From pastor’s desk on the Fourth Sunday in Lent, year C
This Sunday’s gospel reading concerns the parable of the prodigal son. Our Blessed Lord Jesus addresses this parable while telling us about His mission to the world, that is the salvation of sinners. It is the mercy of God the Father that is at the center of this story. The parable is placed in the 15th chapter of the gospel of Luke, which means it is more or less in the middle of the gospel. In other words, it is at the heart of the gospel of Luke. We should think that where we find it, is certainly not by chance. Perhaps, our Lord Jesus wants to tell us something very important—that God is good and merciful. He does not want the sinner to die but to live. This is expressed in the words of the father from the parable: "now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.”
From early on, the parable has been interpreted as humanity straying in general, by disobeying God and going away to the land of chaos, which is sin. This story can also be applied to each individual soul, who chooses to live far away from “home.” The home of the Father is obviously the life of grace. The moment we choose to live without God, we leave the Father’s house and “squander [our] inheritance on a life of dissipation.” Without God we only find misery and hunger for more things until we come to realize that we need to go back to the Father. What helps us go back is our contrition and sorrow, which leads to humility and seeking forgiveness.
In this particular parable, both sons had the wrong image of their father. It is really the Father who is the most important character of the story. In fact, right at the center of the parable we hear about the Father who “caught sight of [his prodigal son], and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” It is the Father who did everything else for his repented son. The son did not have to say anything, the good Father already knew everything, for he was moved by compassion and longing to see his wounded son again. Hence, the Father commanded the servants to throw a party and restore his younger son to his lost dignity. The Father also pleaded with the older son, who was unrepentant and blinded by his pride. The Father shows great concern for him as well. The Father wants his older son to see that forgiveness and compassion are essential for creating true communion (union with) the human family.
This parable of Jesus is an open invitation to all of us; first, to repent and seek forgiveness from God. Secondly, it is an invitation to receive each other in the full communion of life and love. All these are realized in the Community of the Catholic Church which offers the sacraments of reconciliation and the Eucharist; the latter is the sacrament of unity with the Lord and with each other.
As we come closer to the celebration of Easter, try to do a thorough examination of conscience and find an opportunity to go to the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) remembering that the Merciful Father is waiting for you with a loving heart.
Please, pray for the end of war in Ukraine and for peace in the world. Have a blessed week.
Fr. Janusz Mocarski, Pastor