Here and Now with Francis 5/12/16 (prodigal son, mercy, love, forgiveness, Christ, dependence)

By Anonymous

Our condition of children of God is fruit of the love of the Father’s heart; it does not depend on our merits or our actions and, therefore, no one can take it away, not even the devil! No one can take away this dignity.

From the homily
How beautiful is the Father’s tenderness! The Father’s mercy is overflowing, unconditional, and it is manifested before the son speaks. The son certainly knows he has erred and he acknowledges it: “I have sinned … treat me as one of your hired servants”(v. 19). But these words dissolve in face of the Father’s forgiveness. His Father’s embrace and kiss make him understand that he was always considered son, despite everything. This word of Jesus encourages us never to despair. I think of mothers and fathers in apprehension when they see their children distancing themselves, entering dangerous ways. I think of parish priests and catechists who sometimes wonder if their work was in vain. But I also think of those who are in prison, and who think that their life has ended; of all those who have made mistaken choices and are unable to look at the future; of all those who hunger for mercy and forgiveness and believe that they do not merit it … In whatever situation of life, I must not forget that I will never cease to be a child of God, of a Father who loves me and awaits my return. Even in the most awful situation of life, God awaits me, God wants to embrace me, God awaits me. [...] The sons can decide whether to unite themselves to the Father’s joy or to refuse. They must question themselves about their desires and about the vision they have of life. The parable ends leaving the end in suspense: we do not know what the elder son decided to do. And this is a stimulus for us. This Gospel teaches us that they were are all need of entering the Father’s house and taking part in His joy, in His celebration of mercy and of fraternity. Brothers and sisters, let us open our heart to be “merciful like the Father!” [full text]

Popular posts from this blog

Front Matter (Preface) The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky

By Anonymous
Image
The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky Verily, verily I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. John xii,24 Preface I N STARTING out on the life of my hero, Alexei Fyodorovich Karamazov, I feel somewhat at a loss. By this I mean that, although I refer to Alexei (Alyosha) as my hero, I am well aware that he is by no means a great man, and this leads me to anticipate such obvious questions as: “What is so remarkable about your Alexei Karamazov that you should choose him as your hero? What exactly did he accomplish? Who has heard of him and what is he famous for? And why should I, the reader, spend time learning the facts of his life?” The last question is the fateful one because all I can answer is: “You may find that out for yourself from the novel.” But what if they read the novel and are still unconvinced that my Alexei is a remarkable man? I say this because I sadly anticip...
Read more

Library Booklist (H:cSt)

By
Image
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison   Anna Christie, The Emperor Jones, The Hairy Ape by Eugene O'Neill   The Chosen by Chaim Potok   Dissolution by C. J.  Sansom   Richard II by William Shakespeare   The Reef by Edith Wharton   The Fifth Son by Elie Wiesel   Meet Mr. Mullner by P. G. Wodehouse
Read more

Library Booklist (H:cStb2)

By
Image
Dostoevsky by Nicholas Berdyaev   The Inklings by Humphrey Carpenter   The Guggenheim's: The American Life by John Davis   The Prime of Life by Simone de Beauvoir   Bernadette of Lourdes by Rene Laurentin   Lives of the Artists by Vasari   The Wandering Scholars by Helen Waddell   One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty
Read more