Today we hear the famous parable of the prodigal son. When we reflect upon this in the context of the previous two parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, we find similar structures in the stories. First someone has something in one’s possession – a sheep, a coin, a son. Then the object or person is lost or runs away. There is a desperate search for that which is lost revealing the great attachment one has to the lost object or person. Then the coin and the sheep are found, and the prodigal son returns home. Next there is great rejoicing and celebration.
We give thanks that our God is full of love and mercy. We hear in the first reading if how God the Father, time after time forgives the waywardness of the Israelites. God wants us to return to him with our whole heart, mind, body, and soul. We pray that we may seek him through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we encounter his everlasting mercy. May we also be receptive to welcoming back anyone who seeks to return to the Lord despite their own prodigal ways, offering the same forgiveness and mercy that the Lord is ready to grant them.
