Yes, I'm still obsessed with Les Miserables! My wife just bought me a DVD so I can sing in the car to my hearts content; as long as I am alone! I hope you know enough about the two main characters, Valjean and Javert, to at least relate a little bit. Valjean is the hero of the story; a former convict whose crime was to steal a loaf of bread because his sister's child was dying from hunger. Valjean becomes a hardened man in prison and makes things worse by trying to escape. But after an amazing encounter with a good and noble Bishop, he is restored to right relationship with God the Father. He becomes a business owner and a Mayor and the guardian, the father, of a young orphaned girl. Yet, he lives with the penalty of breaking parole over his head, despite his many, many good deeds. Javert, on the other hand is the dutiful, righteous inspector, who pursues Valjean for years. For part of their existence, Javert is fooled by Valjean's disguises and new identity. But Valjean is found out and Javert can't see the man he has become, he can't count the good deeds he is doing, no, he follows the letter of the law and desires to put him back in jail. And he is convinced this is God's way; to follow the strictest interpretation of the legal system with no mercy.
Sometimes we might pause and ask ourselves, are we more like Valjean or Javert? And do we know people in our lives that a full of love and mercy and still others who are pure legalists?
As people of faith, we too are called to show love and mercy, and to see the good in our brothers and sisters!
The story of the prodigal son is one of the more familiar parables in the New Testament and a great Gospel to pray with and reflect upon at this mid-way point of Lent. You surely notice today the return of the rose(not pink) vestments for we have arrived at Laetare Sunday. Laetare, in latin, the word for rejoice! We rejoice today knowing we are moving closer and closer to Easter. But before we get ahead of ourselves, Jesus, in sharing this parable, reminds us that even Easter people(and we are Easter people) must go through our Good Fridays too. All three of the characters in this parable go through their Good Fridays; the young son when he squandered his inheritance and ended up hungry and taking care of pigs; not a cool thing for a young Jewish man to do. The father goes through his Good Friday by hearing his young son basically wish him dead by demanding his inheritance. And of course the long period of seperation and not knowing about his son was a Good Friday the father endured as well. Even the older son has a self-inflicted Good Friday by being hard of heart, and jealous, upon the return of his younger brother; one he refers to when speaking to his father as "this son of Yours".
I guess in my Les Miserables frenzy, I could see if Valjean and Javert were related, Valjean would be the prodigal son while Javert the older son, hard of heart but technically legalistic. Being totally legalistic can be a bad thing. At it's foundation we do have a following of rules and obligations. We indeed have rules and obligations to follow as Christians. We should obey the Commandments and the Beatitudes and the great Commandment that Jesus gave us. As Catholics, we are obliged to follow rules about going to Mass on Sunday and Holy Days, and being properly disposed to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, and all the hows and whys of the Sacraments. In and of themselves, this is good. But we too are called to relationship and intimacy with Jesus. A major part of that relationship and intimacy is to share what we have from Jesus with others. We must be the prodigal son in rushing back to the arms and embrace of the father. We must be the father, who readily forgives and welcomes warmly, we also can be the older son in having a healthy respect for the rules, but must not be like him in having a hardness of heart when his brother returns.
If we follow Les Miserables, we are called to be Valjean more so than Javert. Of course Javert need only to open up his heart, just like the older son.
The Gospel story of the Prodigal Son calls us in the week ahead to do another Lenten check-up. How am I doing in intimate increased prayer, my fasting and my almsgiving? Find a quiet place at home or in the yard this week and re-read this Gospel with these Lenten promises top of mind. Can we ask of ourselves this week is there someone I need to welcome home with one of those arms wide open embraces? Is there someone who has reconciled recently with a family member or friend that I have still been less than generous in my attitude and charity? Does all of this call me to make a sincere, heart-felt confession? With this Gospel passage and prayer, we just mind find the answers to these questions.
In one of the great songs of Les Miserables, Javert declares that for him, "it is either Valjean or Javert". It certainly did not have to be this way. For the older son, it had to be him or his brother. It certainly did not hav to be this way. For you and I, it is no either or, it is yes and both. It is a healthy respect for the "rules"with a generous portion of love and mercy. It is our Good Friday's that lead us to our Easter Resurrection!
Sometimes we might pause and ask ourselves, are we more like Valjean or Javert? And do we know people in our lives that a full of love and mercy and still others who are pure legalists?
As people of faith, we too are called to show love and mercy, and to see the good in our brothers and sisters!
The story of the prodigal son is one of the more familiar parables in the New Testament and a great Gospel to pray with and reflect upon at this mid-way point of Lent. You surely notice today the return of the rose(not pink) vestments for we have arrived at Laetare Sunday. Laetare, in latin, the word for rejoice! We rejoice today knowing we are moving closer and closer to Easter. But before we get ahead of ourselves, Jesus, in sharing this parable, reminds us that even Easter people(and we are Easter people) must go through our Good Fridays too. All three of the characters in this parable go through their Good Fridays; the young son when he squandered his inheritance and ended up hungry and taking care of pigs; not a cool thing for a young Jewish man to do. The father goes through his Good Friday by hearing his young son basically wish him dead by demanding his inheritance. And of course the long period of seperation and not knowing about his son was a Good Friday the father endured as well. Even the older son has a self-inflicted Good Friday by being hard of heart, and jealous, upon the return of his younger brother; one he refers to when speaking to his father as "this son of Yours".
I guess in my Les Miserables frenzy, I could see if Valjean and Javert were related, Valjean would be the prodigal son while Javert the older son, hard of heart but technically legalistic. Being totally legalistic can be a bad thing. At it's foundation we do have a following of rules and obligations. We indeed have rules and obligations to follow as Christians. We should obey the Commandments and the Beatitudes and the great Commandment that Jesus gave us. As Catholics, we are obliged to follow rules about going to Mass on Sunday and Holy Days, and being properly disposed to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, and all the hows and whys of the Sacraments. In and of themselves, this is good. But we too are called to relationship and intimacy with Jesus. A major part of that relationship and intimacy is to share what we have from Jesus with others. We must be the prodigal son in rushing back to the arms and embrace of the father. We must be the father, who readily forgives and welcomes warmly, we also can be the older son in having a healthy respect for the rules, but must not be like him in having a hardness of heart when his brother returns.
If we follow Les Miserables, we are called to be Valjean more so than Javert. Of course Javert need only to open up his heart, just like the older son.
The Gospel story of the Prodigal Son calls us in the week ahead to do another Lenten check-up. How am I doing in intimate increased prayer, my fasting and my almsgiving? Find a quiet place at home or in the yard this week and re-read this Gospel with these Lenten promises top of mind. Can we ask of ourselves this week is there someone I need to welcome home with one of those arms wide open embraces? Is there someone who has reconciled recently with a family member or friend that I have still been less than generous in my attitude and charity? Does all of this call me to make a sincere, heart-felt confession? With this Gospel passage and prayer, we just mind find the answers to these questions.
In one of the great songs of Les Miserables, Javert declares that for him, "it is either Valjean or Javert". It certainly did not have to be this way. For the older son, it had to be him or his brother. It certainly did not hav to be this way. For you and I, it is no either or, it is yes and both. It is a healthy respect for the "rules"with a generous portion of love and mercy. It is our Good Friday's that lead us to our Easter Resurrection!
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