Heavenly Father's Compassion & the Prodigal Son

"Father, I have sinned against heaven, and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of our hired workers."

Honest words of a truly repentant sinner.

Then the father’s response of great compassion:

"..when he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him; and was filled with compassion.....; then his words, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe, and put it on him; put a ring on his finger, and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Let us celebrate with a feast because this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ "

We are quite familiar with this Story of the Prodigal Son. Every so often we are reminded with this touching story each time we hear of this Gospel Reading. And the graphic imagery in our mind of the story, the setting, and the drama of it all could be enough to indeed touch us, and teach us the moral of the story.

But the Church, and our Lord want us to unmistakably understand the compelling message of God about our sins, and of his Divine Mercy when we are sorrowful of our sins.

And so what are we being told regarding the prodigal son? Two things: first that he blundered terribly, and has fallen so bad. He found the folly of the lifestyle of living in the fast lane, of venturing out in total freedom for which freedom he was not yet prepared to handle. Second, when it happens we have greatly wandered off our path, it happens like double jeorpardy the world out there will not help us, it will only all the more block all the ways to our right path. And this spells in no uncertain terms real misery and sadness. Yet, with Divine Mercy already working for us, under that situation God will surely prompt us to the only one sure maneuver to finding our way: namely, acceptance we have terribly erred, we have terribly sinned; and the most honest humility to ask God the Father’s compassion for us. The prodigal son expressed this. And we, as sinners, are also reminded of the same scenario, in case we find ourselves in the shoes of this Prodigal Son. One way or another, and in whatever time of life we would be facing some great and irreparable mistake of our life. Yet during such eventuality we are like the prodigal son humbly admit of our miserable condition, and courageously ask God for forgiveness.

Then what message are we being told with the most compassionate father in the story? One irrevocable truth about God, namely the Divine absolute, unlimited, and most generous forgiving mercy and compassion, and caring for anyone, who is most honestly turning back to God. Unlike human or institutional pardon, which carry burdensome parole status or social stigma, God’s forgiveness is complete and all the way. Once, forgiven, it’s a clean slate with God. No Divine bugging of the faults of the past. Surely, the case which is reflected by the all compassionate embracing by that father of the prodigal son in our story.

To end this reflection, the season of Lent is all about the above: admission of our sins, and a most open trusting of our God the Father that he as our Father is ever our only recourse and remedy on occasions we found ourselves in the pit. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.