March 18, 2026

By Father William Muench
NCC columnist

During Lent, the Gospel readings at the Sunday Masses and the weekday Masses have been carefully chosen by the Church to lead us to a closer relationship with Our Lord, Jesus. Lent is our time for conversion as we walk the path to personal holiness. These daily Gospels are our signposts so that our Lenten journey is filled with wisdom, joy and peace.

I do wish that some of those weekday Gospel readings were read on a Sunday. They are such important meditations and teachings for Lent that on Sunday they would reach more people. Let me give you an example: At the morning Mass of the Second Week of Lent, Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son is the Gospel. This is a powerful teaching for us by Jesus – perfect for a Lenten message. Jesus teaches us that our God forgives our sins.

I know that you remember the story of this parable of Jesus. A son asks his father for his share of his father’s estate now. This is a story of Jesus, but we can still imagine that such an action would break a father’s heart. Jesus’ story goes on to tell us that this son goes away and wastes his money. Jesus describes his depression, yet he still trusts his father, so he decides to go home – now repentant of his actions. Jesus tells us that as the son walks home, his father sees him coming, and the father literally runs down the road to meet this son of his. The father welcomes the son and calls for a celebration. He has forgiven this son.

We know in faith that Jesus is telling this parable to teach us that God, Our Father, treats us in this very same way. When we repent our sins and turn to God, God truly runs to welcome and forgive us. The Scriptures tell us that Jesus is telling this story to the scribes and Pharisees. They are upset that Jesus associates with and befriends sinners. I am certain that they were surprised with the parable – to think that God the Father would run out to meet sinners. Jesus teaches us that God welcomes sinners and forgives them.

In Lent, this parable continues to be a powerful message for us. When we turn to God with our Lenten prayers and mortifications, we know that God celebrates our conversion. I believe there is a celebration in Heaven each time a sinner repents. Lent is our time as “prodigal sons and daughters” to return to the Lord in repentance and conversion through our prayers and good works.

Just today, there is an example of another powerful parable of Jesus. Today’s Gospel is the Lord’s parable teaching us that we find peace and happiness as the Lord’s disciples by being a forgiving people – just as the Lord forgives us. Jesus cleverly constructs this parable – a king forgives a servant his huge debt. But then that same servant refuses to be patient and refuses to forgive another fellow servant over a much smaller debt. So, he imprisons him.

The king hears of this and then decides to punish this servant that he had forgiven. Jesus ends by saying to all, “unless each of you forgives your brothers, your sisters – from your heart – my Heavenly Father will treat you in the same way.” God constantly forgives each one of us, and we must be a forgiving people.

There are many such Gospels readings – many such parables of the Lord Jesus – assigned to us during Lent that make our Lent a time to grow in holiness and conversion.