We are very familiar with the parable of the Prodigal Son. And yet, the story presents itself anew every time it is read. Depending on where you are in your life’s journey, something from the text strikes you. For example, if you are a parent of a son or daughter who has strayed, you may empathize with or admire the welcoming father. Perhaps you are the Prodigal Son. Further, maybe you are the sibling who has mostly done right, following the rules. Whatever or whomever you relate to, this parable hits home in some way.
Hoping to Remember
My teenage daughters and I had the habit of bringing a journal to mass every Sunday for many years. In it, we would voraciously write down anything from the homilies and readings that we hoped to remember. After I read today’s gospel reading, I was curious to see what we wrote about back in 2019, the last time these readings cycled through.
Interestingly, the notes from that entry said, “The greatest thing we can have as Catholics is God’s mercy.” And that, “the Prodigal Son is an image of hope.” Since I’ve written about mercy a couple of times here on GVM, I am going to focus on hope.
What is Hope?
The Catholic Answers website has this response to say about Christian hope: “According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Christian hope is ‘the Theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of grace of the Holy Spirit (CCC 1817)’.” It goes on to recommend Benedict XVI’s encyclical, Spe Salvi.
The father in the parable is a symbol of God’s love for us. Today, I challenge you to be the father in this story—to someone who needs welcoming arms and encouragement; to someone who has strayed, or worse someone who has hurt you and caused you pain. And if you cannot do this just yet, I urge you to pray for the grace in order to do so. And then, imagine yourself, running into the arms of our Father above. He is welcoming YOU, waiting for YOU, yearning for YOU.
