Homily

I want to talk about time. In today’s parable the youngest son shows no interest or care in what has happened in the past, or what is happening now in the present. He's had a great life for many years, and he has a great life right now, but all he can think about is the wonderful life he will have in the future, once he gets the money. He is so blinded by his future dreams of glory, pleasure, and excitement that the past and the present mean nothing to him. But then, when the money runs out, he is forced to change his view because the present situation, his physical hunger, is giving him the opportunity to think again. Now, only now, does he see how wonderful and blessed his life was when he was living with his Father. So he changes his outlook for what he wants in the future, because it's no longer about a desire to live on his own in the quest for fun and entertainment. He would rather live as his Father's servant than to spend another day apart from his father’s loving care.

Then, there is the eldest son, who is quite the opposite of his brother because even though he also cannot live in the present moment, but it's not because he is stuck in the future like his brother was; it's because he is stuck in the past. He tells his Father, "You did this, and that son of yours did that, and I am so very good, but you treat me badly...” and on and on. It's easy to see how very angry he is about what he says happened in the past and how it makes him absolutely blind to what is going on right now, and blind to any good that might come out of it tomorrow. He's so stuck on what he sees as past injustice that he has no room for peace or happiness, and certainly not for love. Unlike his brother, he never once uses the title "Father” when speaking to his dad, which was a sign in that culture of great disrespect. When you add to that all the contempt he shows when speaking to his Father and about his brother, you can see there's no hope for him, no room for gratitude today and no place for love in the days to come. He's angry and bitter because of his false sense of history, and unlike his brother, he will not give it up to make a change for something better. He thinks other people have ruined his life, and he's waiting for them to fix it, standing there in anger without a clue.

Finally, there is the Father, and we find in him a perfect balance. It's clear that he has always loved his sons. When the youngest wants to move away, he's truly sad, but he allows him to go. And I imagine him every day and all the time, thinking about him, hoping that he is safe and hoping he will see him again. Rather than trying to force his adult son to stay, he sacrificed his own future hopes and desires for his son by allowing him to go. When this boy returns, he never brings up his own past suffering and sense of loss. He never brings up the foolishness of the boy's past actions. He does not stop to think about what bad things might happen in the future if he takes his son into his arms today. In his great love, which was always there and always will be there, he simply welcomes him with his fatherly love.

Then we see how he treats the other brother. Even when he insults his Father and accuses him of unjust treatment, we don't see the Father thrown off balance. He doesn't argue with this son about the past, and he doesn't promise him something good in the future, nor does he threaten him with something bad. He just wants him to see and understand what is happening right now in the hope that this son would finally open his heart to his brother, and maybe even open his heart to his Father as well, because, despite the fact that this son only sees his Father as a source of cash, his dad still will not give up his love for him, or allow it to be changed by the abuse he is receiving from his son.

Past, present, and future—we live with all of them, but it's how we live with them in relationship to our heavenly Father, and even with our family, friends and neighbors that will show our lives as either balanced or disordered. The future. How do we see it, even though it has not yet come? Is it an opportunity for hope and faith in God our Father, or is it heavy with fears about what evils and disasters may come? And what about the past? Are we tied to the sins that may have been committed against us, as well as with the sins we ourselves have committed? Are we chained to past hurts and failings, or are we free for today, for the present?

Are we willing to live with and for our heavenly Father today? He is the Father who binds up past wounds and pardons our failings. He is the Father who promises to stand with us as long as we wish and to welcome us home forever if we truly want to be there, no matter what we fear the future might bring.... because we are not hired hands, but sons and daughters of the Living God—and every day, every day our Father waits to see us come to Him and to hear the sound of our voices calling to Him.

The coming Lenten season is a time to readjust our lives by repentance for past sins and by seeking the healing of past wounds. It is a time to develop our future goals to grow in virtue and holiness rather than in material goods and self-centered actions. It is the time to look again at where we stand in our life with the Lord in this present time. It is a time for coming home…to the home where we are always loved and welcomed.