Fr. Pat's Message
The play Les Miserable ran on Broadway for eighteen years. It is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. The central character in the story is Jean Valjean, who has been released after serving nineteen years in prison. He is bitter and miserable. He had been jailed for stealing a loaf of bread to feed the children in his family. Freed at last, Valjean is not welcome in his village. He is denied food and lodging, even though he has money, no one wants an ex-convict around. Finally, a kind bishop offers him hospitality. The bishop puts his finest silver plates on the table used only for special guests when Jean dines with him.
During the night Valjean steals the bishop's silver plates and sneaks out of the house. When he is arrested, he denies stealing the plates, saying that the bishop gave them to him as a gift. When Valjean returned to the bishop's house with the police, the bishop insists that he is glad to see him because he wanted to give him the candlesticks as well. The police have no choice but to let him go. The act of forgiveness and mercy made such a huge impact on Jean Valjean that he is transformed into a new person who spends the rest of his life serving others and showing mercy to them.
The bishop is the Lord who in today's gospel heals the paralysed man, offering him forgiveness and a new beginning. Lent is a time for us to open up our lives to God's goodness and love. It is an opportunity to renew our Baptismal covenant and to become alive in the power of the Holy Spirit. Lent is a chance to repent, to turn away from any voice that has distracted us from our life of faith. We are invited to do this by prayer, sacrifice, and acts of charity.
