2025/03/30 SCRIPTURE REFLECTION
Fourth Sunday of Lent
- Christa Kingsley, Manager of Social Justice & Outreach
Growing up in a large family with loving parents and four siblings, I was blessed to witness firsthand the power of parental love and forgiveness. My family experience of having both older and younger siblings makes this parable of the Prodigal Son that much more real to me. Every time this Gospel is proclaimed, I find myself empathizing with a different character; sometimes it is the older son, other times the younger son, and sometimes the father. This parable stirs up many thoughts and emotions in my mind and heart, and it continues to spiritually challenge me to this day.
There have been some years when I have fallen prey to the resentment felt by the older son towards his younger and less responsible brother. The older, ever dutiful son has spent his life pleasing his father through obedience, hard work and sensible decisions. Where does this resentment come from? Perhaps, the older son doubted his father would be so generous and easily forgiving. And there are other years when I related to the younger son, someone who is struggling to find the right path in life and realizes poor decisions has distanced himself from his loving father. Yet the younger son finds the courage and humility to return home and ask for forgiveness. And to the surprise of the returning son, the father responds with immense compassion, generosity and love, that great sense of relief and gratitude I feel when forgiven of my shortcomings.
When I became a parent, my perspective of this parable changed, and I began to align myself with the father. Today I strive to emulate the father’s love, mercy and generosity that he freely shared with his children. Jesus paints a picture of God the Father that eliminates any doubt of just how much He loves us. I feel we need to be open to receive all gifts from our generous God as His precious sons and daughters. Through prayer and the sacraments, we can receive the grace and courage to ask for His greatest gift, His Son Jesus. I pray for the wisdom and patience to receive my “inheritance” from God. I often remind myself of the father’s generosity displayed in this parable and the younger son’s feelings of relief and gratitude that, despite my own poor decisions, I too can humbly return to God and seek forgiveness for my mistakes. He is always there to embrace me and to welcome me home.
So, when I hear the Prodigal Son Parable this Lenten season, I will try to embrace the lessons from both sons by not becoming bitter towards God by comparing my challenges in life to others. I must remind myself that this life is not “home,” so I need to continue to deepen my relationship with Jesus and grow closer to God the Father as I make my way home to Him. Which one do you relate to this Lenten season? What action(s) will you choose to move closer to your heavenly home?