"Almsgiving" is one of the pious practices that we have inherited from Judaism. In English, we give it the name "charity" and therefore make it one of the instances where love is shown to another. In the tradition of the Church, "almsgiving" does not only mean giving alms to the poor. Because of the etymology of the word, which derives from the word "mercy", "to show mercy", it also came to mean, under the preaching of the Fathers of the Church, "being merciful to others, forgiving". The parable of the Merciful Father gives us hints as to how "showing mercy, forgiving" is practised.
Read the relevant article here and use the following as your reflection guide.
1. Luke stresses the joy of finding what was lost in the parables of Luke 15. He does this within a context where Jesus justifies the manner by which he relates with sinners.
"It is not the will of your Heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost" (Matthew 18:14) says Jesus in Matthew. In Luke, Jesus does not only justify his actions, he also challenges the Pharisees to be like the father of the prodigal son in showing mercy to those who have gone astray. He thus makes the parable of the Merciful Father as an example of what is involved in the Christian lifestyle of charity.
Reflect: How have you been like the merciful Father in your life as a Christian?
2. In the gospel of Luke, the mission of the Church to be an ambassador of reconciliation is underlined: "repentance for the forgiveness of sins is to be preached in His name to all the nations beginning from Jerusalem" (Luke 24:47). It is because of this mission that the sacrament of penance and reconciliation is hers to dispense.
Reflect: How have you been taking advantage of the sacrament of confession?
3. In the "Our Father" we pray "forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us."
Reflect: In that prayer, we actually as the Heavenly Father to forgive us to the extent that we forgive others. How have you been forgiving? Can you recall the persons whom you have recently forgiven?
