Tag: Deacon Rudy Villarreal

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Fourth Sunday of Lent: The Prodigal Son

picture of a boy, back to us, with a backpack slung over his shoulder walking down a deserted street

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Readings
First Reading: Joshua 5:9A, 10-12
Psalm: Psalm 34: 2-7
Second Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

In today’s Gospel, Luke 15:1-3 and verses 11-32, we hear that all-familiar story about the Prodigal Son. In this story, the younger son wants his share of the estate now, so he asks his father to give it to him. His father agrees and the son leaves for another country and lives an indulgent life. He’s the life of the party – until the money runs out. Of course, when it rains, it pours, so the money doesn’t just run out. No! A famine strikes. Now this poor boy has no money and no food and so he goes to work on a farm. He realizes that even the pigs live better than him, so he decides to go home. His father’s servants are treated better than this, so he hopes to live and work on this father’s place. But when his father sees him in the distance, what does he do? He runs into the field and gives him a deep bearhug! And he orders the servants to take care of son and prepare a huge party in his honor.

Now, when the older brother hears what is going on, he is ticked off! Here he’s been, the whole time, doing what he’s supposed to, working his butt off and never once has his father let him have a party! But his brother squanders his share of the wealth and he’s treated like a hero. And the father says, “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.”
This is one of my favorite stories. That image of the father running into the field to meet his son who has returned home is a powerful image. Really, it’s a wonderful story that reminds us, as Bishop Robert Barron says, that the Bible is not the story of our quest for God. It’s about God’s passionate, relentless quest for us.

But there’s another dimension to this story though that I learned from Fr. Laurence Freeman, a Benedictine monk, that I think we need to pay attention to. Why is it that we become so angry when we see someone do something they shouldn’t do? Maybe it’s because we see a little bit of ourselves – or at least the something we might have done – in the person who did something wrong.

This story about these two brothers and the father is about us. It’s about both sides of our ego. One side wants to run after pleasure – think the mid-life crisis complete with new model car and partner. The other side takes the moral high ground and feels justified in condemnation.

Isn’t it also interesting how both brothers misunderstand the father’s reaction? The younger son expects his father to be angry and indignant and he’s hoping that he’ll be allowed to work as one of the slaves. The older brother is shocked that his father is so happy and welcoming.

In the symbolism of the father’s joy, a lack of self-importance, and the exuberance of his love we see our true self – our true nature which underpins all moral reasoning. Without knowledge of the essential truth of the unconditional nature of love, the ego will prevail. So how do we keep both sides of our ego in check? We pray. We experience the community of His church. Each time we pray, we are like the prodigal returning home to be embraced.

So, don’t condemn the wrongdoer once he or she has begun to change. We need to encourage rehabilitation by affirmation, forgiveness, and acceptance. Just as the father in the Gospel celebrates the return, we need to celebrate when those who do wrong in our lives come back. We need to do unto others as we would have them do us. Jesus tells us that just as he loves us, we need to love one another.

Homework! Lent is a time of simplification and strengthening our discipline where it is weak. After being nourished by the Word of God proclaimed and, in the Eucharist, please meditate on these two questions:

  1. Consider each of the three characters in the Gospel: the father, the Prodigal Son and the indignant son. Which one would you rather be?
  2. Considering how you answered the first question, how do you treat other people? Do you respond more like the Prodigal Son, the indignant son or the father?

I think by doing our homework we might identify areas in our life where we need to grow in faith, hope and love. Do you got it? Are you going to do it? Well good! May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!

Here’s a great video song from Jason Michael Carroll that captures the spirit of today’s Gospel:

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Third Sunday of Lent

picture of a fruitless fig tree, the landlord and the laborer

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Readings
First Reading: Exodus 3:1-8A, 13-15
Psalm: Psalm 103:1-4, 6-8, 11
Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:1-6, 10-12
Gospel: Luke 13:1-9

Hello! Just a special note about the readings today and for the next two Sundays. For people preparing to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil, parishes have the option of selecting readings from the A Cycle. Today, I’m going to reflect on Gospel for the readings from the C Cycle, Luke 13:1-9, the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.

The central theme of all the readings today, speak to us about God’s mercy and compassion. In today’s Gospel, for example, we hear about an owner who asks his gardener to cut down a tree that will not bear fruit. But the gardener asks for one more year to see if he can cultivate. This represents God’s mercy.

Now I think it’s easy enough to look at that particular reading and to say to yourself, clearly, we’re talking about non-believers. But I think there’s another message here. There are many people who claim to have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they come to church all the time, but like our fig tree, their lives bear no fruit. What fruit? Well, St. Paul gives us some examples in his letter to the Galatians – the fruits of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. These fruits manifest in the way we live our lives. For example, doing good works – helping those who need help – is an example of how our fruits manifest.

In other words, is there any real conversion? Are they loving, or mean to those around them? Do they try to get along, or are they intolerant? Are they nice, or are they short-tempered or a bully?

Accepting Jesus Christ is more than just saying words. It has to mean real, authentic conversion. This time of Lent is a great opportunity to reflect on our faith life. Some people ask, why Lent? Lent isn’t in the Bible, so Lent is not necessary. Well, is biblically based, but you see, the Church in her wisdom knows that life is too busy and most of us don’t take the time to stop and reflect on the important things in our life – our families, our purpose, and our relationship with Jesus Christ. So Lent, and Advent for that matter, are times set aside to encourage us to slow down and think about this life that we’re blessed with – to think about our purpose. Is my life bearing fruit?

So, what prevents our life from bearing fruit? Sin. And I’m not talking about little sins. I’m talking about the big ones, like adultery and habitual sins like abusing drugs, alcohol or indulging in sins that exploit people like greed and pornography. This is a good time to ask ourselves if we burdened by sins like these and repent. Repentance doesn’t mean just asking for forgiveness. I can’t just sit on my back porch with a cup of coffee, watch the sunrise and say, “Jesus, forgive me!” I can’t just walk into a confessional without changing anything in my life. Repentance means more than that. Yes, we need to ask forgiveness, but it also means making amends to anyone we’ve hurt because of our sins and committing ourselves, with the grace of God, to not repeat these sins – to change our lives.

And that leads us to our homework today. Homework! Nourished by Jesus in the Word proclaimed in the Eucharist, ask yourself:

  1. What needs changing in my life right now?
  2. What steps am I taking this Lent to make sure that my faith bears fruit, perhaps through good works?

Got it? Are you going to do? Good! May each of us come to know the grace and peace of Jesus Christ. And may Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!

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Second Sunday of Lent

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Readings
First Reading: Genesis 15:5-12, 17-18
Psalm: Psalm 27:1, 7-9, 13-14
Second Reading: Philippians 3:17-4:1
Gospel: Luke 9:28B-36

Jesus…led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them…they became frightened. They fell silent. (Luke 9:28B-36)

The readings about the Transfiguration of Jesus comes at an important time in Lent. As we move closer to Christ’s Passion, we will reflect on the humanity of Jesus. But the Transfiguration reminds of the divinity of Jesus. And of course, these readings remind us that we too need to undergo a transformation as we absorb the Word of God. If we’re truly to become disciples of Jesus, we need to move beyond superficial level of faith into a true relationship with Jesus. But I’d like to share another point of view.
How does Peter react? Scripture says they’re frightened, but Peter starts almost babbling, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” (Luke 9:33). Then, they all become super quiet. Why? What’s going on?

I suggest to you that Peter is fumbling because he’s been confronted with this simplicity of the truth, that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is not an earthly king who will liberate Israel. Rather, Jesus is truly the Son of God who has come to save humanity. This is one of those light dawns on marblehead kind of experiences for Peter, and we can almost sympathize with him, right? It must have been an overwhelming experience.

How many times in your life have you tried to explain something simple, but found yourself making it much more complicated than it really is? Or, how many times has it been so quiet that I felt the need to talk – to break the silence? There’s a powerful lesson I think in the Transfiguration story about being open to the simplicity of the Truth. Too often I think we try to overcomplicate and overthink the Truth. We try to overcomplicate and overthink our understanding of who God is and our relationship to God and His creation now and through all eternity. But like Peter, I think at some point we need to just stop talking and allow ourselves to witness to and try to absorb the simplicity of God’s saving message.

This has implications for the way I live my faith as an individual; for the way we try to cultivate discipleship in our family; for the way we organize and live our faith as the Church.

The Transfiguration is a powerful reading for us during Lent because it challenges us. It asks me to challenge my suppositions. Am I really on the right path? Or have I overcomplicated my faith life? Lent is a great time to stop babbling – stop running around like a hamster in a wheel, and like Peter just try to quietly absorb the simplicity of God’s saving message that comes to us through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Homework. I encourage you to reflect on the following two questions.

  1. Why do the simple disciplines of Lent that we started seem too much?
  2. Why is silence (letting go of thoughts like during meditative or contemplative prayer) so challenging?

I think by doing our homework, we might develop a better understanding of the challenges we need to overcome as we try to deepen our relationship with Jesus as his disciples. Do you got it? Are you going to do it? Well, good! May each of us come to know the grace and peace of Jesus Christ. May Almighty God bless you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. +Amen!