Reading I
Mi 7:14-15, 18-20
Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock of your inheritance,
That dwells apart in a woodland,
in the midst of Carmel.
Let them feed in Bashan and Gilead,
as in the days of old;
As in the days when you came from the land of Egypt,
show us wonderful signs.
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt
and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever,
but delights rather in clemency,
And will again have compassion on us,
treading underfoot our guilt?
You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins;
You will show faithfulness to Jacob,
and grace to Abraham,
As you have sworn to our fathers
from days of old.
Gospel
Lk 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.’“
Meditation: Luke 15:1-3,11-32
While he was still a long way off … (Luke 15:20)
The prodigal son took the father’s money and squandered it all. He had nothing to show for it but the ravages of his self-indulgence and extravagant wastefulness. Most likely, he was dressed in rags, filthy, and emaciated. He had no way to clean up, no way to repay his father, and nowhere else to go. And so he approached his father’s house, cautiously and terribly aware of his offenses against his father. It only makes sense that he would be nervous and fearful about how his father would receive him.
The boy was “still a long way off” when the father sighted him. Evidently, the father had been on the lookout for any sign of him. And as soon as he saw the boy, he ran to greet him. Try to imagine the scene: a well-to-do landowner, probably very well dressed, running with arms extended to embrace a dirty, ragged young man hunched over with weariness and hunger. Imagine this dignified man hugging the boy, showering him with kisses, and calling for rings, robes, and a feast. Without a single word of reproach, he accepted his son’s repentance and celebrated his return: My son is alive! He’s back!
What a moving image of how our heavenly Father treats us! He always keeps his eye out for us. He is unfazed by our condition. The rags and filth that might cover us don’t fluster him. He isn’t just waiting for us to come to him, keeping a cool demeanor until he hears just the right tone of sorrow or remorse. No, he runs toward us! He longs to embrace us, to treat us with mercy, and to rejoice at our return. It doesn’t matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done. All that matters is that we’ve come home.
It can be easy to dismiss these images as a romantic fable of repentance and forgiveness. But Jesus wasn’t a starry-eyed dreamer or a spinner of fairy tales. He spoke divine truth. Your heavenly Father really does love you this much. He never holds your sins against you. He is always eagerly waiting for you to turn to him more deeply. Even now, he is running toward you, longing to put his arms around you and welcome you home.
“Father, I trust in your kindness and mercy. Thank you for opening your arms and welcoming me home!”
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