March 6, 2021: Saturday of the Second Week of Lent

Today's Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/030621.cfm

“The Lord is kind and merciful” Many times in our lives we have encountered an event or action that may not seem to fit the standards of our Lord. Whether it be turning away from someone who needs help or performing an action that harms another’s wellbeing, we have all made mistakes that can be considered “unholy” or disrespectful to God. Even reading this parable of the lost son, the younger son boldly demands about his inheritance while his father is still living and leaves the family. These two actions were and are still considered to be highly disrespectful to the family. However, in the end, the father welcomes the younger son back by having a celebration while the older son is upset that he was forgiven so easily after his actions.

There is a lot of symbolism in this passage in terms of who the father, the younger son, and the older son represent. The father is presented as God who openly welcomes the son after his sins to the family. The younger son represents the individual who committed the sin. Finally, the older son represents the community. There are many times in society where someone may be deemed unworthy due to the actions they have done against family or the Church. However, we are all human and can make mistakes. God realizes that we are not perfect to do everything right or make the right choice. The community may believe that they have been making the right choices, they are inadvertently disrespecting God by not welcoming the individual back into the community. We as humans have made mistakes and asked for forgiveness at one point in our lives. We have learned that the Lord is kind and merciful and we should be the same with our neighbors.

- Madison Perry, Class of 2021, Caldwell University

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