HOMILY: Fourth Sunday of Lent (C)
(Laetare Sunday)
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
30 March 2025
Fr. Ricky Cañet Montañez, AA
In the past few days, no one has made us prouder to be Filipino than 19-year-old Filipino Tennis Player Alexandra “Alex” Eala. On Thursday she won against the world’s #2 tennis player, Iga Swiatek. However, her dreams of being hailed as one of the top tier women tennis players was quashed last Friday by American Jessica Pegula. Despite her loss, Alex beamed at the audience who cheered for her and was quoted as praising her opponent for being a really good player. Sports commentators said: “Not often do you see the losing player of the match with a bigger smile.” When asked how she got past the usual frustration of defeat she highlighted the importance of keeping perspective saying, “It is not the result but the attitude and grit that define me on the court.” Slow clap 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 for Alex Eala!
In today’s gospel we read the popular parable of the Prodigal Son. We often focus on the younger son and the merciful, loving father. The young son’s foolishness and waywardness and his crestfallen return set the stage to show the father’s gracious forgiveness and unconditional love. However, today let us focus our eyes on the older son. He remained faithful to his duties as a son, worked hard, and never strayed, but when his brother came back, he became angry and resentful. He struggled with jealousy, unable to rejoice in the graciousness extended to his sibling.
If Alex Eala were anything like the older brother, the cameras may have caught her cussing, throwing her racket in anger and storming off the court. Thankfully she has a better attitude. Instead of being happy that his own flesh and blood is safe and reunited with them, the older brother was bitter that his own efforts were seemingly unacknowledged by their father. It makes me think that he only worked hard out of duty and not for love of his father or their family. With his lofty expectations of recognition, he was trying really hard to amass more wealth for himself but now he just may have to share his part of the family wealth with his brother again. Sadly, he lost all perspective of what was more important.
How often do we feel the same way? Many of us can relate with the older son’s struggle. Perhaps when someone who has made mistakes receives forgiveness or when we see others experience grace, we feel they do not deserve. One church Tita said: “Aba, nakasuwerte pa din sila!” (“They got lucky!”), as she watched YouTube videos on actresses who married well despite starting out in sexy films and bearing children of various men. Sadly, she sounded like she did not believe they deserved their good fortune instead of being happy that they married good men who loved them, respected them and gave them a decent life. It is easy to believe that our efforts, our faithfulness, should earn us something more. But the reality of God’s kingdom is that grace is not earned — it is given. St. Paul reminds the Corinthians that “God has reconciled the world to Himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them…” (2 Corinthians 5:19) Hence, grace is given to all, freely, whether we think it is deserved or not.
As followers of Christ, we are called to rejoice not only in our own redemption but in the redemption of others. The father’s words to the older son remind us of this truth: “We have to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again.” (Luke 15:32) Among us children of God, we should all strive to avoid resentment or jealousy. There should only be room for God’s grace that invites all of us into the joy of God’s love. Let us therefore strive to embrace that all-encompassing grace of God and share in the joy of others’ redemption, just as God rejoices over us.
A Painting by Christian Rohlfs
Sunday Gospel Reflections 