24th Sunday of Ordinary Time (C)

• Lectionary Readings from the USCCB

This Sunday’s gospel contains the parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus offers this story as a window into the heart of the Father, revealing to us a God who is not only willing, but eager to forgive us.

In this parable, the Prodigal (Wasteful) Son asks his father for his share of the inheritance, essentially saying to the father, “I wish you were already dead so I can have your stuff.” The father grants the son his desire, only to have the son waste all of his wealth and end up in squalor.

Having hit rock bottom, the son repents of his waywardness and plans to return home and beg his father for mercy. He has no expectation of being received back as a son, but hopes that his father will hire him on and treat him as one of his servants.

What the father does next is the focus of this week’s video reflection…