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 and go back to Him. 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.
We are the modern-day
prodigal sons and Jesus wants to embrace us with His unconditional love. –
Marino J. Dasmarinas
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