Of all Jesus’ parables, the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) is perhaps the most profound. The story is more that of the prodigal father, who is extravagant when it comes to his sons. The sons are prodigal in failure; the father in generosity. The story is familiar. The younger son asks for a share of his father’s estate. He wants a life apart. In effect, he says: “Give me my part of your stuff, Dad. I’m going to take off and live alone.” His father obliges and the young man departs for a distant country, quickly squandering his inheritance. He is soon destitute and chastened by his intemperance. He returns home, prepared to acknowledge to his father that he has failed and no longer deserves to be called his son. The younger son has come to his senses. He is content, even eager, to be treated as no more than a hire hand. But he is in for a big surprise, as we will all be. God is greater than our sins.

Luke writes that while the younger son “was still a long way off, his father caught sight ofhim, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him (Luke 15:20).” He calls for a feast to celebrate his son’s return. The older son protests that hehas never disobeyed his father or given him grief. This is true, but the older son is trying to find his legitimacy in obedience, not love. He does not know about simple relationships; and the Bible is all about relationship. When we do not have a living relationship, we often try to substitute it with duty and obligation.

“Everything I have is yours (Luke 15:31),” the father insists. What a marvelous response andimage of God! God is like a prodigal father who welcomes his son without explanation. No questions are asked about why the son is returning home; no apology is requested. He throws his arms around him and invited everyone to celebrate because his son who “was dead has come to life again; he was lost and has been found (Luke 15:24).” This is not just a son, but a returned son. It is when we return that we know how important union is, what strength and joy relationship gives. It is one of the most consistent messages of the Bible. It is in losing that we discover what we have. Alienation is not the end of the world. It is the way we commonly come to God. Most biblical figures are transformed sinners, not people who walk a straight line to God. That is not the path.

This parable of the prodigal son and father has power to change us because it names human relationships so perfectly. We see ourselves in both sons. We try to live autonomously, yet that eventually leads to alienation and unhappiness. Slowly we gather our truth and our identity. But we are also capable of being the older son who prides himself on his orthodoxy but is unable to celebrate and enjoy a free gift. So we end with an amazing story of one son who does it all right and is wrong, and another son who does it all wrong and is right! In the end, we never learn whether the elder son attends the banquet, but we do know that the Father continues hoping that his son will come and not live in resentment or superiority toward his brother who has done it all wrong. It is an invitation to all who have perhaps been good Catholics (a.k.a older sons) but may also lack compassion and forgiveness.