In my ministry , I was previously involved with several colleagues with a big heart for serving their communities. For some time, I had heard about one couple in particular, and I had great admiration for them, especially for the work they did through music.
He was a music director, and his wife sang beautifully, occasionally participating together in some activities. The reason they didn’t always sing and play together was that she, in addition to being a mother, also had other responsibilities.
For many others, and for me, their example of family and pastoral service was truly admirable. And personally, their examples were more meaningful to me because they were both super talented.
As time went by, little by little, our activities began to combine, and there were times when we worked together. Those experiences were very valuable to me, because I learned so much from them. I greatly admired them.
Because of our frequent contact, our friendship gradually strengthened. Our conversations also changed, becoming more personal and heartfelt.
Time passed, and our closeness and mutual trust grew.
There was one occasion when, after rehearsing for an event, we took some time to socialize. We talked about one thing, and another, and another, and another. As we had grown closer to each other, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. On this day, the conversation took a turn it hadn’t seen before. We ended up talking about what is just and what isn’t just in God’s eyes (somewhat ironically).
He commented that they had worked hard for several years, doing the best they could, and they hoped for some recognition and reward from God in what they considered the right time. The conversation continued, and after delving deeper into the topic, he said:
“I don’t think it’s fair that God forgives and rewards those who repent at the last minute, but what about us who have invested so much effort and time in doing the right thing? Is it going to waste?”
At that moment, I would never have imagined that position. I had never heard it expressed out loud by anyone. All I had heard was about God’s forgiveness, but I had never heard anyone criticize the generosity and unconditional nature of forgiveness.
And you, have you ever thought that God is unfair?
Something that later emerged in the conversation was a sense of working toward something only in the future, and the present didn’t seem to have the same importance. And this was also somewhat confusing.
“Does God’s forgiveness have an expiration date?”
“Is it healthy for us to set a date for God to forgive others?
We become like the God we worship.
If we believe in a God who forgives only “until the end,” will we do the same with ourselves and with others? Do we set conditions for ourselves (and others) to receive love?
In the well-known parable of the prodigal son, the older son complains to his father that he has never given him a young goat to eat with his friends, making a clear and drastic comparison between how good he is and how bad his brother has done. He has this conversation with his father after a big party because the younger son has returned after spending his inheritance while still alive.
The first time you heard this parable, did you identify with one of the brothers?
It would be (is) very easy to condemn the older brother. However, have you ever wondered why Jesus mentions him in the parable in the first place?
Perhaps it’s not about condemning him, but rather about sharing that this experience exists, that it happens, that it can happen to us.
I remember that the conversation with the couple I deeply admired had a great impact on me. I considered it inconceivable to even question God. And they did. They had a closer relationship with God than I had back then.
How much trust do you have in God today? Could you return home facing your conscience? Do you feel the need to “remember” something before approaching His love?
In the parable, the younger son is greeted with a banquet upon his return. And the father reminds the older son:
“All that is mine is yours.”
In your case, what do you need? To return to His love? To remember that everything is also yours?
If the Spirit leads you, ask Jesus the carpenter to help you discover what you need. And perhaps, you will meet Him at a banquet, hearing God say to you, “All that is mine is yours.”
Marisol
P.S.: We can hear about the parable of the prodigal son in the readings for the IV Sunday of Lent, year/cycle C.
