24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C

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SMILE WITH GOD!





Much has been said about the parables of the lost – sheep, coin and son.  Yes, it is about repentance, conversion, and God’s mercy. But it is also about something that lies at the basis of all three. Why repent? Why return to the arms of the Father? Why is our God the Father of mercies?



It is because of joy. The Gospel (Luke 15) invites us to look at God again and see in him the face we do not normally expect – the face of a smiling, joyful God.  There will be more  joy in heaven… because there is always rejoicing in heaven!  For heaven means to experience the joy that can only come from a real encounter with God.



Notice the beginning of the gospel. The scribes and pharisees came to Jesus complaining, grumbling, boiling in anger that Jesus was always seen in the company of sinners. There are people who think they need to be sober. But God is not asking us to be sober-faced, only to be sober-minded.



In answer to them, Jesus now crafts the real picture of God so they can see. God is a smiling, laughing, rejoicing God. The poor, the sinners, the wayward, the prodigal and all kinds of lost people are beginning to find their path towards God because they are attracted by the joy he brings to their lives.



As Christians, do we act like our “prodigal” Father? Do we share a smile at home, at work, with the neighbors? Do we easily laugh at ourselves and our mistakes, refusing to take things too seriously? Are we filled with joy in our heart and soul?



But remember, the joy Jesus describes is not an emotion. It is a decision. There are too many bad things in life that cause us to lose our composure. There are real reasons to cry and to worry. But if in faith, we connect with the God of joy, slowly things will begin to flow in the right direction. There will be spiritual consolation and powerful assurance that we can overcome all things in Christ. Miracles will happen because we are not defeated by concerns but we conquer our fears and tears with the smile, the laughter and the joy of God!






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