Let us come into the Banquet

XXIV Sunday “C”

Luke 15

September 15, 2019

The prodigal son, it is always about the Prodigal Son. He is the one who the parable is named after, he gets the famous pictures painted by Rembrandt, and he is the one whom sermons are preached on, books written about, and stories told. There are two sons in the story and not one is more important than the other. No wonder the older son never liked his little brother, he got all the attention.

The story isn’t about either son. The story is about the Father, about the love of a father for his children, about the merciful love of God for each one of us. If you want to know what it means to be a Redemptorist you don’t have to look much further than chapter 15 of St. Luke. That is what is all about. That is why St. Alphonsus founded the Redemptorists, but more importantly that is why God sent his son to the earth. To tell us how much God loves each one of us.

There isn’t one parable in today’s gospel, there are three: the coins, the sheep and the sons. Just like the two sons, there isn’t just one lost coin, there are 10 coins; there isn’t just one lost sheep, there are 100 sheep, and they isn’t just the prodigal son, there are two sons. God’s desire is the same for all of the coins, each one of the sheep and for both sons. God wants them to be found. God doesn’t want anyone to be lost; God wants everyone to come into the banquet and to be a part of the party.

I come from a family of 8, obviously a good Catholic family. I have 5 sisters and two brothers. And if my mom and dad were here this morning and you were to ask them, “Which child is your favorite?” What do you think they would say? Of course, they’d say I’d love them all the same. Which of course wouldn’t be the truth, I am obviously the favorite. I have brothers and sisters who have made more money than I. I have siblings that have more education than I do. I have siblings that have given grandchildren to my parents. But I am the only priest. I am the one who went away to the seminary at 13; I’ve learned other languages to preach the gospel. I have gone to places around the world as a missionary; I am able to celebrate the Eucharist and other sacraments. What parent wouldn’t want me as their son? I have to be their favorite.

All kidding aside, I need those of you who are parents to help me out. The truth is if you don’t have children you can’t understand the story of the prodigal son. The older brother must have been like me. He didn’t have any kids. If I were the father, I wouldn’t run out to meet the son. I would not welcome him back with open arms. No, I would be glad to have him back, but I would wait at the door, not with open arms but with arms crossed. Then I would shake my finger at him and I would accept the apology and say that’s a good idea. You can work for me. You can live with the servants and make up what it is that you took from me and then maybe you can move back into the house. Now get started but going out to the fields.

Why does the father accept the son back with open arms? Again you folks with children have to help me understand this. Why take him back? (pause) Right because of love. Because the father loves the son and he wants him at the banquet. The father loves us and wants us to come into the banquet.

The father wants both sons at the banquet. The shepherd wants all 100 of the sheep. The woman wants all 10 coins. God wants each one of us, no conditions, no exceptions God just wants us to come in, to know that we are loved. God wants us to freely accept the love he gives to us.

The story of the Prodigal just might be the best story ever written. All good stories leave us wanting more. All good stories have a cliffhanger. How does the story end? Where is the older son at the end? He is outside, we don't know if he answered his father’s pleading. We don’t know if he said yes to his father’s request. That is because we are the one’s who have to finish the story. We get to decide if the older son comes in or not. We have to decide if we are going to come in to the banquet the party freely given, or if we will stay outside. Let’s say yes. Let’s come in and enjoy the banquet that God has for each of us.