Loving Arms

In The gospel reading for the fourth Sunday of Lent we hear the story of the Prodigal (lost) son from Luke’s gospel 15: 1-3. 11- 32.

In this well known parable which Jesus told, a young son goes to his father and demands his share of the inheritance? The son then goes off and squanders the money on fast living and ends up hungry and takes work feeding pigs. Having reached rock bottom he returns to his father to say sorry in the hope he can enjoy the comparative luxury of being treated as one of the servants. What he didn’t realise is that the Father was constantly on the look out for his son’s return and when he sees his son coming in the distance rushes out to embrace him without even waiting to hear the apology.

The elder son was like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day without mercy who criticised the father for welcoming the younger son back to his status in the family. He would not join the celebrations.

Lent is a time for owning up to our mistakes knowing that that we are children of God and he loves us. It’s never too late to return to sanity and fraternity, to realise what is ugly and wrong in our lives. Like the father in the story God is distraught when we go astray. No sin is greater than Gods love, however, for those willing to leave the pig sty and run into the Father’s loving arms.

There is a way out of the pig sty and into the light. It starts with an honest examination of conscience leading to realisation and sorrow and a quest for forgiveness from the Father who waits with arms outstretched. In the words of Pope Francis the name of God is mercy.

There is the wonderful story related in the film Ghandi when a Hindu confesses to killing a Muslim child at the time of partition and social upheaval. He is broken for what he has done when full realisation dawns on him. Ghandi tells him there is a way out of his hell. To find an orphaned Muslim child and bring him/her up as Muslim.   

There are millions of innocent children killed in their mother’s womb and many who campaign under the false banner of women’s rights who campaign for abortion on demand as we saw this week when the UK Parliament voted 1015 to 188 to keep DIY abortion post covid following a telephone consultation with a doctor – even minors. Let’s be clear. This is killing babies (even by minors) with a minimum of supervision! Abortion warriors are far from the Father’s loving arms.

And contrary to the peace which Ghandi stood for we see killing, wounding, starvation, privation and displacement of millions and the bombing homes and civilian areas and even war crimes committed in the Ukraine.

Surely it’s time for the perpetrators of these atrocities to return to being human beings, to carry out reparation and seek forgiveness.