LENT IS A TIME OF RETURNING HOME TO THE FATHER

 

Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, Year C

Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch

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

Lent is a sacred journey of forty days, a spiritual pilgrimage that takes us through different locations, each with its own significance in our relationship with God. On the First Sunday of Lent, we were led into the desert with Jesus to be tested and to confront our weaknesses (Luke 4:1-13). On the Second Sunday, we ascended the mountain of Transfiguration to experience the glory of God and be strengthened in faith (Luke 9:28-36). The Third Sunday brought us to the barren wilderness where we reflected on repentance, as Moses encountered God in the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-8a, 13-15). Today, the Fourth Sunday of Lent, our journey takes us home - back to the Father's house.

The Fourth Sunday of Lent is traditionally known as Laetare Sunday, a day of joy and rejoicing amid the penitential season of Lent. The liturgical color shifts from violet to rose, symbolizing a moment of relief as we anticipate the joy of Easter. It is no coincidence that on this Sunday of joy when the readings are inviting us to return home to the father, the Catholic Church in Nigeria also celebrates the mothers – home makers and joy bringers.

The Gospel presents one of the most well-known parables in Scripture: the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Jesus told this parable in response to the Pharisees and scribes, who criticized him for welcoming sinners. The story is structured around three key figures: the younger son, the father, and the elder son. The younger son went to the father with this request: “Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.” While the younger son’s request was legally permissible (Deut. 21:17), it was morally and culturally inappropriate. In Jewish tradition, inheritance was typically distributed after the father’s death. (Sirach 33:20-24). So, his request for his inheritance while his father was still alive was equivalent to wishing his father dead.

But then, God’s respect for human freedom, seen in the father granting the request, shows how God allows us to make choices, even when they lead to suffering (Deuteronomy 30:19). God does not impede on our free will to choose. When the younger son received his own share of the family inheritance, he left the father’s house. His departure from home symbolizes humanity’s tendency to seek independence and fulfilment away from God. The younger son represents all of us who, at different points in life, stray from God in pursuit of worldly pleasure.

While in a distant country, the younger son squandered everything on reckless living and when famine struck, he found himself tending pigs - a degrading job for a Jew. His condition while in the distant country (Luke 15:13-16) reveals the true nature of sin - it promises freedom but leads to slavery, promises fulfilment but results in emptiness. His reckless living represents how sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2) and depletes our spiritual inheritance. His hunger and degradation, even longing to eat the food of pigs, illustrate sin’s power to dehumanize and enslave (John 8:34). Like him, when we distance ourselves from the Father, we become lost, broken, and desperate. Only in returning to God do we find true restoration (Psalm 51:10-12).

His realization - “I shall arise and go to my father” (Luke 15:18) - marked the beginning of his repentance. The Bible said that at that point, he came to his senses (Luke 15:17). When he “came to his senses”, he realized that true life, fulfilment, and freedom are found only in the Father’s house. Lent calls us to recognize our need for God and return home. His decision to return home mirrors our call to repentance during Lent.

While he was still afar off, his father saw him, meaning that he had been waiting and looking for him. The father in the parable is an image of God. Despite the son’s betrayal, the father ran to meet him, hugged him, and kissed him - a culturally unexpected gesture of mercy. The father’s action reflects God’s own initiative in reconciling us to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). Before the son could even finish his confession, the father forgave him. As a matter of fact, he not only forgave but restored the son to his former position and dignity, clothing him with a robe, placing a ring on his finger, and preparing a feast. This illustrates God’s extravagant and boundless love, and eagerness to forgive. Just as the father restored his son, God restores us through confession. Lent is a privileged time to seek this sacrament.

This gesture of mercy did not go down well with the older son. Though outwardly obedient, he harbored resentment. He represents those who struggle with God’s mercy toward sinners. His refusal to enter the feast warns us against self-righteousness and calls us to imitate God’s generous mercy.

Lastly, whether we identify more with the prodigal son, the older brother, or even the father, the invitation remains the same: to come home to the Father’s embrace. Let us remember that God’s mercy is greater than the sum of our sins. No matter how far we have strayed, the Father always welcomes us back. As we continue our Lenten journey, let us take concrete steps to respond to God’s call to reconciliation and repentance, tasting and seeing his goodness as the psalmist tells us, so that we may fully experience the joy of Easter.