Homily for Saturday of the 2nd Week of Lent

Forgiveness and reconciliation are the core of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. To be a true disciple of Jesus is to be dedicated to the work of reconciliation, to bring about a unity of spirit even when we have disagreements and differing opinions.

The work of reconciliation is not limited to a time or place, nor conditioned on any set of circumstances, nor offered only to specific individuals and people.

The work of forgiveness demands our facing our responsibility in hurting others, as did the Prodigal Son. Often, this entails putting aside our own agendas, desires, and control. Sometimes, it even entails setting aside our hurts for a time so that we can see the goal of reconciliation and work toward it. It is not an easy thing to do, but it is what the Gospel calls us to do. We are called to balance reconciliation and healing rather than vengeance and punishment. This is the same difficult path that the father in today’s Gospel reading must walk between his two sons.

May we dedicate ourselves to the work of reconciliation: to forgive without reprisal, to humbly work to bring healing to those we have hurt, and to restore hope and dignity to those who have suffered at our hands.+