentyFourth Sunday in Ordinary Time--Liturgical Cycle C

Lectionary Readings
Reading I Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14
Responsorial Psalm Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17,19
Reading II 1 Timothy 1:12-17
Gospel Luke 15:1-32

Homily
At the end of the first century there was a pastoral problem facing the infant church communities. It is not unlike a pastoral problem, a problem of conscience, facing our churches and our extended families today.

How were they, these early converts to the values of Jesus, to treat their fallen comrades who had so happily embraced the “Christ Way” of life and who then deserted it, thumbing their noses at those who remained faithful? Some committed public sin, public acts of immorality; or had sacrificed to idols to gain a political or economic edge; or who had reported their fellow church members to the authorities, sometimes resulting in their martyrdom. These were serious breaches of loyalty. How were these traitors to be treated? Especially how were they to be treated when they confessed their crimes and asked to be readmitted to the Christian community?

Every church community and every family has its skeletons in closets. There are wandering sheep in each community. There is the errant son or daughter, mother or father, brother or sister, niece or nephew who have broken long-standing traditions, long-standing codes of conduct, accustomed values and morals. They have thumbed their noses at the church or at the family. Sometimes, the offenders are cut off, excommunicated, never to be spoken of again—worse than dead. It is not easy to forgive those kinds of hurts, insults, or traitors, especially within one’s own family.

We read in the Gospel today: The self-righteous were gathered around Jesus. And he told these three parables about the lost who are found. In that first century church there wasn’t any doubt about how these errant ones were to be welcomed back. Is there any doubt as to what we must do in the face of similar wrongs?

--Fr. Pat

Excerpt from "A Catholic's Companion: Liturgical Cycle C" (c)2000 C. Patrick Creed

Published by Watchmaker Press. Maggie Hettinger, editor