"Labi pa nga kalipay sa langit tungod sa isa ka makasasala nga nagahinulsol"

Ebanghelyo subong nga Adlaw (Lucas 15:1-32)

Domingo (Setyembre 15)

Sang isa ka tion madamo nga mga manugsokot sang buhis kag mga makasasala ang nagpalapit sa pagpamati kay Jesus.

Ang mga Fariseo kag ang mga manunodlo sang Kasugoan nagkulomuron, “Ini nga tawo nagabaton sang mga makasasala kag nagakaon pa gani upod sa ila.”

Gani si Jesus naghambal sa ila sining palaanggiran: “Abi kon ang isa sa inyo may 100 ka karnero kag madula ang isa sa ila, ano bala ang iya himuon? Bayaan niya ang 99 sa halalban kag magalakat sia sa pagpangita sang nadula nga karnero tubtob makita niya ini.

Kon makita niya ini malipayon gid sia sa pagpas-an kag sa pagdala pauli. Dayon tipunon niya ang iya mga abyan kag mga kaingod kag magasiling sa ila, ‘Magkalipay kamo upod sa akon kay nakita nakon ang nadula ko nga karnero!’ 

Nagasiling ako sa inyo, nga sa amo man nga bagay, may labi pa nga kalipay sa langit tungod sa isa ka makasasala nga nagahinulsol, sang sa 99 nga matarong nga wala nagakinahanglan sing paghinulsol.” 

“Ukon abi ang isa ka babayi nga may napulo ka salapion madulaan sang isa. Ano ang himuon niya? Magasindi sia sang suga, magasilhig sia sang iya balay, kag magapangita gid sia sing maayo bisan diin tubtob nga makita niya ini.

Kon makita na niya ini, tipunon niya ang iya mga abyan kag mga kaingod kag magasiling sa ila, ‘Magkalipay kamo upod sa akon, kay nakita ko ang nadula ko nga salapi!’

Sa amo man nga bagay, nagasiling ako sa inyo, ang mga anghel sang Dios nagakalipay tungod sa isa ka makasasala nga nagahinulsol.”

Dayon nagsiling pa gid si Jesus, “May isa ka tawo nga may duha ka anak nga lalaki.

Ang manghod nagsiling sa iya amay, ‘Tay, ihatag na sa akon ang palanublion nga naigo sa akon.’ Gani ginpartida sang amay sa duha niya ka anak ang iya pagkabutang.

Sa tapos ang pila ka adlaw ginbaligya sang manghod ang iya bahin sang pagkabutang kag naglakat nga dala niya ang kuwarta. Nagkadto sia sa malayo nga duog, sa diin gin-uyangan niya ang iya kuwarta sa patuyang nga pangabuhi.

Gin-urot niya gasto ang tanan niya nga kuwarta. Dayon nag-abot ang tama nga tiggulotom sa sadto nga duta kag nagpiot ang iya pangabuhi.

Gani nagpamugon sia sa isa sang mga pumoluyo sa sadtong duta, nga nagpadala sa iya sa uma sa pagsagod sang mga baboy.

Buot niya kuntani nga sudlan ang iya tiyan sang bahog sang baboy, pero wala sing may naghatag sini sa iya. 

Sang ulihi nakatalupangod sia sang iya kahimtangan kag nagsiling, ‘Ang tanan nga mga mamumogon sang akon amay may pagkaon nga nagasulobra lang, kag ako iya daw mapatay na sa kagutom.

Mapauli ako kag magasiling sa akon amay, “Tay, nakasala ako batok sa Dios kag batok sa imo.

Indi na ako takos nga pagatawgon pa nga imo anak. Kabiga ako nga isa sang imo mga mamumogon.” ’ 

Gani nagpauli sia sa iya amay. “Malayo pa sia sa ila balay sang makita sia sang iya amay. Ang tagipusoon sang iya amay napun-an gid sing kaluoy, gani dumalagan sia kag ginhakos ang iya anak kag ginhalukan. 

‘Tay,’ siling sang anak, ‘Nakasala ako batok sa Dios kag batok sa imo. Indi na ako takos nga pagatawgon pa nga imo anak.’ 

Pero ang iya amay nagtawag sang iya mga suloguon, ‘Dali kamo, dalha ninyo diri ang labing malahalon gid nga bayu kag ipasuksok sa iya. Suksoki sang singsing ang iya tudlo kag sang sapatos ang iya mga tiil. 

Dayon kuhaa ninyo ang pinatambok nga tinday sang baka kag ihawa ini, kay mahiwat kita sing punsyon kag magkinasadya! 

Kay ining akon anak napatay, pero karon nabuhi; nadula sia, pero karon nakita na.’ Kag nagsugod sila sa pagkinasadya. 

“Sa pihak nga bahin, ang anak nga magulang yadto sa uma. Sang nagapauli sia kag nagahinampot na sa balay, nabatian niya ang tinukar kag sinaot. 

Gintawag niya ang isa sang mga suloguon kag ginpamangkot, ‘May ano diri?’ 

Ang suloguon nagsabat, ‘Ang imo utod nagpauli kag si tatay mo nagpaihaw sang pinatambok nga tinday sang baka, kay nakapauli sia nga wala man maano.’ 

Naakig gid ang magulang kag indi sia magsulod sa balay. Gani ang iya amay naggwa kag nag-uloulo sa iya nga magsulod. 

Ginsingganan niya ang iya amay, ‘Abi kon sa imo man lugar, tan-awa bala, sa sulod sining mga tinuig nagpangabudlay ako nga daw suloguon mo kag bisan kaisa lang wala gid ako maglapas sang imo sugo. Ano ang ginhatag mo sa akon? Wala mo gani ako mahatagi bisan tinday lang sang kanding agod magkasadya ako upod sa akon mga abyan! 

Pero ining anak mo nag-uyang sang imo pagkabutang upod sa mahigko nga mga babayi, kag sang pagpauli niya gin-ihaw mo ang pinatambok nga tinday sang baka para sa iya.’ 

‘Anak ko,’ ang sabat sang amay, ‘ikaw imo yari man pirme sa balay kag ang tanan nga akon imo. 

Pero dapat kita maghiwat sing punsyon kag magkalipay, kay ang imo utod napatay, pero karon nabuhi; nadula sia, pero karon nakita na.’ ”

Prayers:

"Lord Jesus, may the light of your love and truth free me from the darkness of sin and unbelief. Let your light shine through me that others may see your love and truth and find hope and peace in you. May I never doubt your love nor take for granted the mercy you have shown to me. Fill me with your transforming love that I may be merciful as you are merciful."

***

Reflection of the Daily Gospel:

Do you ever feel resentful or get upset when someone else gets treated better than you think they deserve? The scribes and Pharisees took great offense at Jesus because he went out of his way to meet with sinners and he treated them like they were his friends. The Pharisees had strict regulations about how they were to keep away from sinners, lest they incur ritual defilement. They were not to entrust money to them or have any business dealings with them, nor trust them with a secret, nor entrust orphans to their care, nor accompany them on a journey, nor give their daughter in marriage to any of their sons, nor invite them as guests or be their guests. They were shocked with the way in which Jesus freely received sinners and ate with them. Sinners, nonetheless, were drawn to Jesus to hear him speak about the mercy of God. Jesus characteristically answered the Pharisees' charge with a parable or lesson drawn from everyday life.

What does Jesus' story about a lost sheep and a lost coin tell us about God and his kingdom? Shepherds normally counted their sheep at the end of the day to make sure all were accounted for. Since sheep by their very nature are very social, an isolated sheep can quickly become bewildered and even neurotic. The shepherd's grief and anxiety is turned to joy when he finds the lost sheep and restores it to the fold. The housewife who lost a coin faced something of an economic disaster, since the value of the coin would be equivalent to her husband's daily wage. What would she say to her husband when he returned home from work? They were poor and would suffer greatly because of the loss. Her grief and anxiety turn to joy when she finds the coin. Both the shepherd and the housewife "search until what they have lost is found." Their persistence pays off. They both instinctively share their joy with the whole community. The poor are particularly good at sharing in one another's sorrows and joys. What was new in Jesus' teaching was the insistence that sinners must be sought out and not merely mourned for. God does not rejoice in the loss of anyone, but desires that all be saved and restored to fellowship with him. That is why the whole community of heaven rejoices when one sinner is found and restored to fellowship with God. Seekers of the lost are much needed today. Do you persistently pray and seek after those you know who have lost their way to God?

How can you love someone who turns their back on you and still forgive them from the heart? The prophets remind us that God does not abandon us, even if we turn our backs on him (Micah 7:18). He calls us back to himself — over and over and over again. Jesus' story of the father and his two sons (sometimes called the parable of the prodigal son) is the longest parable in the gospels. What is the main point or focus of the story? Is it the contrast between an obedient and a disobedient son or is it between the warm reception given to a spendthrift son by his father and the cold reception given by the eldest son? Jesus contrasts the father's merciful love with the eldest son's somewhat harsh reaction to his errant brother and to the lavish party his joyful father throws for his repentant son. While the errant son had wasted his father's money, his father, nonetheless, maintained unbroken love for his son. The son, while he was away, learned a lot about himself. And he realized that his father had given him love which he had not returned. He had yet to learn about the depth of his father's love for him. His deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed on the husks of pigs and his reflection on all he had lost, led to his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father. While he hoped for reconciliation with his father, he could not have imagined a full restoration of relationship. The father did not need to speak words of forgiveness to his son; his actions spoke more loudly and clearly! The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet symbolize the new life — pure, worthy, and joyful — of anyone who returns to God.

The prodigal could not return to the garden of innocence, but he was welcomed and reinstated as a son. The errant son's dramatic change from grief and guilt to forgiveness and restoration express in picture-language the resurrection from the dead, a rebirth to new life from spiritual death. The parable also contrasts mercy and its opposite — unforgiveness. The father who had been wronged, was forgiving. But the eldest son, who had not been wronged, was unforgiving. His unforgiveness turns into contempt and pride. And his resentment leads to his isolation and estrangement from the community of forgiven sinners. In this parable Jesus gives a vivid picture of God and what God is like. God is truly kinder than us. He does not lose hope or give up when we stray. He rejoices in finding the lost and in welcoming them home. Do you know the joy of repentance and the restoration of relationship as a son or daughther of your heavenly Father?