A God of second chances waits for us, His prodigal sons

Try to watch this video and not chuckle

OK, a vocation is a serious matter, but sometimes there are things to laugh about. Watch our video, “Hearing God’s Call – Two Mercedarian Friars” on the of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy. You’ll see Br. Matthew and Fr. Scott share some chuckles as they talk about their vocations.

Visit the Mercedarians’

But really Christianity and especially Catholicism is about second chances.  We see this is so many religious institutes which work with those incarcerated to bring about redemption in their lives. One such institute is the Order of the BVM of Mercy. This Order spread throughout the world works with those in danger of losing their faith from modern forms of captivity.

Freedom from captivity

In Italy, this has always led the friars to work with convicted criminals. Two of their houses in Florence and Padua are home to rehabilitation centers where the friars live and work with those transitioning from incarceration into back into the world. Those religious who work in this apostolate spend their days teaching classes and incorporating the men into back into the workforce. The residents live in a Christian community which prays together, eats together, and supports one another. Unlike the United States, the Italian government subsidizes faith-based programs such as the Mercedarian rehabilitation houses. Naturally, it is not a perfect system, but it does often provide a second chance somewhat like the Prodigal Son received.

The Prodigal Son is a parable which attempts to show us the unimaginable limitless capacity of God to forgive. It must be noted that Jesus is speaking to people who understood God with the limitations of the Old Testament. The prophets of old expressed the mercy and compassion of God, but people were not yet able to understand or comprehend just how different God is from us when it comes to forgiveness. Jesus, the Incarnate Lord, shows God’s forgiveness in our human flesh. Through his teaching and parables Jesus presents to us the unconditional love of the Father. Finally he shows us this love when he offers Himself on the altar of the cross saying, “Father forgive them for they know not what they have done.”

Blows the money

The Father, being the First Person of the Trinity, knows how to forgive. We catch a glimpse of God the Father in the Prodigal Son’s father. The Prodigal Son does the most horrible thing possible to his father by saying, “give me the share of your estate that should come to me.” Basically, he says, “I am not going to wait till you die give me my share now and I will leave, treating you as dead.” The son takes the money and blows it on a sinful life. Within a short time he is broke. Instead of going home ashamed, he turns to the most pitiable work for a Jew, caring for the swine. Pigs, of course, are considered to be an unclean animal. A Jew who gets close to them makes himself unclean.

Finally, though, the son comes to his senses and decides to return home. He does not expect his father to forgive him, for that would be unreasonable, but at least he can go home and live as a “hired worker.” The son plans everything about his encounter with his father and probably rehearses it in his mind. He will say, “Father I have sinned against heaven and against you…treat me as you would one of your hire workers.” But the son has no comprehension of the father’s love and mercy. The father has been looking out in the distance each day hoping against hope that he may catch a glimpse of the “lost” son. For years this goes on until finally the father spots him off in the distance. The father is not overcome with hurt or anger, but with a flood of compassion. The son cannot even finish his prepared statement before the overjoyed father. Immediately, he puts the finest robe and ring on the son. The feast has begun because the lost son is found; the dead has come to life again.

Unthinkable mercy

Unthinkable!! Unrational!! But, God’s ways are not our ways. All of us in the Church are recovering sinners. The Church is the place for sinners and the downtrodden. Naturally, God is just and patiently awaits our conversion, since this is what is best for us. However, His first response is never condemnation, but mercy.

This grace-filled season of Lent is our opportunity to taste the sweetness of the Father’s mercy. Each time we go to confession we are not met with condemnation, but mercy. We can always start again. Then we can take that mercy out into our families, our work place, and our world. Our God is a God of second chances; He makes all things new. That what was dead may come to life again and what is lost may be found.