Sunday, September 16, 2007

Fr. James's Sunday Homily

God Will Always Forgive
The parable of the prodigal son is by far one of the most beautiful narratives of the Holy Bible. The conduct of the father in the parable reveals to us the love and mercy of God. The father not only welcomes his prodigal son, but also celebrates his return with immense joy. "But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15: 20).



The prodigal son's decision to leave the father's house and to immerse himself into a life of rebellion, clearly illustrates the nature of sin. Every sin is an abuse of human freedom. When we sin, we defy God who loves us unconditionally. The consequences of sin are always disastrous. Every sinner always experiences profound sadness. "So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine" (Luke 15: 15).



The hunger that the prodigal son experiences indicates the anxiety and emptiness that we feel when we are far from God. We can never be ourselves when we sin. Sin will always bring us to our lowest state and cause us to even become perverted if we were ever to persist in a life of sinfulness.



"And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything" (Luke 15: 14-16).



The prodigal son experiences the profound sadness that sin causes. He turns away...( Continued here)

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