Saved from self destruction

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to consider how the loving mercy of God may have saved us from our selfishness blocking fullness of life. The reading from Exodus describes the intercession of Moses with God after the Israelites construct the Golden Calf. Psalm 51 seeks something more profound than wiping the slate clean: nearness to God, living by the spirit of God (Ps 51:12–13), like the relation between God and people described in Jer 31:33-34. The passage from 1 Timothy expresses gratitude for God’s Mercy. Jesus, in the Gospel from Luke, teaches with three parables. (Lost Sheep, Lost Coin, and Lost Son). Joe Zaborowski saw himself too often as the jealous brother in his walk through life… the main lesson from the parable. A father’s love is always there waiting to welcome his children back to the fold. Don Schwager quotes “The Father redeems his son with a kiss,” by Peter Chrysologus (400-450 AD). The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 15:1-32 comments that this prodigal father can disturb us too. It’s hard to understand how or why he could welcome his wayward son back into full status as a child and heir. We might think that for the sake of fairness, the father should have made the young man pay back what he had squandered or suffer some other kind of consequence for his actions before he could be forgiven. But that would be misunderstanding mercy. Friar Jude Winkler comments on the chutzpah of Moses in communication with the Lord. The sin of the older son was as bad as his brother. Friar Jude emphasizes God responds to our needs even when we are without full contrition. Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, cites Thomas Keating (1923–2018) who wrote: “We’re all like localized vibrations of the infinite goodness of God’s presence.” as he discusses non violence in authentic spirituality. An ego that takes us to violent action and self focused schemes needs surrender to the mercy of God to experience the fullness of life in being saved from our own self destruction.