Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20

Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12

Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,

but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,

“This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

So to them Jesus addressed this parable.

“A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,

‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’

So the father divided the property between them.

After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings

and set off to a distant country

where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.

When he had freely spent everything,

a severe famine struck that country,

and he found himself in dire need.

So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens

who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.

And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,

but nobody gave him any.

Coming to his senses he thought,

‘How many of my father’s hired workers

have more than enough food to eat,

but here am I, dying from hunger.

I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,

“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 your hired workers.”’

So he got up and went back to his father.

While he was still a long way off,

his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.

He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.

His son said to him,

‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;

I no longer deserve to be called your son.’

But his father ordered his servants,

‘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.

Then 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.’

Then the celebration began.

Now the older son had been out in the field

and, on his way back, as he neared the house,

he heard the sound of music and dancing.

He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.

The servant said to him,

‘Your brother has returned

and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf

because he has him back safe and sound.’

He became angry,

and when he refused to enter the house,

his father came out and pleaded with him.

He said to his father in reply,

‘Look, all these years I served you

and not once did I disobey your orders;

yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.

But when your son returns

who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,

for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’

He said to him,

‘My son, you are here with me always;

everything I have is yours.

But now we must celebrate and rejoice,

because your brother was dead and has come to life again;

he was lost and has been found.’”

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are my merciful Father always ready to embrace me when I return home. Comfort me in your arms and wipe my tears away. Do not let me forget how good it is to be in your house.

Encountering the Word of God

1. God will Cast All our Sins into the Sea: God does not want the sinner to remain and die in their sin and works untiringly to restore his children to life when they have strayed. When we return to God with humility and a contrite heart, God removes our guilt and pardons our sins. The image used by the prophet Micah is very vivid: God will tread our guilt underfoot and cast our sins into the depths of the sea. The Gospels teach us that the reign of sin and death is over, for Jesus has conquered both. In fact, in the Book of Revelation we are told that the sea, the place where our sins are cast, “was no more” (Rev 21:1). There is no place for sin and death in heaven, the dwelling of God’s love. The passage from Micah ends by recalling God’s faithfulness to the covenants made with Abraham and Jacob. Even though we fail and are unfaithful, God remains faithful to his covenant and seeks to bring us into the New Covenant of Christ’s blood.

2. The Merciful Father: The characteristics of God in the Book of Micah apply perfectly to the father of the two sons in today’s Gospel. On the one hand, God the Father delights in clemency and has compassion on sinners; on the other, the father in the Gospel parable shows mercy and compassion toward both of his sons. He welcomes his prodigal younger son, runs toward him with open arms, and restores him to sonship. He leaves the feast to plead with his indignant older son to forgive his younger brother and enter into the feast to celebrate. Whether we have sinned like the younger son by our greed and sensuality or sinned like the older son by our pride and anger, God the Father is ready to welcome us back into his embrace and household. The return of the sinner is not a cause for judgment but for rejoicing. Even though it is difficult, we need to imitate our heavenly Father in his mercy and welcome our brothers and sisters back into God’s household with joy.

3. Which Son Are We? Jesus has taught us that we will be judged as we have judged others. And in the Lord’s Prayer, we pray that God forgive us our trespasses – the debt we have incurred due to sin – as we forgive those who trespass against us. If we show mercy to others, God will show mercy to us. Sometimes we can reduce Jesus’ parable to the return and forgiveness of the prodigal son. This forgets the fact that the parable is addressed to the Pharisees and scribes who are acting like the older son. When we hear the parable, are we like the younger son, who needs to repent from sin and return to the Father’s house? Or are we like the older son, who is angry at his Father’s mercy toward his brother?

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, your parables continue to speak to me and reveal the mysteries of God and the Kingdom. Help me to be merciful like you and your Father. When I struggle to repent, move my heart with your grace. When I struggle to forgive, soften my heart with your grace.

Living the Word of God: What are my main sins? If I list them out, am I more like the younger son or the older son? Do I need to be forgiven today like the sons in the parable or do I need to forgive someone today like the merciful father in the parable? How can I seek forgiveness or be merciful today?