Parable Of The Prodigal Son Offers Many Lessons

Today at Mass (as I write this) we heard again about the Prodigal Son. It is a wonderful story with many lessons, and I will try to point out a few for reflection.  There are three primary players – the father, the prodigal son and his brother.

    If we play the part of the father, we are reminded to always look for those who have turned away from God that we might be instruments in their redemption.  As the prodigal son, we must always remember that God keeps a watchful eye for us – no matter our actions – so that we might be reconciled to Him on that last day.  As the brother, we are made aware that we should not hold jealousy in our hearts for those who find their way back to the fold, no matter their previous actions.  It is up to each of us to remain steady in our labor.

    If we place God as the father in the story, we are reminded that it is He who watches for us intently, always ready to bring us back into the fold no matter how condemning our previous actions.  With God as the prodigal son, we come to realize that God is in our fellow man; and we are reminded of our callings as Christians to follow the beatitudes.  I personally do not see God in the brother – except for the fact that he remained steadfast throughout the years and experiences some very human emotions when faced with his brother, who all but declared his family dead when asking for his inheritance before his father’s passing.

    The story reminds us also of our calling as Church to reflect on the above – and on a very grand scale.  Each of us makes up a collective body that is called to walk a difficult path in that we are often called to live contrary to our human understanding of justice.  We are called to see through the just eyes of God, which is to say that we are not to condemn anyone for the simple fact that we cannot see into their hearts.  We are called only to be faithful servants of our God.