When we listen to the words of the Gospel, we should always apply them to ourselves. We should ask, "What character in this story am I?" We are never Christ, except when we share his sufferings or feel the joy and love that he feels. But we are almost always able to apply the lessons learned from those who are shown as sinners, repentant or those who do not understand or reject Christ.

we are like the prodigal son

     In this parable, for instance, we are like the prodigal son. We have received such grace and beauty from God. We have been created from nothing, given life and even crowned by being the greatest sign of God's authority and power by being "in his image". We say "in his image" not because we are like God in some static natural way, but because we are like God in that we have been created for life in his perfect image, Jesus Christ. But throughout human history, and in our own life story, we leave aside our perfection in Christ to follow the passions, sins and wastefulness of the world. Like the prodigal son, we end up dirty in the mud of our own disordered desires, impoverished in heart and yearning for the good, solid heavenly food given by God the Father. It is truly an amazing thing-if we seek the nourishment that God gives in the body and blood of Jesus Christ, we are returned to our divine sonship, we, all together become the body of the great Son of God, Jesus Christ.

we are like the jealous son

     But much worse than being like the prodigal son, who realizes his need, is to be like the jealous son. He has remained in his father's house, eaten his food and does not feel thankful to his father; he simply becomes jealous when his brother is rewarded for returning. His problem is that he has forgotten how very good it is to be with his father. He gets jealous because he does not have enough love for his father or brother. And this is commonly the way we are when we go to Church. We receive the body and blood of Christ, yet turn around and think we can decide for God (the Father) who He should be merciful and kind to. Our attitudes are secretly saying within us, "You have done everything right; who deserves what you deserve? How dare God let this sinner return to his table and receive his hospitality." Brothers and sisters, we must never be stingy and small minded like this.

let us all accept mercy together

     If we realize that we all have sins like the prodigal, even if they are secret and seem small to us, then we will never be jealous out of a lack of love for God and our sisters and brothers. If you want to question God's mercy and forget that you yourself need it, then even the priest must stand with the unworthy, and we would all be silent, put away the communion, close the Church and go home to await God's damnation. Let it never be so!! But no one could ever be so great among us, as to question God's mercy. But we all are to love this beautiful Father who accepts us before we even get close to him. He takes us into the Church before we even know how to pray or even can see or understand who he is standing far off.

     This God is so gracious to us that he has sacrificed his immortal and most beautiful Son for us. This God is so generous that he doesn't care how rich, honorable and exalted He is. He still sent his Only Son to be killed by those who were too important in their own eyes, and too important by worldly standards to even recognize that God's mercy and the rich banquet of God's love stood in front of them in Jesus Christ. They could not recognize that God would give his mercy to sinners. And so they did not recognize Christ: who came to give the rich food of his love and teaching to prostitutes, tax collectors, fishermen and peoples of other nations who the Jews felt were impure and ruined their neighborhood.

     If we think we have been living with God and yet we do not find love spilling out of our hearts for any and every human being, let us go find those sins within ourselves. Our sins are like secret things within us that make us distant from and unable to see God's love-that make us more like the prodigal. When we have searched out those sins, let us walk back with the prodigal from that "far country" so that we might see God in a new way, with repentance; so that we might be warmed by his mercy. We have been receiving God's mercy up close through the blessings received in Church, but in our hearts we were far away. Sometimes our whole week is spent doing nothing to seek God: how do we expect that we will have any idea who God is for the two hours or twenty minutes we spend at Sunday Liturgy? We spend more time watching a sports game, or going to work and back.

     Come back to God. Leave the famished wasteland of this world. Come to receive God's welcome at the Liturgy. Seek God's mercy in prayer, secretly within your heart. Ask God, "how can I leave my passions: anger, lust, pride, despair, coldness, agitation, emptiness, or whatever they may be. Send me your mercy.

Let me be your child, let me receive life in Christ, and 'taste the fountain of life' and the solid food of your love."