Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Homily on Saturday, 2nd Week of Lent, 2 Mar 2024, LSCK Chapel, Talamban

We are ending today the second week of our Lenten journey towards Easter. The gospel passage we have just heard (Lk 15:1-3, 11-32) presents to us Jesus narrating the beautiful parable of the prodigal son. This parable is an amazing story that reveals how with great joy God welcomes sinners back with a father’s loving embrace. The younger son in the story, after running away with his inheritance and squandering his father’s wealth regretted all that he had done. And so he retraced his steps and returning home he was welcomed back with open arms by his father.

In this story, we can actually see some kind of “karma” or “gaba” that took effect in the younger son. After spending all his money to enjoy a life full of worldly pleasures he found himself suddenly reduced to poverty and misery. Isn’t that karma or gaba? And for a time he accepted the consequences of all his misdeeds. His pride told him he could still survive the terrible ordeal. And so he was forced took a job at a local farm caring for dirty and unclean pigs, something he never imagined he would ever do in his life. Despite its loathsomeness he had to stand up for what he had decided to do and face squarely its consequences. Di ba kung minsan ganyang-ganyan din tayo? When we commit a big mistake we still stick to it stubbornly. Kasi ang tingin natin tayo lang lagi ang ang tama.

Very soon however the young man came back to his senses and realized how miserable he had become. And he suddenly remembered how good his father was even to their servants doing the menial tasks at home. Overcoming his pride, then, he made a difficult decision to return home and humbly pleaded with his Dad to accept him back as one among his servants, since he was no longer worthy to be called his son.

The good news is that from their house his father had actually been watching outside day and night hoping that his son would eventually return. And when he did recognize him from afar he ran towards him and hugged him repeatedly, kissed him profusely and commanded his servants to bring in the finest robe, sandals and ring. He even gave away a festive blow-out party with a lechon baka, all because he finally had his son back home safe. His son was dead but he got him back alive; lost and now he was found.

What does this story tell us about ourselves and God’s compassion? First, whenever we commit a serious sin we alienate ourselves from God and from the faith community. Not only that we also become a bad influence much like a tiny little germ like the corona virus can contaminate a whole nation and the entire world. The longer we remain in sin the more miserable and the more toxic we become.

But the good news is our misery attracts God’s mercy. This is the second lesson. The deeper we plunge into misery, the more God wants to plunge us into the vast ocean of his mercy. One detail I would like to highlight in the story is the father running towards his wayward son coming home. I find it quite strange and puzzling that he did not even entertain the thought that his son’s return could make him lose even more properties. Or that his son should be punished harshly for what he has done. He could have yelled at him saying sternly “After all that you’ve done…, you are not my son anymore. Kneel down first and kiss my feet before I let you in.” On the contrary what the father did was to run as fast as he could and embraced his wayward son to protect him from village neighbours who might be rushing towards the same direction to have his son killed for setting a bad example for their children. Amazing isn’t it!

Thirdly, God’s compassion is really beyond our imagination. In this story the father seems to be more prodigal than the son. I tried to look up the meaning of prodigal in the dictionary and I found out that the adjective “prodigal” means “spending money or resources freely and recklessly; wastefully extravagant”. In this sense the father was in fact more prodigal because he gave all that his son requested, that is, his share of inheritance (when in fact he was not yet at the point of death), an act that is sheer prodigality. Added to this, when his son came back he gave out a lavish and festive celebration. Isn’t this another show of reckless prodigality? Somehow, the answer is yes. But for Jesus this is God’s compassion at its best. Truly amazing, isn’t it?

What Jesus simply wants to emphasize in this beautiful story is the extraordinary compassion of our heavenly Father, compassion beyond comparison. It is amazingly beyond human experience and human imagination. During this period of Lent may we experience such marvelous compassion from God especially in the sacrament of Confession which Jesus instituted for us. And after receiving God’s forgiving embrace, may we in turn become ministers of his mercy and compassion to many others. GiGsss!

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