Monday of the Sixth Week in Ordinary Time
(Genesis 4:1-15.25; Mark 8:11-13)
“A man had two sons.” In this way Jesus in the Gospel of Luke begins
his famous parable. The opening line
fits today’s first reading as well. The
author of Genesis is setting the stage for a much-travelled theme of sibling
rivalry in world literature as well as the Bible.
In the Lukan parable, the father of the two sons clearly
takes the place of God in the Genesis account.
He loves both sons equally. In
today’s reading God promises to protect the elder son after he has been justly
condemned for murder. It is a gesture as
merciful as it is unexpected.
We must remember God’s unending love as we encounter our own
sinfulness. He is ready to forgive and,
indeed, restore us to the sweetness of life when we repent of our wickedness.
