My reflection is from Living Faith:
While he was still a long way off, his father caught side of him… Luke 15:20
“The parable of the Prodigal Son is a powerful story of sin and forgiveness many of us may relate to the younger son who has made such a mess of his life and returns to his fathers home in abject humiliation.
Yet the absolute surprise of the story is the father, who has been waiting for his son and finally sees him coming from ‘a long way off.’ The father rushes to his son embraces him and welcomes him even before the sun can make his confession.
God is waiting for us, watching for us, hoping for us to return when we wander off. We humans might want to let the son stew in his own juices for a while, but God rushes to forgive.
What an affirmation of God’s mercy. His ways are not our ways. Thanks be to God!
Holy spirit, let me trust always in God’s mercy and help me extend that mercy to others. ” Greg Erlandsen