LUKE 15:11-24 THE PRODIGAL SON
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.’
REFLECTION:
Imagine a child of yours asking for his inheritance now without regard for your future wellbeing and demonstrating he only cared about the material goods you could provide…resentment may be the response of many parent….some may even write the son off….maybe tell him to never show up here again…all those negative feelings that are so natural but the Father in this parable, a stand in for our Heavenly Father, filled with grace and compassion never gave up on this prodigal son..
The Prodigal Son, apart from the Father, wallowed in a life of sin and squandered everything…no mere mortal came to his aid…he longed for nourishment but none was available apart from the Father…finally convicted in his conscience by the Holy Spirit he came to his senses…he willed to return to the Father…I will say to my Father, “I have sinned against heaven and against you…I no longer deserve to be called your son”…while he was a long way off…his Father saw him…rushed to meet the prodigal son, embraced and kissed him…
The Father was looking for his beloved son…every day…Our Heavenly Father seeks us every day….His outreach is unlimited…except if we put up a road block…God respects our free will more than any other gift He has given us…He loves us and wants us to share in His Divine life of love and peace but won’t force us…
The Father of the prodigal son in his love for his son orders material signs of that love….the Father clothed him in the finest garment and ordered a feast for this son who was dead and has come to life again…he was lost and has been found….so it is with God when we turn from sin and return to the Father…He places a wedding garment on our shoulders and welcomes us to the wedding feast….
SILENT PRAYER
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