This weekend’s Gospel, Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32, known as “The Prodigal Son,” is particularly appropriate for us to hear during the Lenten season and even more so during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, which the Holy Father has asked us to celebrate not simply as an institutional Church but as a family of believers. And in this parable we have a family very much in need of mercy and forgiveness.

I had a meeting this past Monday at the rectory with a very wise parishioner who has an exceptionally strong and devoted spiritual life and a history of loving service in the Church. Speaking on a host of different issues, she mentioned this Sunday’s gospel and gave me her take on the parable and its meaning for us today. To be honest, and in full disclosure, I am lifting her thoughts and words for this column (I was very glad the meeting was first thing Monday morning as it gave me time to rearrange my thoughts on the gospel after reading it late Sunday night for inclusion in our bulletin this weekend.

This parable, like all parables, is about possibilities, she noted—asking if I ever noticed that in most of Jesus’ parables He does not give a direct answer to a question or issue, but rather raises questions for us to consider in light of our faith—in light of His Truths—and then He challenges us to come to a conclusion—or possibilities—for our particular situation in our time and place, a possibility that is based on the Truths of His Word.

In today’s Prodigal Son parable, we do not know if the brothers ever reconciled? We do not know if the Father spoke in more detail with the older son and came to a final solution, or if he explained his desire to heal and to forgive his younger, immature son? What we do know is that our God and Father is merciful; He is loving and forgiving. What we are certain of is this: that no matter how many times we fail or stumble, it is the “Will of the One who sent me, says the Lord, that I shall not lose any of what He gave me but that I shall raise them on the Last Day.” (John 6:39) Our Father’s desire is to forgive—and to call us to His Truths—so that we may strive for “The Excellence” of life, and become disciples who bear good and healthy fruit; healing those who are hurt, feeding those who hunger and comforting those who are lost, the sorrowful; and in this we become Christ to those among us. As I noted above, the Gospels are about possibilities. So, how do we get to these possibilities?

Possibilities require knowledge (of God’s will) and active faith that we can accept and become His light, His love to others in need. In this act of being Christ-like, we first are transformed by God’s grace—raised up to excellence—and healed by His Love (grace, again), which then allows or frees us to go out into the world (our time and place) and heal others. This Godly healing opens up possibilities of Christian discipleship (to serve others) which simply means to serve God. Remember Eucharistic Prayer II at Mass: “You have held us worthy to be in Your presence and minister to You.” We serve God by serving others—fulfilling those possibilities…that God presents to us in our everyday daily activities of life.

These fulfilled possibilities happen when you support the Advent Giving Tree’s, Knights of Malta or the Neighbors in Need program—because you are ministering to Christ. They happen when you support or work at Pantry Partners because you are ministering to God. They happen when you bring Communion to the sick, sing in the choir at Mass and praise God, when you knit a prayer shawl for the sick or the grieving, when you teach a child in religious education or any of the other ministries of His Church—because you are ministering to our Lord. These are all possibilities for Christ, possibilities where in His Name we will bear much good fruit in the world today—thus leading us to the life that does not end.

This is truly something to celebrate and rejoice in this Laetare Sunday! Happy Lent!