Mass Readings and Reflection for March 7th, 2026

 

First Reading: (Micah 7:14–15, 18–20)

Responsorial Psalm (Psalms 103)

Response:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious.

Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, Alleluia.

Gospel: (Luke 15:1–3, 11–32)

Reflection

Hospital are for sick people. How does a sick person get well if they do not first accept that they are sick and go to the hospital? If they keep denying it, hiding it, or pretending they are not sick, the sickness may kill them.

How does a student grow in knowledge if they do not first express their desire to learn? By going to school and attending lessons. If they are too full of themselves and think they know it all, they can never learn.

How does a sinner repent and become better if they do not first acknowledge their sin and see the need to make amends, to apologize, ask for forgiveness, and to change?

You can never help someone change from their bad behavior when they have not first accepted that what they did was wrong, and when they keep denying it or blaming everyone else instead of themselves.

Many persons have lost the sense of sin, and this is a very big problem. They no longer recognize what is sinful before God. Because of that, they see no need for confession, no need to say they are sorry, and no need for repentance.

People even argue when you point out their mistakes. They consider their actions normal and acceptable.

This is very dangerous.

What helped the younger son repent was that he came to his senses. He became conscious of his sin.

“I will arise and go back to my father.”

That moment of awareness was the turning point.

He said:
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.”

That is where true repentance begins, the consciousness of sin and the desire to return and become better.

If we keep defending ourselves and blaming others, we will never see our faults and we will never grow.

Sometimes we trivialize sin:

“Is it that small thing I did that makes you angry?”

Or we justify it by saying others have done worse. But the fact that others sin does not make our own sin right.

If we lack the humility to ask forgiveness from those we hurt, we will never grow.

Sometimes we even justify revenge:
“I did it because they did it to me.”

But that attitude destroys repentance.

Beloved, when we lose the consciousness of sin, it is extremely dangerous. People live for months and years without going to the Sacrament of Confession because they no longer feel the need to repent.

But sin remains sin.

Do you recognize the sin you have committed?
Are you conscious of it?
Do you want to become better?

Until we reach that awareness, that something in our lives needs to change, we will never grow out of our waywardness.

The problem is not simply that we sin. The problem is refusing to acknowledge the sin and refusing to repent.

Let the younger son be our example.

Finally, beloved, we must also learn to rejoice when others change for the better.

The elder son became angry when his brother returned. Instead of celebrating his brother's repentance, he felt jealous.

This happens even today.

Sometimes when someone who has fallen returns to God, others react with resentment instead of joy.

But we should rejoice when the lost are found.

Let us imitate the mercy of the father in the parable and remember:

True repentance begins with the consciousness of sin and the desire to make amends and become better.

Amen