THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines "prodigal" as recklessly extravagant, lavish, yielding abundantly, profuse. The term can be used both in the positive and negative sense. The younger son in the parable was extravagant in a negative way while the father was extravagant in a positive way.

The favorite Christian symbol of the Early Church was of a joyful shepherd carrying a sheep in his back between the shoulders. The image showed clearly the heart of God in His readiness to welcome repentant sinners. It brings to light the Gospel truth of a good and rejoicing God (Shepherd) and His previously terrified sinners (sheep) restored to His fold.

Free will is God's gift to each and everyone of us. Our gift of free will is always with us. Everyday of our lives is filled with moments calling for decisive action. Whether we respond to satisfy our worldly desires as instant gratification or to honor a conviction/value which may require discomfort, pain and sacrifice depends upon the exercise of our free will. Even in extreme circumstances as in concentration camps or prison halls, our choice of action is at play. As Viktor Frankl, scientist and survivor of Auschwitz said," Between the stimulus and response is a space - a space where you have the power of choice to act, as whether to give a dying man your only day's meal of a bowl of soup or not."

In the parable of the Prodigal Son, the younger son freely asked and received his inheritance, left his home for parts unknown and squandered his money on loose living. The son believed that he deserved his inheritance and that his father owed him his inheritance. Likewise, some of us children of God have the mistaken notion that we deserve and merit the blessings that are given to us. It is folly to think of God's gift as debts owed to us! This is a sinful state, a departure from the true essence of God's love. Such a state will undeniably lead to the ruin of man by sin.

The father in the parable complied with the younger son's wish to get his inheritance for immediate use. This compliance, though rarely granted in Jewish society, showed the father's attitude to the freedom of choice. It showed his willingness to do things out of love. It is this unconditional love that caused him to welcome wholeheartedly his "wayward" son which must have caused him undue pain and worry. The father in this parable represents God whose incomprehensible, unchanging and unconditional love for His people is beyond understanding. He welcomes each and everyone of us who truly repents back into His fold. How truly great is our God !!!

This parable always brings to mind, one of my favorite daily prayers :

The 23rd Psalm

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want
In verdant pastures, He gives me repose,
Beside restful waters He leads me; He refreshes my soul
He guides me in right paths for His names's sake
Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff that give me courage
You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows
Only goodness and kindness follow me all the days of my life
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come.