4th Sunday of Advent (Fr. Simham)

Do U Miss The Joy of Being With The Father

The gospel we read today is an interesting passage from Luke. The reason why I say it is interesting is because, some call it as the parable of the prodigal son and some call it as the parable of the prodigal father. The word ‘prodigal’ means ‘being extravagant or spend-thrift.’ It is the father who is very extravagant in his generosity in the parable. So they call it as the parable of the ’prodigal father.’ But, I call it as the parable of the elder brother. In fact, if you observe, the parable was aimed for people like him I. e; The Pharisees and the Scribes. Look at the context in which the parable is said. Jesus proclaimed that ‘the kingdom of God is at hand; Repent and believe in the gospel.’ And he also said ‘he who has ears, let him hear.’ It was open invitation. It is the tax-collectors and sinners who had the ears to hear and they were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear him. Pharisees and Scribes mourn about it.

Jesus was speaking about a God of inclusive love (One who loves all) but Pharisees were for a God of exclusive love. In life, it is good to avoid the bad company or the company of the evil. It is good for our own spiritual benefit. But when it comes to God, we cannot tell him what is good and what is not good. We cannot tell him with whom He can relate and with whom He cannot relate. That is what exactly the Pharisees and Scribes were doing. And that is exactly what Jesus is condemning in the parable.

I am not going to explain the whole parable. I am going to skip the first two parts and go straight in the third part which involves the elder brother or son. He comes back from the fields, hears the music and sound and he does not want to go in. Because that is not the father’s house he expected. That is not the Father’s house he is used to. For him, Father’s house is a place of doom and gloom. No partying. How many of us still think that heaven is place of 24 hours silent adoration or 24 hours of chanting Gregorian chants. Someone said it is going to be boring. As far as I remember, Jesus gave us invitation to heaven as an invitation for a wedding feast. And I suppose wedding feast involves more than chanting and singing.

Ok. Coming back to the parable, the elder son does not go in. When the father comes to invite him, he accuses his father of being unfair. ‘You never gave me a little lamb to celebrate…’ He whinges and mourns. How many times we have mourned and complained the God is unjust. He gave us nothing whereas he gave many things to others. But the father responds to him and says: ‘My son! problem is not with me. All I have is yours. If you wanted you could have had everything like your brother, not just a lamb. Did I say no to your brother when he asked for whole share of property? No.’

The great irony here is my dear brother and sisters, the elder son was always with the father, but he never trusted or believed in the goodness of his father. He did not trust, so he did not even ask for a lamb. He is the eldest son, the privileged one. But he always thought and behaved like a servant. But the younger one, He trusted his father when he asked for his share, and he trusted in his goodness even when he was far away and decided to return home. It is for joy and happiness he was searching and at the end he realised that it is in his father’s house, there is real joy and happiness. There is nothing compared to the joy of living with the father. Whereas the elder son never bothered about knowing what it means to be a son.

The truth that strikes my mind as I read this parable is this; Dear brothers and sister, like the elder son you and me can be always with the father, but still miss the joy of being with the father. The elder son was doing all the works of the father morning till evening, but still he missed that joy. From morning till evening we may be doing his works, prayers, novenas, but still we may miss that joy and happiness.

That is what we need to ask ourselves on this Laetare Sunday, Do we find that joy in relating to the father. Fear is born out of doubt but joy is the fruit of trust. If that joy is missing, it is time to pull up our socks and do something. Lent is the time. May God bless you all.

Fr. Showreelu Simham