| Homily
for the 4th Sunday of Lent: March 18, 2007
Given by the Most
Reverend Stephen E. Blaire at the Cathedral of the Annunciation
in Stockton.
There seems to be a lot of emptiness in many
people's lives. Over 50% of marriages end in divorce. Why
are there so many failed relationships? All the time people
come to us about spouses drinking heavily and physically abusing
them. Most of the time it is men drinking and doing the abusing.
Why is this so? What is missing in their lives?
Maybe these people are like the younger son
in the parable. They have gone off to a distance country.
They have gone away from God. They have foolishly wasted their
lives. They have ended up in great need, maybe even discouraged
or depressed. Maybe they have blamed everybody else instead
of taking responsibility for their own lives and their actions.
Jesus in this parable tells us that we can go
home. God is waiting for us. All we have to do is to own up
to what we have done (repentance) and God will forgive us.
God wants us to come home. God wants to forgive us. God is
so patient. God will wait as long as is necessary for us to
decide to come back. We should never give up on ourselves.
We can always turn our lives around. God's grace is there
to help us.
You need to see yourself as a new creation.
You can live as a new person in Christ as one loved by God,
as a son or daughter of God.
The amazing thing that happens to us when we
begin to live for God and for others is that the emptiness
inside goes away. The more we desire the well being of others,
the more fulfilled we become. In a marriage if you are for
each other, if you want the best for each other, if you are
willing to put yourself out for each other, you can make your
marriage work.
We all need to come to life again by living
for God and for one another. When we are reconciled to God
and to one another we can celebrate.
Last Update March 18, 2007
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