Fourth Sunday of Lent - Laetare Sunday

Fr Dominic’s Homily

Today is Laetare Sunday and is the half way point through lent towards Easter. (A bit like Gaudete Sunday in advent) The colour of the vestments represents joy.

And this ties in nicely with the theme of the Gospel today. We have the story of the prodigal son. Prodigal referring to his loose lifestyle when he squanders his father’s inheritance. Excessively extravagant. But perhaps a better title would be the story of the merciful father because this is what the main theme is.

So there were two sons and the younger one wants his father’s inheritance now so that he can enjoy his life without any responsibilities attached. So the son takes the money and goes. He implies that he doesn’t want to be part of the family. He goes to a far and distant land.

We see from the beginning of history that sin is always about leaving. Satan sins and is expelled from heaven, Adam and Eve sin and leave the garden.

The term “being in a state of grace” really means being in the Father’s house, living with him, being in communion with him, enjoying and living off his property.

What is the opposite of the ‘state of grace’? Living in the state of sin. Which is where this son goes to live. He leaves the Fathers house to a strange country, where he fritters away his goods, where he loses grace and begins to live in sin.

He has obviously travelled far from home because he works on a pig farm and there weren’t many Jewish pig farmers close to home. But he is in a place where there is nothing to live on – he is in a place of sin.

He has reached such a low point that he has to come to his senses and says I will arise and return to my Father. There is a theme of Death followed by resurrection throughout this story.

So he goes back. He returns to the house of the Father. Now, notice that he must first make his confession. In fact, he repeats to himself as he goes “I have sinned against heaven and against you.” There can be no banquet, there can be no robe, no ring, and no fattened calf – without confession.

At funerals, and at particularly solemn Masses I always make this announcement “if anyone hasn’t been coming to Mass regularly, or to confession regularly please come for a blessing. And cross your arms etc…” Why make this announcement? Because before the banquet, the first act of returning to the house of the Father is sacramental confession.

We are presented with the merciful Father but imagine if the son had pushed passed the Father, killed the fatted calf and eaten the banquet. The father wouldn’t be quite so merciful! First confession then the joyful banquet. First confession, then Holy Communion.

The Father, we hear, is awaiting the return of his son. And what does he say when he appears? Well he doesn’t say “I told you so” In fact the opposite. The son relays the speech he has rehearsed – father I have sinned against heaven and against you..

But the Father even interrupts his speech. Quick, kill the fatted calf, get the best robes. We are going to celebrate. He seems to give a disproportionate response. Because the son was dead but has come back to life, he was lost and is found.

So the story is about spiritual death and spiritual resurrection. You would think the story would end here. But there is an epilogue. We hear about the bigger brother. Whom we all feel a bit sorry for. He becomes angry. And refuses to go into the father’s house.

He says I have served you all this time and never disobeyed you. But by saying this he betrays his very problem. God doesn’t want slaves. He wants a loving relationship.

He says that you never even offered a kid to celebrate with my friends with. Notice he doesn’t say to celebrate with his Father. He betrays his relationship with his Father. He continues – but this son of yours. He tries to distance himself. To cut himself off from the Father.

But the Father dismisses this distancing by saying – my son all that I have is yours. It’s right that we should celebrate with your brother. He calls him back into joy.

Let us pray that we can see God in the right way and live this accordingly. And may we always try to remain close to the Father this lent as we journey closer to Easter.