Today we celebrate a central fact in the story of salvation: man is a sinner: God is extravagantly merciful and willing to forgive all sin!
In the first reading from the prophet Micah we hear it said that God wants to cast our sins into the depths of the sea – so that he can show he faithfulness to Jacob and grace to Abraham as he swore to our fathers he would do from days of old.
The prerequisite on our part is that we pause, "come to our senses" and desire to turn back to him and live! And so, Jesus, in the gospel passage proposes the parable of the Prodigal Son – the extravagant and negatively reckless son – who squandered his Father's gifts and insulted his birthright.
But we must also view this as the story that of the Prodigal Father – whose love is extravagant and reckless positively – who restores and increases the gifts he gave to his son, telling him that he never really lost his birthright.
All the son had to do was to "come to his senses," rise and return - which he did! And the compassion, love, mercy and forgiveness of the Father were amazing and overwhelming.
In great and small ways, we have, and continue still, to squander gifts from our Father in heaven – may we this day, during this Lenten Season – as a preparation for the celebration of Easter – "come to our senses" – rise and go back to our Father – and be amazed that he welcomes us so readily, so easily, so immediately! The Lord is kind and merciful!
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