Being Sundays Gospel, a reading we all know so well. But there are so many messages in this parable. To me the strongest message is..... Jesus will forgive with open arms anything to those who admit they were wrong. I invite anyone to share what part of this parable stuck in your mind.
After mass Saturday night I thought about how he had turned from his wild living, back toward his father, humbled himself, and was forgiven. I wondered about his turning from sin, and at what point it became complete. ...While he was still a long way off, his father ran to him, threw his arms around him, and kissed him... I am trying to envision God the Father running to us, through His Son, and throwing his arms around us by His Holy Spirit, so that we can fully turn to Him and reject what separates us from Him.... Trying to pray more to the Holy Spirit for strength and conversion of heart....
The older brother struck me how many of us behave the same way i know it symbolic of the Pharisees at the time. But it resonates now we are all fallen and need Jesus so much I love this parable
The Prodigal son parable is probably one of the most loved and preached about parables ever. It really doesn't end. We don't know what became of the sons. When I think of this parable, I think of Jesus coming and telling Peter and Andrew, James and John to come and follow Him and they drop their nets and follow Him. He appears before Mathew and he drops everything and follows Him. He appears to a rich young man, who says he is following all the commandments, and Jesus says give up everything, give everything away and follow me. The rich young man cannot give this, will not follow Jesus. Jesus appeared to the apostles and great miracles happened because they recognised the great miracle before them and followed Him. The rich young man did not recognise the great miracle that appeared before him and could not give himself to Jesus. We are the end of the parable of the prodigal son. Our heavenly Father sees us coming and sends Jesus out to meet us, but are we ready to drop ourselves, our great egos and empy ourselves and follow Him? He is looking to do great miracles in us, great healings in us. How often I fall short. Be still and know that I am God. Total surrender, so easy to say and yet difficult to do.
My first promptings when this scripture is read, have always been to understand and recognize that Jesus, when giving this parable, was speaking on a scale that stretched all the way back to Genesis. (The prodigal son) = (the fall of man as a whole), and (the father's action) = (the plan of salvation). Jesus, in telling the story, wanted humanity to know the heart of the father, and the depth of His forgiveness, mercy, and love for us in exile. He wanted us to realize how inordinate attachement to our earthly, temporal lives, to this existence, is not our destiny, and it pales in comparison to the inheritance our Father prepares for His sons and daughters by imparting the sonship of Chirst to us....restoring our relation to the Father for eternity...
The richest of all Christ's parables. Today I couldn't help think of the older son who felt he had been hard done, by . I noticed when he talke dof his brother he called him, 'Your son' in order to distance himself. I had a brother Colm who always seemed to bring bether to my father and mother. Poor Colm , dead now, trouble was his middle name. Eventually the British arrested him and he was sentenced to 14 years in jail when he was just 17. My mother was always running after him up and down to prison every week. One time I recall some of us complained to my mother that she was spending too much time on him neglecting the rest of us. To which my mother replied, 'But he is the one that needs me the most' The perfect mothers answer. Here in this prable we see the see the father giving all his help to the one who needs it the most, the prodigal one. Luke 15 The parables of the lost sheep and of the prodigal son. [1] Now the publicans and sinners drew near unto him to hear him. [2] And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying: This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. [3] And he spoke to them this parable, saying: [4] What man of you that hath an hundred sheep: and if he shall lose one of them, doth he not leave the ninety-nine in the desert, and go after that which was lost, until he find it? [5] And when he hath found it, lay it upon his shoulders, rejoicing: [6] And coming home, call together his friends and neighbours, saying to them: Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost? [7] I say to you, that even so there shall be joy in heaven upon one sinner that doth penance, more than upon ninety-nine just who need not penance. [8] Or what woman having ten groats; if she lose one groat, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently until she find it? [9] And when she hath found it, call together her friends and neighbours, saying: Rejoice with me, because I have found the groat which I had lost. [10] So I say to you, there shall be joy before the angels of God upon one sinner doing penance.
Some will be scarred and have pain for the rest of their lives, however, they will run to the aid of the person who caused the pain if they are in trouble or needed help. This is indeed forgiveness at it's best. Christ was in considerable pain whilst He was being crucified as was His mother. They forgave on the spot, to say that they didn't forgive because they felt pain would be wrong. Mother Mary would have felt intense pain whilst she was burying her son, I bet she wanted to die with him. Yet she had already forgiven, she forgave instantaneously as it was happening. To do otherwise would have placed her outside the will of the Father. Pain is never an indication of how much one has forgiven.
The father represents our Eternal Father. The brother represents the community of God who too need to forgive one who has strayed. The priest gives absolution on behalf of God, but as man he forgives too on behalf of his parishioners, The son that remained was hurting too, his brother had hurt him deeply also. He probably dropped all his own plans in order to get his father through this ordeal. He would have been hurting also, very much.. I know this on a personal level from when my daughter was missing for 6 months. My children put up with a lot from me as I was a wreck. They too cried, and missed her.. It affected one of my son's GCSE's.. The other son kept absconding from school and running home panicking thinking we were all going to suddenly disappear. The son that remained was hurting very much, he wanted his pain acknowledged and to know that he was as important as the other son. He wrongly felt that it was ok to tell his father who he could hold his love back from. The father embraced both his sons, restoring them both.. This parable is also about the unconditional love that we have for all.. I am reminded that I should forgive all others who have hurt me in the same way that I forgave my daughter. What a challenge! This is also what Christ meant when He said, whoever does the will of my father is my mother, my brother, my sister etc.. He was telling us to make no distinction between our own and our community. Gasp! .. To love as God loves.
One method of prayer I use for forgiving is to continuously ask God to bless the offender ie praise Him for the person, and to grant me the grace to rise above the offence. I have experienced great joy and deep growth in this when finally the grace is granted.. so much so that I have often hoped the offender would hurt me again. However it can take some time to see a result and one must be prepared to stick at it... the first time only took a few days.. the last over a year
Oh my gosh!!! I would never want them to hurt me again! .. But I understand what you are saying about forgiveness. I too pray for my enemies on a daily basis, and ask their guardian angels to join me in this prayer and to lift them before God whilst I ask Him to shower them in His blessings. At times, within seconds I have been consumed with peace..
Last night (Sunday) when we got to bed. Randomly, my husband said. "I liked the gospel reading, it makes you think." On that, I asked "Out of the 3 men, what one do you think most about?" Husband. "The older and loyal brother. It doesn't seem fair that he does all the right things and the brother who spent all he had comes back and recieves more (party) than the loyal brother." This made me think again. If I go to mass ever day, go to regular confession, feed the poor and basicly try and live the will of God, I'd like to think I will eventually get to Heaven. (please) So if I am in Heaven, and I see a person I know who hardly went to church, never went to confession and was greedy and never shared his wealth. I might think......Why did I do all that extra, I could have lived the good life? Why aren't I rewarded with more? Well. I better get use to understanding there will be many sinners who called out to Jesus before the end, and Jesus in His mercy will run to them with open arms. Because He is a loving and forgiving Father for all who call Him. And isn't this what we all really want? We have probably got many family members who aren't living a good life, but knowing if they only call out to Jesus, He will run to them with open arms.
Yes. I am starting to understand why Jesus said to pray for those who hate or do wrong to you. If you do this, you start liking the person and they start to change too. It isn't always easy to do this, but it is worth while.
And purely to do this to be Christ like and doing the will of the Father. How are you when your children argue? Do you like it? Don't you just want them to get along, be there for each other, and make allowances for one another? And so it is with God and us..
Yes I know its difficult to understand, but the peace and joy and insights I have experienced when the grace is granted has made me wish I could have had a little more time of hurting and praying for them.. and incidently it is very painful emotionally to pray in this manner, but the resulting spiritual growth is well worth it. I think the delay in God granting the grace could be more to do with me resisting change than anything! I can be awful stubborn sometimes
I am happy to offer my sufferings to God, but I don't go looking for them or desiring them. Having said that, I know that one day when I get to Heaven and I see the souls that I have gained for Christ I shall be ecstatic. I think of this and then am so happy to offer Him things.
I agree with you Mary's child, pain and sufferings are not something we are drawn naturally towards.. and its normal to run away asap..
Oh, you are, we all are leading the good life Jane when we do more. These sinners aren't really happy, theyr'e really very sad , empty, pitiful people despite their show of happiness. I wouldn't go back to being them and leading that life for all the gold in China, despite all that's befallen me. It brought me to Jesus!!!
Oh no. I would never want to go back. I hope I didn't give the impression that I may as well if all I have to do is call to Jesus before the end. I was just trying to make a point that this is how some might think. Big mistake! Once you change your life, whether it was fear in being sent to Hell, or whether it was because of the Love of God. Well. I personally want to keep growing towards Jesus. I changed because of fear of being sent to Hell. Once Mary's Child pointed this out to me. Because she pointed this out, made me realise, I must love Jesus more. I am learning this, and it brings great happiness. Yes Hope. Sinners are not happy deep down. But many want to give you the impression they are.
You just need to get to know Him in the gospels and how he dealt with sinners like us to love him more and more. Then it is no longer about getting to Heaven, but about being with Him.. Also, contemplate his great love for you on the cross. Immerse yourself in this love. Truly amazing, and life changing for all the right reasons. You just contemplate his love for you and then respond to that love.
