Encountering God around our Tables

Readings for Sunday, March 31 — Fourth Sunday of Lent

Joshua 5:9A, 10-12; Psalm 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Suggested Reflection Questions:

  • After their long exile in the desert, Joshua leads the people into the Promised Land. No longer will they require manna from heaven. They can gather the fruit and grain of Canaan and begin to cultivate the land. Has anyone in your life provided you with “manna” — nourishing food that you might not have been able to acquire on your journey? Do you remember a time when you received nourishment from meals lovingly prepared by your parents when you were a kid, care packages from family in college, your church food bank, or government assistance programs when times were tough? Has  a friend or spouse treated you to/cooked you a nice dinner after a particularly rough day? If you can, feed someone on their journey this week in one way or another.
  • This week, we’ll pray the words “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord” with the psalmist and our parish families. How does this relate to the Eucharist? To the meals we share with our friends and family this week?
  • Both Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians and the Gospel of Luke speak about reconciliation. Lent is a time of repairing broken relationships, forgiving past offenses, and doing the work of transformation within ourselves. Who do you need to forgive? What steps do you need to take in order to forgive them? Consider breaking bread with those people this Lent.