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GOSPEL | Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,
but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,
"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
So to them Jesus addressed this parable:
"A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father,
‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’
So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings
and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his in heritance on a life of dissipation.
When he had freely spent everything,
a severe famine struck that country,
and he found himself in dire need.
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed,
but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
But his father ordered his servants,
‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
Now the older son had been out in the field
and, on his way back, as he neared the house,
he heard the sound of music and dancing.
He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean.
The servant said to him,
‘Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’
He became angry,
and when he refused to enter the house,
his father came out and pleaded with him.
He said to his father in reply,
‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders;
yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends.
But when your son returns
who swallowed up your property with prostitutes,
for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’
He said to him,
‘My son, you are here with me always;
everything I have is yours.
But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’"
EVERY DAY QUESTION
What struck you? Challenged you? Inspired you? What questions did it raise?
GOING DEEPER
Do you believe God is running toward you, even now?
This parable—perhaps Jesus’ most beloved—was spoken in response to the religious elite grumbling that Jesus welcomed sinners. What unfolds is a story of stunning mercy, and a challenge to every listener: Are you the younger son? The older brother? Or both?
In Jewish culture, asking for your in heritance while your father still lived was a shocking act—essentially saying, “I wish you were dead.” The younger son’s descent into ruin among Gentiles, feeding swine (an unclean animal), is meant to show how far he had fallen. But the moment he turns homeward—“coming to his senses”—the father sees him from a long way off. This detail reveals something extraordinary: the father was watching, waiting.
Historically, the Pharisees emphasized separation from sinners as a sign of holiness. But Jesus redefines holiness not as separation but as redemptive nearness. The father's embrace shatters social and religious expectations, displaying a mercy that restores identity—robe, ring, sandals, celebration.
Modern research supports the power of such mercy: people who experience unconditional love and forgiveness show significant psychological healing and a stronger sense of purpose (Wade et al., 2014). Yet the older son, outwardly obedient, is inwardly far from the father’s heart. He refuses to enter the celebration. Resentment, not rebellion, is his barrier.
The Catechism (CCC 1439) beautifully captures this moment: “The parable of the prodigal son... the center of which is the merciful father: the fascination of illusory freedom... the misery that follows, the return to the father... and the joy of reconciliation. From this story Jesus teaches us that mercy is at the heart of the Gospel.”
Are you willing to come home? Or come in? The Father is waiting.
LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS
Coming home: Are there places in your life where you've strayed from God? What step can you take today to begin the journey back?
Letting go of resentment: Do you ever struggle to celebrate God's mercy in others' lives—especially when you feel overlooked?
Living the Father’s heart: Who is the “lost one” in your life God may be calling you to embrace with mercy and joy?
LIVE IT
Going around, affirm one particular way that person has inspired you by his/her trust in God’s mercy or willingness to extend that mercy to others. Encourage him/her.
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