Tag Archives: prodigal son

The wages of sin

The parable of the prodigal son is mercy perosnified.

 

Jesus has loved us “to the end” and we should love him in return, but in spite of our good intentions we all sin. In this meditation we use texts from Scripture,  St Augustine, St John Vianney and St Josemaria Escriva to consider how:

  • We cannot avoid sinning
  • For a sin to be mortal three conditions must be met
  • Mortal sin has serious consequences
  • Venial sins too have great importance
  • We should make a special effort to avoid deliberate sins
  • We can be moved to greater sorrow for our sins by meditating on the Passion of Christ
  • Our sorrow should include the effort to avoid the occasions of sin and to try not to commit the sins again 
  • If we are truly repentant we will experience the joy of the Prodigal Son

Sacrament of joy

 

The parable of the prodigal son is mercy perosnified.

The sacrament of Penance is truly a sacrament of joy, a sacrament of mercy. In this meditation we use texts of Scripture, St John Paul II, Pope Francis and St John Vianney to consider how:

  • Christ gave the sacrament of penance  to the Church on the very evening of his Resurrection
  • The sacrament corresponds to deep-seated human needs
  • We obtain many benefits when we go to Confession
  • We do well to receive the sacrament frequently
  • We should do all we can to take others to Confession

 

 

Rich in mercy

The parable of the prodigal son is mercy perosnified.

     

    The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments abound in references to God as “ever rich in mercy.” It is good to remember this, especially when we are discouraged by our sinfulness or tempted to despair of our eternal salvation. In this meditation we consider:

    • Our Lord’s incarnation and his suffering and death for our redemption
    • His will “that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth”
    • His forgiving of the sins of many
    • His teaching on the mercy of God
    • Pope Francis’ reminder that God will always forgive us and his exhortation to ask God for forgiveness
    • Our Lord’s sorrow at the death of Judas

    The Prodigal Son

    Prodigal Son 2

     

    One of the most beloved parables is that of the Prodigal Son, who leaves his father’s home for a life of sin, then repents and returns to a warm embrace and a big celebration. Jesus gives us the parable to tell us that if we are sorry for our sins, God our merciful Father will always forgive us, no matter what we have done. In this meditation we consider:

    • The story of the Prodigal Son
    • Why Christ gave us the sacrament of Penance
    • Why telling our sins to a priest corresponds to our human nature
    • Ten benefits of going to confession
    • How regular confession helps us grow in holiness
    • What Pope Francis says about the importance of confession
    • How we should help others make use of this sacrament

    Meditation “Blessed the merciful”

    The parable of the prodigal son is mercy perosnified.

    A great example of mercy is the parable of the prodigal son.

    Now that the Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis has begun, it is good to meditate on this important virtue so that we can discover new and better ways to live it out in our daily lives. In this meditation we will consider:

    • How God is merciful to us
    • What the Scriptures say about mercy
    • The nature of mercy
    • Why it is so important that we live mercy ourselves
    • The seven corporal works of mercy
    • The seven spiritual works of mercy

    Meditation “Sacrament of Mercy”

    One of the great treasures of the Church, one which at the same time is sadly little used, is the sacrament of Penance, given to the Church by Christ on the very evening of his Resurrection. In this meditation we consider:

    • The mercy of God as seen in the parable of the Prodigal Son
    • Christ’s institution of the sacrament on Easter Sunday
    • Why the sacrament of Penance responds to deep seated human needs
    • The many benefits we receive in the sacrament
    • Why we should go to confession regularly
    • How we should take others to this sacrament