First Reading (Micah 7,14-15,18-20)
Reading of the Prophecy of Micah.
Shepherd your people with the staff of authority, the flock of your property, the inhabitants scattered throughout the forest and cultivated fields; let them enjoy the land of Bashan and Gilead, as in the old days. And, as it was in the days when you brought us out of Egypt, make us see new wonders. What God is there, like you, who blots out iniquity and forgets the sin of those who are the remains of your property? He does not hold grudges forever, what he loves is mercy. He will once again have compassion on us, forget our iniquities and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea. You will remain faithful to Jacob and have compassion on Abraham, as you swore to our fathers from ancient times.
– Word of the Lord.
– Thank God.
Gospel (Luke 15,1-3.11-32)
Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
— Glory to you, Lord.
At that time, publicans and sinners approached Jesus to listen to him. The Pharisees, however, and the teachers of the Law criticized Jesus. “This man welcomes sinners and dines with them.” Then Jesus told them this parable: “A man had two sons. The younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the inheritance.’ From the place, who sent him to his field to take care of the pigs. The boy wanted to starve to the food that the foods were eating, but not even. He left and he returned to his father. When he was still far away, his father saw him and felt compassion. He ran to meet him, hugged him, and covered him with kisses. The son then said to him: ‘Father, I have sinned against God and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But the father said to the servants: ‘Quickly bring the best tunic to dress my son. And put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring a fatted calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found’. And the party started. The eldest son was in the field. When he returned, close to home, he heard music and the sound of dancing. Then he called one of the servants and asked what was happening. The servant replied: ‘It is your brother who has returned. Your father killed the fatted calf because he recovered it healthy.’ But he was angry and didn’t want to go in. His father, leaving, insisted on him. He, however, replied to his father: ‘I have worked for you for so many years, I have never disobeyed any of your orders. And you never gave me a goat to celebrate with my friends. When this son of yours arrived, who squandered your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ Then his father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; He was lost, and he is found.”
— Word of Salvation.
— Glory to you, Lord.
Reflecting the Word of God
My dear brothers and sisters,
Today, we are given the opportunity to reflect on one of the most powerful and touching parables in the entire Gospel: the parable of the prodigal son. Before we dive into its meaning, I invite you to think about a time in your life when you felt lost, distant or removed from something or someone you deeply loved. Maybe it was a mistake, a hasty decision, or even a difficult time when you felt disconnected. What today’s Gospel teaches us, with its message of forgiveness, reconciliation and mercy, is that, no matter how lost we may be, there is always a way back to the Father’s house.
In the First Reading, the prophet Micah offers us a portrait of God as the Shepherd who cares for His flock with tenderness and mercy. He tells us about a God who does not hold grudges, who never tires of forgiving and who always wants to restore what was lost. “Who is a God like You, who forgives iniquity and does not bear a grudge forever, because You delight in mercy?”, Micah tells us. This passage reminds us that God’s mercy has no limits and that, when we sincerely repent of our mistakes, He is always willing to welcome us with open arms.
Now, as we delve into the Gospel, we see this mercy of God manifested even more clearly. Luke’s gospel presents us with the parable of the prodigal son, one of the best-known and loved stories in all of Scripture. She tells us about a young man who, after receiving his share of the inheritance, leaves for a distant land and wastes everything on a life of momentary pleasures. Upon realizing that everything he had was gone and that he found himself with nothing, he decides to return to his father’s house, regretting his actions.
But what impresses me most about this story is not so much the son’s mistake, but the father’s reaction. When the father sees his son in the distance, he runs to meet him. He doesn’t wait for his son to arrive, he doesn’t recriminate his son, he doesn’t lecture him. Instead, he runs and hugs him and kisses him, saying, “This son of mine was lost and is found.” The father’s joy is so great that he organizes a party to celebrate the return of his lost son.
This image of a father running to meet his lost son is one of the most touching portraits of God’s love for us. He waits for us, He welcomes us, He forgives us. No matter how much we have messed up, our heavenly Father will always be ready to welcome us back with love and mercy. And, the most incredible thing, is that our return to Him does not depend on our merits or how “clean” or “ready” we are. God’s love is unconditional, and He accepts us as we are, with all our flaws, weaknesses and limitations.
At this point the parable may seem simple, but there is something much deeper going on here. The prodigal son does not return just because of the hunger or misery he is facing. He comes back because, deep down, he knows there is something more in his father’s house than he could find anywhere in this world. He knows that his father’s love is more valuable than any fleeting pleasure or any material possession. When he returns, it is because he recognizes that his father’s love is what really matters.
This return of the son is a metaphor for our own return to the heavenly Father. Many times, we move away from God, either because of our sins or because of the distractions of the world. We seek to fill our hearts with things that seem attractive to us, but which, in the end, leave us empty and unsatisfied. Like the prodigal son, we discover that what we really need is the Father’s welcoming embrace, His mercy, His forgiveness. And when we return to Him, we realize that He was never far from us, but always waiting, ready to welcome us back.
But the Gospel does not stop there. There is another important figure in this parable, the older brother. He, upon seeing the party being thrown for his brother, becomes angry and refuses to join the celebration. He doesn’t understand his father’s joy, as he feels wronged. He believes he has always been faithful, always done what was right, and therefore should be rewarded. The father, however, responds with a profound lesson of love: “My son, you are always with me, and everything that is mine is yours. But it was right for us to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and came back to life, he was lost and is found.”
The older brother represents those who sometimes feel indignant when God’s mercy is extended to those who do not seem to “deserve it”. He challenges us to reflect on our own attitude towards others. Often, in our judgment and pride, we forget that we are all equally in need of God’s mercy. The Father’s true love makes no distinctions. He is always ready to forgive, to welcome, to restore. And we, as children of God, are called to imitate this unconditional love, not to judge and to welcome others with the same merciful heart that God has for us.
Here, my brothers, there is a clear call: we must not place ourselves above others, as the oldest brother did. We must learn to celebrate the return of those who are far away, as the father did. We must learn to live God’s mercy and, in our daily lives, extend this mercy to others. If the Father welcomes us with so much love, how can we, his children, refuse to welcome others with the same love?
So what should we do now? First, we need to look at our own lives and ask ourselves, “Am I distant from God? Have I acted like the prodigal son, moving away in search of pleasure or selfishness, without realizing that, deep down, what I need is God’s embrace?” If the answer is yes, remember: the Father is at the door, waiting for you. He is not waiting for you to be perfect, He is waiting for you to return, for you to seek Him, for you to recognize His mercy.
Secondly, we must reflect on how we react to others. When someone walks away and then comes back, what is our attitude? Will we rejoice at the return of our brothers or will we feel indignant, like the older brother? A true Christian is one who imitates the Father’s love, one who welcomes, forgives and celebrates reconciliation.
May the example of the merciful father inspire us to live with more love, more acceptance, more forgiveness. May we always be a light for others, offering them the warmth of our embrace and the depth of our forgiveness, just as God does with us every day.
Let’s pray now, asking God to give us the grace to experience His mercy and to be instruments of that mercy in the world. Lord, we thank You for Your immense love and Your infinite patience with us. Help us to live like the Father in the parable, always welcoming and forgiving, and to be like the prodigal Son, always willing to return to Your embrace. Amen.
