Beloved in Christ,
 
For our reflection this Sunday, I will emphasize the protagonist in the parable of the Prodigal Son: the Father of mercy, the Father who restores, and the Father who seeks us. In the parable of the father and his two sons, we identify with the younger son, who, like the Pharisees, scribes, and sinners, represents those who have alienated themselves from the Father's presence and house through their selfish choices. We identify with the wayward son and also his self-righteous older brother because we mirror them. But there is also a need for us to turn our attention to the father. Focusing on the profligate father helps us overcome the sadness or despair that may discourage us from approaching the Father of mercy for pardon for our sins. Our Father shares in our pains and wants us to be alive and restored to our dignity as His beloved children.
 
In the Gospel for this Sunday, Luke portrays an image of a father's love and compassion for his sinful son. Before the son began the journey back to him, the father was already longing for his return and on the lookout for him: "While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him." (Lk 15:20). We have a father who is interested in our restoration, not resigned to our failure and guilt. We have a Father ready to share in our pain of alienation, the scourge of our sins; a Father who finds joy in our revival, not our demise; a Father who celebrates our restoration with feasting. On this Rejoice Sunday, let us rejoice in this Father and celebrate our God of mercy and compassion.
 
Let us find our way back to him in humility, aware that he wants our salvation more than our wallowing in sin and guilt. The revelation of a Father willing to restore us to our original state of grace opens us to repentance. We can confidently return to him in repentance after discovering the emptiness of our rebellion and alienation from the merciful Father. How do we go about conversion and restoration? We draw from the example of the prodigal son. We derive a process from the return of the sinful son to his merciful Father. The Catechism of the Catholic Church captures the process in the following paragraph:
 
"The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful Father: the fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the Father's house; the extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his Father; the journey back; the Father's generous welcome; the Father's joy — all these are characteristic of the process of conversion. The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life — pure worthy, and joyful — of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way" (CCC 1439).
 
We have a template for conversion and repentance in the account of the prodigal son, as illustrated in the Catechism paragraph above. What we need to do now is to echo that path to restoration. The Holy Spirit is always at work in turning our hearts back to God. God always supplies the grace to turn our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh. The only thing needed is to be humble enough to realize our need for conversion and restoration. We have a merciful Father, filled with love and compassion, who waits to lavish His embrace and kisses upon us. Why wait another minute to return to the Father in the Sacrament of Mercy and Reconciliation? Let us rejoice in this Father; let us celebrate His great mercy.
 
In the Joy of the Father,
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, OP
 

​Beloved in Christ,
 
The message from this Sunday's Gospel passage is straightforward but prickly: Repent or perish. Jesus responds to those who reported to him the tragic end of some Galileans in the hands of Pilate and those who perished when the tower of Siloam fell on them, saying that they were not worse sinners than those who are alive and telling of their sad death. Jesus used the moment to teach about the urgency of producing fruits of repentance by telling them a parable of the barren fig tree. The key word in Jesus' parable and response to their report is repentance. "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did" (Luke 13:5).
 
We have already made some strides with Jesus in this Lenten season. We have walked with him through the desert as he faced and overcame temptation. We were present with Peter, James and John on the mountain of transfiguration. Now, Jesus draws our attention to a significant attribute of the holy season of Lent: our response to His call to repentance. The Greek word translated into English as repentance is the noun "metanoia." It is a word that means a change of mind or heart. The prefix "meta" means beyond, while "noeo (nous)" means mind, thoughts, understanding or perception. The verb form is metanoeo means to go beyond the mind you now have. 
 
Suppose our current thoughts, perceptions, or beliefs about Jesus and his will are wrong or incorrect; it is time we change them. In that case, we must strive to reorder them, as Saint Paul calls us to be transformed by the renewal of our minds (Romans 12:2). This act of change and renewal involves recognizing our wrongdoing, turning away from sin to God, and aligning ourselves with God's will. 
 
This is where the message of the barren fig tree comes in helpful. God will be patient, but we must act quickly and not play around. God has done far too much to save and restore us than to deny our need for repentance or delay making it in the sacrament of reconciliation. Even after our baptism, confirmation, and reception of the Holy Eucharist, we humans remain prone to the sins of rebellion and pride; therefore, we need to undergo metanoia, a change of heart and mind. The Lenten season is ideal for this as we prepare for the joy of Easter. Let us then allow the Holy Spirit to remind and convict us of our sins so we may do what is proper: repent and confess. Why do we dilly-dally? What is holding us back from sincere repentance and confession of our sins? The Lord is kind and merciful. Let's take advantage of God's mercy during this Lent.
 
Just to let you know, this Sunday is the first of three scrutinies for our Elect, Lorelai Suekay. Please keep her in your prayers. You can take advantage of all the spiritual activities scheduled for Lent and make efforts to move forward in your spiritual life. Lent is moving quickly; next Sunday is Laetare Sunday, marking our halfway point in the forty days of Lent. Commit to praying more, giving more to the church and the poor, and intensifying your penance.
 
In Christ,
 
Fr. Alayode Bernard, O.P.
 

 Beloved in Christ,
 
The devil tempted Jesus. The devil tempts every disciple of Jesus. How many times has the devil tempted you today? Will he tempt you tomorrow and on and on? Yes, he will. The devil never gives up making attempts to put us through temptation to sin. Even as Jesus defeated Satan in the battle for his soul, at the end of the test, the Scripture says, "he departed from him until an opportune time" (Lk 4:13). Temptation is the devil's insidious effort to lure into spiritual death. It is a deceit, a cunning, a lie, a falsehood that is appealing and perhaps enticing, but it is ultimately a ruse into hell. 
 
What are the sources of temptations? They are the same for us as they were for Jesus. The tempter targets our weak human nature, uses our twisted world as a means of temptation, and directly suggests we follow our will in place of God's will by worshiping him. The flesh, the world, and the devil are the sources of our temptations. The Holy Spirit led him into the desert, where he fasted and prayed for forty days, after which he became hungry. Jesus was in a weak and vulnerable state when the devil tempted him to turn stone into bread. The devil dangles the glory of the world to Jesus and promises all will be his if he worships him. The evil one tempts Jesus with pride, asking him to put the Lord to the test by throwing himself down from the parapet of the temple in Jerusalem. The devil will tempt us to sin through means and things that seem natural and pleasing to us. We must resist him as Jesus did in the desert and decimate him in the spiritual warfare called temptation.
 
But it is not the end of Jesus' temptation. There will be no end to temptations. The father of lies will continue to tempt us until the end. He will return time after time, waiting for an opportune time to lure us into the darkness and the pit of hell. He returned to tempt Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane. He returns repeatedly to lure us into sin, to draw us away from the truth to falsehood, especially when we let down our guards. We must be up in arms spiritually. We must watch and pray. We must soak ourselves in the Sacred Scriptures. We must tame our flesh in fasting and abstinence. God has provided all we need in the Church to fight and defeat the devil's temptation. Jesus was victorious. We, too, shall overcome temptations from the devil when we use the weapons that Jesus used. Let's resist the temptation to sin by deepening our love and friendship with Jesus during this Lenten season.
 
Let me recommend ways to increase your love and strengthen your friendship with Jesus during this holy season:
* Remember the ashes you received on Ash Wednesday. What does it say to you about the human condition? Ponder frequently over the words said to you when you received ashes: Repent, and believe in the Gospel or Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return. It is sobering when you ponder those words.
*Consider attending at least a weekday morning or evening mass. Make the sacrifice of waking up early to attend Eucharistic Adoration before each daily mass.
*Attend the Stations of the Cross and join in the communal recitation of the Rosary before mass.
*Reduce time spent on social media and devote it to reading your Bible or listening to Catholic podcasts. Use the parish's Formed app.
*Fast, abstain from meat, or substitute with other forms of penance. Free yourself from any attachment to material or physical comfort. Give money saved from frugal living to those most in need in our community.
*Make plans to go to confession.
*Volunteer to help the Men's Club with their Lenten fish dinner distribution or any ministry that attends to needy people. 
 
Have a renewing Lent.
 
Fr. Bernard Alayode, O.P.