The Journey Home:
Finding Joy in God's Mercy
I often find myself drawn to the Parable of the Prodigal Son during the season of Lent. In this powerful story, Jesus reveals the very heart of God's relationship with us. A father watches as his younger son demands his inheritance early, essentially wishing his father dead, and then squanders everything in dissolute living. Yet when this son returns home, desperate and humbled, the father doesn't wait for apologies or impose conditions. Instead, he runs to embrace him, clothing him in fine robes and throwing a celebration. "This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found," he proclaims with unrestrained joy. What a profound image of divine mercy!
The father's boundless love mirrors God's overwhelming desire to welcome us home, no matter how far we've strayed. Just as the father in the parable watched the horizon daily for his son's return, so too does God eagerly await our homecoming. There is no sin too great, no distance too far that can separate us from this perfect love. The father's extravagant welcome - the robe, ring, sandals, and feast - reminds me that God's forgiveness is never half-hearted or begrudging, but abundant and complete.
Today's first reading from Joshua shows us another homecoming. The Israelites, having completed their forty-year desert journey, celebrate Passover in the Promised Land and eat of its produce. The manna ceases; a new chapter begins. Like the prodigal son, they have journeyed from slavery to freedom, from wandering to belonging. God has removed "the reproach of Egypt" from them. This mirrors our own Lenten journey as we move from the wilderness of sin toward the promised celebration of Easter.
Saint Paul's words in the second reading beautifully complement this theme: "Whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." The reconciliation Paul speaks of is precisely what we witness in the prodigal son's story. God, through Christ, "has reconciled us to himself," not counting our trespasses against us. Like the father who runs to embrace his wayward son, God actively seeks reconciliation with us. We are given the "sacrament of reconciliation," becoming ambassadors who share this message of boundless mercy with others.
It is fitting that we reflect on this parable today, on Laetare Sunday. This Fourth Sunday of Lent offers a moment of joyful anticipation amid our penitential season. "Laetare" means "Rejoice!" and signals that Easter is drawing near. The rose vestments worn today symbolize this joy breaking through the purple of Lent, much like the joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The father's exclamation - "we must celebrate and rejoice" - beautifully captures the spirit of Laetare Sunday and reminds us that true repentance always leads to joy.
As I continue my Lenten journey, I am struck by how this parable challenges me to examine both my own need for mercy and my willingness to extend it to others. Am I like the prodigal son, needing to return home to the Father? Or perhaps I sometimes resemble the elder son, resentful of God's generosity toward others? The father's words to his elder son remind me that God's mercy doesn't diminish when shared—there is always enough love for everyone. "All I have is yours," the father says, inviting him to the celebration. As Easter approaches, may we all accept the invitation to this feast of mercy, rejoicing with heaven over every sinner who returns to God's embrace.
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
