Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The story of the prodigal son is likely a very familiar tale for all of us. The young son asks for his inheritance in advance, and promptly spends it all in an irresponsible and unvirtuous way, before making his way home to ask, not to be taken back as a son, but to be given the job of a servant. The father, seeing him at a distance, runs to meet him, greeting him not with anger and resentment, but as a gift that has been returned. Just as we can easily see the errors of the younger son, so we are meant to see him as a reflection of ourselves. All of us have in some ways wandered away from the inheritance God has given to us. To know that the Father is always waiting for us, always looking for us to return, and to know that when we do come back, when we repent, the Father runs to meet us with love and mercy is a comfort beyond words. In Lent, each of us is invited to see that we are prodigals, that we need mercy, and we are reminded that the mercy of our heavenly Father never runs out. We can always come home.

Often lost in the story or glossed over as a correction offered to someone who is too judgmental, is the interaction the elder son has with his father. Confused by the welcome his brother has received this faithful son does not join the celebration. Notice that his words about his brother are spoken truthfully, and he is even free enough with his father to articulate his frustration. We should see something of ourselves in this faithful son. If we have been consistent with our practice of the faith, if we’ve been trying to keep on the straight and narrow, we might feel a bit put out when we see others seeming to receive blessings, graces, or answers to prayer that we don’t see reflected in our own experience. But listen to how the father acknowledges and receives his son. “My son, you are here with me always. Everything I have is yours. But now, we must celebrate and rejoice…” Our fidelity to God does, in fact, have a reward. Everything the Father has belongs to us. Further, as we see sinners returning, the Father invites us into His celebration, to share His joy. We must celebrate and rejoice, for God’s grace operative in the world is something for us to share. Every sinner can become a saint, and every saint is so only because they have recognized that they are sinners in need of God’s love and mercy.

If you attend the 11 AM Mass this weekend, you won’t hear the prodigal son Gospel, but rather the story of the man born blind. This story is read for those catechumens (non-baptized persons who are preparing for baptism at the Easter Vigil) and candidates (baptized persons preparing to be received into the Catholic Church) who celebrate the second Scrutiny today. Recognizing our spiritual blindness, we ask God to open our eyes of faith so that we can enter into life. As a Christian community, we also pray for those who wish to join our community, that with this shared vision of faith, they would know God’s love more profoundly, and be joined to us in spirit and truth. Please continue to pray for our catechumens and candidates as they prepare for the Easter Vigil, and mark your calendars. Saturday, April 19, our Easter Vigil celebration, the most important liturgical celebration of the Church’s calendar, will begin at 8 PM. Join us that evening to celebrate with our catechumens and candidate, and to welcome them into full communion with our parish community and into the universal family that is the Catholic Church!

Peace,

Fr. Sam