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Year C. (14/3/10)
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps
23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
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.
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.
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.’”
FFC
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