2ND WEEK OF LENT

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

“Dad!” Chris looked up in surprise to find his son, David, calling him from a car window. Five years earlier, Chris had left his family without warning and ended up a poor homeless man living on the streets. But now, in a stroke of good fortune, David happened to spot his dad as he was driving downtown. Upon reuniting with his son, Chris confessed that his pride had kept him away for so long: “I didn’t want to come home with nothing.” But David replied, “That’s when you’re supposed to come home!”

Like the story of the prodigal son in today’s Gospel, reunion stories like Chris and David’s are compelling. God created us to live in unity, so any tale like this one resonates. This is also why, no matter how many times we hear about how the father in today’s Gospel “ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him,” we are always deeply moved (Luke 15:20).

Though many prodigals have been reunited with their families, far too many are still isolated and distant. In addition, there are also many “older brothers and sisters” who struggle with choosing mercy over bitterness and vengeance when a loved one finds the courage to come home.

No matter where we find ourselves, today’s Gospel urges us to “come home.” Whether it’s returning to the Church or to an estranged loved one, Jesus is inviting us to take the next step toward reconciliation. At the same time, he is also urging us to be like the father and welcome back into our lives those who have become separated from us.

Is something holding you back from this kind of reconciliation? Are you afraid of the reception you might get from those you have hurt? Or perhaps sadness over your separation has clouded your perspective so that you can’t imagine opening your arms and your heart to the returning “prodigal.” Today, take one step closer to forgiving and embracing, and see where the Lord takes you.

“Father, show me the way home to you!”

Micah 7:14-15, 18-20
Psalm 103:1-4, 9-12
Luke 15:1-3, 11-32