As we journey through Lent, the liturgy of Sabbato infra Hebdomadam II in Quadragesima (Saturday of the Second Week in Lent) offers us a profound meditation on divine justice and mercy through two striking biblical narratives: the story of Jacob’s deception of Esau (Genesis 27:6-40) and the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). In both, we encounter themes of sin, estrangement, and reconciliation—realities that resonate deeply in this penitential season.
Jacob and Esau: The Struggle for a Blessing
In Genesis 27, we see Jacob, at the behest of his mother Rebekah, deceiving his father Isaac to receive the blessing meant for his older brother Esau. This moment, fraught with cunning and human frailty, highlights the tension between divine providence and human scheming. St. Augustine, in his City of God, interprets this episode in light of divine election, seeing Jacob as a type of the Church:
“Jacob, the younger, received the blessing, not by the merits of his works, but by the mystery of divine choice” (De Civitate Dei, XVI.37).
While the act itself appears unjust, it aligns with God’s mysterious plan, for Jacob is chosen to carry forth the promise made to Abraham. This foreshadows the reality that God’s blessings are not bound by human expectations but by His sovereign will. However, this does not negate the consequences of sin—Esau’s grief and anger lead to Jacob’s exile, a reminder that even divinely permitted actions carry temporal repercussions.
The Prodigal Son: The Triumph of Mercy
The Gospel presents us with another set of brothers, but this time the focus is on mercy rather than deception. The younger son, like Jacob, desires what is not yet his—his inheritance—and departs from his father’s house. Yet, unlike Jacob, his journey leads him to utter destitution. St. Ambrose, commenting on this passage, describes the son’s downward spiral:
“He who departs from the Word of God wastes his substance; for he who is separated from Christ loses the nourishment of the divine riches” (Expositio Evangelii secundum Lucam, VII.208).
However, when he returns in repentance, he finds a father eager to forgive and restore. This mirrors the Lenten call to return to God, knowing that His mercy is greater than our sins. The elder son, much like Esau, is consumed with resentment, unable to understand the mystery of grace. St. John Chrysostom warns against this attitude:
“Do not be troubled if you see others receive greater mercy than you, for the master of the house does no wrong in being generous” (Homilies on Matthew, 64.3).
Lenten Application: Justice and Mercy Reconciled
Both readings challenge us to examine our own hearts this Lent. Are we like Jacob, trying to grasp God’s blessings through our own schemes? Are we like Esau, resentful of divine election? Or are we the prodigal son, in need of repentance, or perhaps the elder brother, struggling with jealousy over divine mercy?
Lent calls us to reconcile justice and mercy—not as opposing forces but as realities that meet in the Cross. As St. Leo the Great reminds us:
“The severity of justice and the greatness of mercy have met together in our Redeemer, and neither justice is lacking nor mercy absent” (Sermon 95).
May this season be for us a time of humble repentance, grateful acceptance of divine mercy, and a heart open to the mysteries of God’s providential love.
Domine, miserere nobis.