Homily: March 7, Saturday of the Second Week In Lent (Endless Love)

 “Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.”

When I read this Gospel, sometimes I ask myself honestly: If I were that father, how would I respond?

Of course, I would be happy that my son returned home. But I don’t think I would be this happy. First I might want to hear his apology. I might remind him of the mistakes he made. And since there is another son at home who is angry, I would probably try to be careful not to appear too generous.

But this father does something completely different. He does not wait for explanations. He does not ask questions. He does not punish. He runs toward his son, embraces him, and restores him with dignity.

To understand how radical this is, we have to remember the culture of that time. In Jewish tradition, children received their inheritance only after the father’s death. For this younger son to demand his share early was like saying: “Father, I wish you were already dead.”

Yet when the son returns—after wasting everything and reaching the lowest point of his life—the father does not reject him.

Instead, he gives him three signs of restoration:

the finest robe,

a ring,

and sandals.

God receives us not because we are worthy, but because He loves us.

Sometimes in life we feel rejected by others. Sometimes we even struggle to accept ourselves because of our past mistakes. But God never stops waiting for us.

God still looks down the road, waiting for our return.

His love is endless. His mercy is unconditional.

Our sins brought His Son to the cross—and even that He forgives.

God simply wants us back.

So the message of this Gospel is simple:

No matter how far we have gone, the road home is always open.

All we need to do is return.

And when we do, we will discover that the Father has been waiting for us all along.

Amen.