“Shepherd your people with your staff, the flock of your inheritance.” The first reading for mass today starts out with these comforting words. Our bishops and the pope carry a staff called a crosier, that represents their role as our shepherds too. It is a visual reminder that the bishops and our pope are our shepherds. They are our leaders that guide us in the ways of truth and of justice and mercy. God is both just and merciful.
Today’s first reading for mass is filled with God’s mercy though. The words are beautiful. They say that God will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our guilt. What beautiful imagery is used, “You will cast into the depths of the sea all of our sins.” Can you imagine the worst things you’ve ever done, tied to a heavy rock and thrown into the depths of the sea? All traces of our sins would disappear forever into the deepest recesses of the ocean, to be forgotten and never called to mind again. What a healing, and peaceful thing it is to be forgiven, both by God and by those whom we have hurt. If we have ever been given this gift of forgiveness by someone that we have hurt, we should remember that, and give this same gift to someone who has hurt us as well.
Forgiveness is an act of God’s grace. We have to be open to His grace though. There are stages to genuine forgiveness. It is possible to experience a premature forgiveness that is not genuine, because we are immediately trying to control our feelings, act civilly toward one another, and “forgive” because we have been told so often to do so.
The prodigal son’s father understood the processes his son would go through. He let him do it and did not try to control his actions. That is the amazing part. How many modern parents would give their child their inheritance just because they asked for it? It’s like the prodigal son’s father already knew what was running through his son’s mind, and what he would do with the money once he gave it to him, and yet he gave it to him anyway. That was one smart father. It cost him half of everything he owned, but it didn’t cost him his son. His son could have held it against his father the rest of his life if the father didn’t do as he asked. The father allowed the son to learn his lesson the hard way, and if he returned to him one day, then it was because he came to his senses and realized he loved his father after all. Their relationship would survive.
Sometimes people have to learn their lessons the hard way, but once they are learned, it is a genuine wisdom they have acquired. A good mother or father allows their children to learn some of their lessons the hard way and they do not overly protect them from their immaturity. Children must be protected and guided but it is a good thing to allow them to make some of their own mistakes, especially if they learn from them.
Our insight into the parable of the prodigal son changes with time. When we’re young, many of us identified with the prodigal son. Sometimes we may have been able to relate to the prodigal son’s brother, who had been good all along but was not rewarded for it. It felt like his brother was actually rewarded for his bad behavior. When we are older, as parents we can relate to the prodigal son’s father. We love our children. It doesn’t matter how much they have sinned, we never stop loving our children and we never give up hope on them. Of course we forgive them, even when they have made some really serious mistakes.
The most prevalent way that many people view the parable of the prodigal son though, is through the eyes of our Father in heaven. God gave us freewill. He respects us and allows us to choose our own path in life, even when it is the wrong thing to do. God does not try to control us the way that most parents do with their children. Free will is a two edged sword and we can make fatal choices, choices that harm us, but God does not protect us from this. The prodigal son’s father did not want to force his son to stay with him or force him to love him either. God is like that too. He doesn’t force anyone to remain with Him, or force them to love Him.
Love is a gift freely given. So is forgiveness. Why do we try to control things so much of the time? We can’t make other people love us and we can not make them forgive us either. All we can do, is to love them, and forgive them for anything they may have done to hurt us, like their refusal to forgive us.
Daily Mass Readings:
Micah 7:14-15,18-20 / Psalm 103:1-2,3-4,9-10,11-12 / Luke 15:1-3,11-32
