Fourth Sunday of Lent - March 31, 2019

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Joshua 5:9a, 10-12  2 Corinthians 5:17-21  Luke 15:1-3, 11-32

In today’s gospel, we hear the parable of the Prodigal Son. The younger son of two decides to take his inheritance and go out on his own. After a hard time strikes, he struggles and ultimately decides to return home. Upon returning, to his surprise, his father celebrates and welcomes him home with open arms.

My journey relates to that of the younger son. As a senior in high school considering colleges, I was not sure where I wanted to go. What I did know was that I wanted to go far away where nobody knew me. The community I was a part of felt like a restricting bubble. I wanted to experience “freedom.”

I made the decision to attend Texas Christian University. Entering my freshman year, ready to shed my old skin, I decided my faith was the one thing still tying me to that bubble. So I stopped attending weekly mass and basically ditched my religious beliefs. I shifted my focus towards my social life, and finally began feeling the freedom I was seeking.

By junior year, I had an amazing group of friends and I finally felt like the young woman I was meant to be. However, as with the younger son in the parable, a hard time struck. Along my journey of self-identification, I came to realize that I was gay. Understanding this on my own grew difficult. I began to see that the bubble I tried to “ditch,” and most importantly my faith – were now the things I needed the most. Like the prodigal son, I felt scared and ashamed to return. However, when I did, my parents, my community, my church and my Christ welcomed me home.

The story of the Prodigal Son contains important lessons. The younger son teaches us that even when we stray and go our own way, our Heavenly Father is always ready and waiting for our return with open arms. As the father in this story teaches his older son, God reminds us that, as believers, we should rejoice when a son comes home.

Q: How does this parable relate to you and your faith journey? How does it help you better understand your own prodigal experiences?

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