The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most well-known and best-loved of all the parables. I believe this is true because we easily identify with each of the characters in this beautiful story of love and forgiveness. Most people associate themselves with the prodigal son; however, the characters of the father and the older son are also rich and relevant for our lives. In this homily, I want to lead you through a reflection on each of the characters so that you might see their presence in your own heart and might come to a deeper rejoicing in the mercy that God wishes to share with us.
The meaning of the word “prodigal” provides insight into the personality of youngest son. It means “a person who spends money in a recklessly extravagant way”. His request of the father in the beginning of the parable is offensive. He says, “give me the share of your estate that should come to me”, meaning, “give me my inheritance that I will receive when you die because I don’t want to wait that long.” Mysteriously, the father does exactly what he demands, giving the inheritance to both sons. To make this offense even worse, the younger son waits a few days before setting out. During this time, he could have changed his mind, he could have apologized, but he does not. He travels far from home, wasting his inheritance by indulging in any and every worldly, sinful indulgence. His inheritance was not something he earned, it was a gift of his father’s generosity, sacrifice, and hard work and he throws it away freely and completely.
When exhausting the gift of his father on these sinful pleasures, the prodigal son is left unsatisfied. Despite filling his days and nights with everything money can buy, he is utterly empty, hungry, and alone; three things humans dread. In desperation, he works among pigs and longs to eat the garbage that is fed to them. This is made more pitiful when we realize the son was Jewish and that pigs were considered unclean and to be completely avoided. It is hard to imagine this son getting any lower than he is right now. He had everything he could ever need and he foolishly threw it away.
If we pause for a moment here, it should not be difficult for any of us to relate to the prodigal son. At baptism, we received the very life of God into our souls as original sin was cast out and sanctifying grace swept over us. We had everything we needed to spiritually make our way to heaven as sons and daughters of God. But this gift came at a price; God the Father sent his Son to die for our sins so that we might be saved. There is no greater sacrifice he could have made for us! However, how many times we are not content with this incredible gift. How often we come to God with that same bold request to receive our inheritance so we can spend it as we please. Whenever we sin, we say to God the Father: “Let me take the gifts you have given me, with all of the pain and sacrifice they have cost you, and use them however I want.” Anytime we take the gifts of God and use them for purposes apart from him, we will end up empty, desperate, and isolated by sin.
Happily, this is not the end of the story. When the younger son hits rock bottom, he comes to his senses. He realizes that even the lowest servant in his Father’s house has all that he needs and more. The son resolves to return home, no longer as a son but as a servant. If his father accepts him back as a servant he will be grateful. This mature insight comes as the result of his suffering and happens only after the glamour of sin has vanished. He turns his back to his sinful life and begins his journey home.
While he was still far away, the Father spots him, runs to him, and embraces him. How many days the Father must have looked for his prodigal son, waiting for his return, and yet seen nothing? How easy it would have been for him to give up, to grow bitter, to let this inconsiderate child suffer the consequences of his poor decisions? But the father doesn’t do any of these things. He doesn’t wait for the son to limp back to him, he runs to him. He doesn’t command his son to his knees, he embraces him and kisses him! After the son acknowledges his wrongdoing and his unworthiness, the Father forgives everything and commands his servants to bring the best of what he has and clothe him in it and prepare the finest meal to eat. The Father rejoices in his son’s return and reinstates him as a beloved son and heir. Even though his child had lost everything given him, even though his child deeply wounded him, the father forgives and then celebrates this reunion. This father’s love desires that his children be united safely with him; this trumps even the hurts and mistakes that his son has committed.
The loving forgiveness described here is incredible! Those who are parents might feel capable of this to some degree but to absorb the hurts and insensitivity of a prodigal child without bitterness is a gift only God can give. Sadly, we have all been prodigal sons and daughters throughout our lives in various ways and to certain degrees. As we return to our senses, we should always ask for forgiveness from our Heavenly father, most especially in the sacrament of confession, where he embraces us and welcomes us back into the household of faith. We are also called to exercise the forgiveness of the father towards those who have hurt us. Each of us have been forgiven a great deal and all that God requires for his gift of pardoning our sins, is that we in turn forgive those who sin against us. Therefore, it is important for us to reflect deeply on the forgiving heart of the Father in today’s parable, because it is his heart that we are called to imitate. We are called to watch and wait and pray for the return of those who have separated themselves from us by sin. We are called to embrace those who seek our forgiveness and to be extravagant in pardoning their wrongdoing without the bitterness or desire for revenge that often overcomes us.
Finally, we come to the older son, who has been obedient all his life and loyal to his Father. When he hears the sounds of celebration throughout the house and sees the fatted calf headed for the slaughter, it is all too much for him to bear. He becomes angry, pouts, and refuses to enter the house to see his brother or his joyous father. Once again, the father seeks out the one who is alone and pleads with his older son. When the son angrily responds to the Father’s plea with a list of his brother’s sins and a complaint that he never even got a party with his friends, we see that his heart is filled with jealousy and greed. In some ways, the sins of the older son are more dangerous because they are concealed and they have been festering in his heart for many years. His bitterness does not allow him to see the bigger and better picture: that his brother who was lost to sin, has repented and returned. In his self-pity and self-righteousness, he is unable to participate in his father’s joy.
Perhaps we too have had this same experience. Maybe we have been good Christians, loyal sons and daughters and have been outraged when the prodigal sons in our lives return and receive forgiveness. Perhaps we have pouted as we ran through the reasons they didn’t deserve the mercy they received and how we felt put out. Or we felt like they were forgiven too easily, that they really didn’t earn it. But this is small-minded, human thinking. None of us is completely righteous or without sin. Each of us is a prodigal son or daughter because all have sinned and turned away from God at some point. Not only should we rejoice every time a brother or sister is reconciled, all of us are called to imitate the loving father in today’s parable because we have received that extravagant forgiveness in our own lives.
Let us return often to this beautiful parable of the prodigal son, which teaches us who we are, how we have been forgiven and what we are called to do. Let us never forget that we have first received mercy from God and we should rejoice in the opportunities to share that forgiveness with others. Finally, let us pray daily for those who have wandered far from God and family through sin that they may know the peace of reconciliation. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, his mercy endures forever!
