THE PRODIGAL SON
JOSHUA 5: 8-9,10-12/ PS 34/ ICOR. 5: 17-21/ LUKE 15:1-3;11-32
FR. DANIEL EVBOTOKHAI
Today is the Fourth Sunday of Lent, it is also called ‘Laetare Sunday’. Laetare is the singular imperative of laetari which means “to rejoice”. It is so called from the first word of Today’s Entrance Antiphon- Rejoice. The Church expresses hope and joy in the midst of our Lenten fasts and penances. It is also the joyful expectation of the Easter mystery. It also reflects the joy in the heart of the Father when he received back his rebellious son. And so, today’s gospel presents us with the well-known parable of the “prodigal son.” This story teaches us about God’s love for us and his willingness to forgive us. Precisely because of this fatherly love, this parable has been wisely labeled the parable of the merciful father.
Again, the word “prodigal” is quite baffling; the only time we possibly hear of it is in the gospel story of today. According to Cambridge Dictionary, it means wasteful with money; often spending large amounts without thinking of the future. It comes from the Latin roots ‘pro’ and ‘agere’ which means “forth” and “to drive”. It indicates the quality of a person who drives forth his money, who wastes it by spending with reckless abandon. So, anyone who wastes money with reckless abandon can be said to be prodigal. Another word for prodigal is wasteful, reckless, dissolute, extravagant and uncontrolled. Lent is a season of discipline, let us rise up like the prodigal son and return to the father for proper management, love, care and protection. There are ways into this:
CONFESS YOUR SINS: The son says in the Gospel “Father I have sinned against heaven and before you”. Confession of sins is an essential part of reconciliation. He realizes himself and asked for mercy. When we realize our faults, what do we do? Do we persist in our pride and arrogance or trace the path of reconciliation? When Nathan spoke to David, immediately David admitted his sins and asked for mercy. The woman caught in the very act of adultery did not shift blames; neither did she argue or deny. Some come before God like the Pharisee in Luke 18:12 to declare themselves righteousness. Don’t hide your sin at the confessional; you cannot even hide it from God. If a man hides his sickness from the doctor the sickness may hide him. Confession is the door to spiritual health and healing. Like the prodigal son don’t deny yourself this grace.
REJOICE IN THE LORD: Today we are called to rejoice, and the bible says in (Is 66:10) “Rejoice with Jerusalem! Be glad with her, all you who love her and all you who mourn for her. … Rejoice in Jerusalem and leap for joy in it, all her friends! And Phil.4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. We are called to rejoice in the Lord and not in the world. The world’s joy is fleeting , but the joy that comes from God is lasting. Lasting joy is not found in prodigal living but in the Father’s love.
THE PRODIGAL AMBITION Somehow, we all possess this foolish ambition to be independent; either from God or from our parents. Some young boys and girls think that their parents’ house is a prison for them, they want to be free, they want to have time to go out; club; meet friends etc. Many admire distant lands, they are tired of family routine, they admire the scene out there and some left the Church. Little did they know that there is no place like home. Many who left the Church realized themselves like the prodigal son that they were hungry and thirsty of the Catholic liturgy; they needed to eat the True Body and Blood of Jesus. They were tired of the noise; drama and plays in the house of God.
RISE FROM THAT PIT: The young man realized that he has fallen; he has been in the ditch eating with swine, when the servants in his father’s house eat well. We too must realize that in sin we have fallen from grace. No one departs from the Father and live in grace. John 15:5 says “…apart from me you can do nothing”. Failure is not falling; failure is the refusal to stand. Whenever we fall let us rise. Jesus fell on his way to cavalry yet he rose. It is in the habit of man to fall, but we can acquire the habit of saints by rising. In rising we experience the grace to carry on. We rise when we go to confession. The saints were washed; Rev. 7:14 says the saints are those who washed in the blood of the lamb. Let us rise.
In Luke 15:17 the bible says “finally he came to his senses and said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have plenty of food? But here I am, starving to death!” in verse 18 he spoke saying “I will rise and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” The repentance of the prodigal was real. It was not a mere sentimental regret, not a momentary flash of sorrow for a bad past. It was a godly sorrow. 2 Cor.7:10 godly sorrow leads to salvation but world sorrow leads to death. This man returned home; let us rise and return to God. It is a call to rise and return to our first husband (Hosea 2:7). In the first reading God took away the reproach or shame of the Israelites and gave them better life. God always look out for ways to wipe away our shame, to remove disgrace from us just as he removed shame from the prodigal son. We have hope! Rise!
RETURN TO A NEW LIFE: At his return the gospel says the father ran towards him and immediately he was dressed up in robe. The robe is a symbol of new life. Anyone who goes to confession experiences this new life –inner joy. There is the feeling of rebirth, and St.Paul says in the second reading of today; in 2Cor 5:17 if anyone be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature old things have passed away. Beloved in Christ let us embrace this new life. Allow the old things to pass away. Allow the malice to go, end pride, slander, hatred, gossips, lies, and anger.
TO PARENTS AND CHILDREN: We remember parents today. Especially as we celebrate Mothers’ day today. HAPPY MOTHERS’DAY TO ALL WOMEN. On this day I understand the uneasy in raising children; the rift with those insisting on their due; I understand the struggle to curtail their excesses especially when they want to sleep outside at night, especially when they go out with their friends and come back home with clothes torn, I understand how many children even wants their parents dead so they can take over their father’s property, some are ready to use their parents for money rituals; like the prodigal son many have gone to distant lands; many are not in touch with their parents. We pray today that they may return back to their senses and come to God.
