The 1st reading reveals to us that the Lord’s plans will be carried out in His time; a plan to prosper his people. It took them 40 years to realise this.
In the 2nd reading, says that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person and the old life is gone. It is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ.
In the Gospel, we see a parable of where Jesus gives a vivid picture of God our Father and of his mercy. He is always on the lookout for those who have a change of heart and wants to return. He rejoices in finding the lost and in welcoming them home.
The parable of the Prodigal Son gives us a picture of the steadfast love of our Father.
The prodigal son, the tax collector and the sinners were in fact lost ones. Jesus befriends them; He comes in search of the sinners, awaiting their return.
“I have loved you and you are mine.” We may have spent much time, effort and money getting ourselves into trouble as did the son in today’s parable. Regardless, we can be assured that God will gladly spend much more to get us out of it. He is truly a Prodigal Father to us all.