Welcome Home

A Reflection on the Gospel for March 31st, 2019:
​Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Luke 15.1-3, 11-32

All the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to Jesus. And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So he told them a parable: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.’ So the father divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and travelled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.

“When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. The young man would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything.

“But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.”’

“So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him.

“Then the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly, bring out a robe — the best one — and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ And they began to celebrate.

“Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. The slave replied, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.’

“Then the elder son became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, ‘Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’

“Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”

---

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

The prodigal son did not realize that his father loved him so very much. He asked his father for forgiveness for leaving home and for squandering his inheritance because he simply had nowhere else to go, no resources left, and no one to turn to.

How surprised he must have been to be received so royally, given a robe to wear, sandals for his feet, and a ring signifying that his authority over the household was restored. Moreover, the fatted calf was killed to celebrate his return!

We may not necessarily have gone to the extremes the prodigal son did, but we have on so many occasions turned our backs on God and have put so many things and people ahead of Him. How many times were we late to mass and yet we would never think of being late for an important meeting with our bosses? Or how many times have we put off going to mass at all because we wanted to finish that mystery or thriller on TV? Even in church, sometimes we cannot keep our hands off our cell phones to read the text that just came in, taking our focus away from God.

Yet, God our Father loves us and forgives us all the time even if we do not ask Him to. His mercy is overflowing, His providence for us is boundless and His love is endless and truly immeasurable because He is Love.

"His mercy is overflowing, His providence for us is boundless, and His love is endless and truly immeasurable because He is Love."

Tweet

We do not realize how vast His love is for us to have given us His only son, who would suffer so that we may all be saved. As with the father’s lavish welcome to his prodigal son, God’s response to us is over the top! There was a feast and celebration for the son’s return. So it is with us! Everything that His beloved Jesus does is so special for Him, so Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was enough for the Father to restore us all to His favour. We should therefore respond with gratitude and with a realization that God’s plan for us is to have us all live happily with Him in heaven. This sounds so much like a catechism statement, but that is the truth! We have to reflect on it and work our way toward heaven and also bring others to heaven with us. That is the simple truth.

These words from a popular Chris Tomlin song come to mind:

You’re a good, good Father
It’s who you are, it’s who you are, it’s who you are
And I’m loved by you
It’s who I am, it’s who I am, it’s who I am

Because you are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways
You are perfect in all of your ways to us.

Liz Venezuela

---