“Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.”
On this fourth Sunday of Lent, we are called to return home. This call is echoed deeply in the voice of the prodigal son who upon coming to his senses, said to himself: “I will arise and go to my father.” The hunger of the prodigal son reflects that deep longing in us which no earthly food can satisfy, that hunger for which St. Augustine writes: “Our hearts are restless until they rest in God.”
The call to return home is foreshadowed in our first reading, wherein we see the people of Israel under the leadership of Joshua finally settling down in Gilgal. For the first time after four hundred years, they were no longer to feed on manna but on the fruit of the land of Canaan; the land flowing with Milk and Honey. Manna was a symbol of their rebellion in the desert, a symbol of sojourning across the desert. We have so many lessons to learn today.
1. We are only pilgrims on earth.
Sometimes we travel in the wilderness, bound to heaven. When you think about and hear the news about all the problems the world faces today, you can't help but realize that we are in the desert. All the world has to offer us is only the best manna. This is why Jesus was not attracted to Satan's offer of an earthly kingdom. Jesus knew that the nations under the heavens were a wilderness compared to the glory of heaven.
The prodigal son represents our desire to seize and seize the material pleasures of the world.
The fact that he wasted everything he had in such a short time shows that everything the world has to offer doesn't last long. Money loses value, beauty disappears, things break, fame declines, and love soon turns into hate. etc… After all, nothing is permanent on this earth! We must never forget our true homeland. heaven.
2. All sins are fornication
Whenever we value the things of this world more than God, we act like the prodigal son. Sin always seems very attractive and beneficial at first. God respects our freedom if we choose to go in that direction. But we did not have time to stumble and realize the pain and sorrow of our folly.
In the end, what he promised us would enjoy for a long time apart from his father soon turned into hunger and poverty, and we felt that we could live better in our father's house. That is, we are in the comfort zone of obeying God's commandments. Like the children who often stand in front of their father's yard, the grass in the neighbor's yard is always greener. We believe we have something to gain from sin, and we begin to see God's house as a burden rather than appreciate our place in God.
3. Sin lowers us to the level of slavery.
Sin not only destroys the life of God within us, but also deprives us of our dignity, making us think less of ourselves. Like the prodigal son who forgets who he is and gets a job on a farm, sin causes us to have a low view of ourselves. I don't think the more we sin the more we can resist temptation.
No matter how deep the sin, no matter how much pork you eat, you still have a chance to go home. Therefore, St. Paul encourages us in today's second reading. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and the new has come… God created him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
(2 Corinthians 5:17 & 21)
4. A father is a silent murderer. They were no longer satisfied with what they had. The older son was alone while the younger son decided to see what was there. He also wanted to go out, but his father wanted to do good, and his obedience was not sincere. So when the youngest son returned, I thought I was deceived.
He felt the boy only went out "to have fun." Many of us are like older brothers. We try to avoid sin, but inwardly we believe that we can gain something by sinning. Our obedience becomes a matter of pretense, not persuasion. It is not enough just to avoid sin. We should not envy those who have fallen into sin. Lacking the joy of keeping God's commandments? Then it was time to repent and return home.
5. God eagerly awaits our second coming.
Just as his father made a great feast for the prodigal son, so God will make a great feast for all sinners who turn his way and turn to God. There is more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who do not need to repent. Jesus says, “While the prodigal son was still far away, his father saw him, and had compassion on him, and the knight ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
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