24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
This weekend we pray for the happy repose of the soul of Queen Elisabeth the second who died on Thursday may she rest in peace. It is hard to believe that she was head of state for the UK and the commonwealth countries for 70 years and now we have King Charles the third and we wish him well in the task ahead. In our reading from the Gospel of Luke on this Sunday we hear the story of the Prodigal Son. This story is about the mercy of God as well as us seeking the mercy of the father. Many people today become so entrenched in their opinion on many subjects that they see no other point of view apart from their own and find it impossible to come back or start to take the steps to return. At times the steps necessary for our walk back to the Father may seem too many and too arduous for us and we hesitate even to make the first move.
Perhaps it is only when we see, like the Prodigal Son, that we are then willing to rouse ourselves to say sorry and to take the path of conversion that leads to the merciful embrace of our heavenly Father. When we make even the slightest effort in sorrow, with God’s grace, it is then we see the Father waiting with love to embrace us and welcome us home. Rejection of the love and presence of his father, in the communion of life and love as a family, was a terrible choice for the prodigal son. He desired things over people, his share of the inheritance in preference to a life in communion with the father who gave him life and loved him. He wanted the father to be as if dead to him. Having said that let us remember that God celebrates every time that we return to him. Jesus said, “I tell you that there will be more celebration in heaven over one sinner who repents then over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”
The tax collectors and sinners did not come to hear the Pharisees and scribes, because they knew that they would find only judgment. They came to hear Jesus, because he was happy that they wanted to change their lives. God did not give up on them and he does not give up on us in the ever present difficulties of our daily existence. He will not give up on us, calling us to him personally Seeking us out. Nor does He give up on anyone, even those who have been far from the faith. He calls us all to join Him in the joy of His Presence, the Joy of the Banquet of the Lord. The return of those who have had been away is a time for celebration. The cause of their leaving no longer matters. They have returned. The family is back together. We need to celebrate. We remember that no matter who we are or what we have done all of us need the loving mercy of God in the same way as the prodigal Son needed the mercy of his Father who welcomed him back with open arms.
Fullerton T 