Gospel: Luke
15:1-3, 11-32
Tax
collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the
Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and
eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable. “A man had two sons,
and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your
estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between
them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set
off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of
dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that
country, and he found himself in dire need. So he
hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend
the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but
nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s
hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have
sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your
son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and
went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught
sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him
and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered
his servants, ‘Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on
his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then
let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come
to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now
the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the
house, he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The
servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered
the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and
when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He
said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not
once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to
feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your
property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to
him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now
we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to
life again; he was lost and has been found.’”
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Reflection:
What if
the prodigal son did not decide to go back to his father? What would have
happened to him? It’s sure that he could have ended in a very problematic
situation. But he returned for he realized his mistake, he returned because he
badly wants to once again feel the unconditional love of his father.
This
parable is also for us who are like the prodigal son. Jesus is inviting us all
to repent from our own sinfulness; He wants us to know that He is there
eternally waiting for us. Ever ready to embrace us again with His unconditional
love and forgiveness.
Where
would we go if we will not go back to Jesus? We embrace this world? This world
will only give us temporal happiness which afterwards will translate to become
problems that could even destroy us. The riches of this world cannot give us
peace of mind for the simple reason that it will only pull us farther away from
the love of Jesus.
When the
prodigal son decided to return he knew that nothing compares to the love of
his father. He knew that his father will
still accept him without any questions being asked against him.
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