CONFESSION RESTORES OUR INHERITANCE
The son abandoning the estate and squandering his inheritance, represent people who abandon and distance themselves from the Church today. They make the choice to have nothing to do with God. They choose to live a life of sin and debauchery. They experience a spiritual famine and death until they return to God. They have not thought this through sensibly, because to reject the Church now, is to reject Heaven later, after we die. The deserter must come to their senses and return to the Church, by repenting for offences (sins) against God. This is done in the sacrament of confession. God knows how one sinned, but simply wants us to return to Him with a sorrowful and contrite heart. Our inheritance of eternal life is then restored with love. The acts of the father in the parable is how God welcomes us in confession. When we sin, we also abandon God and spiritually remove the white baptism garment placed around us by our parents. It represents our new spiritual creation by clothing ourselves in Christ. To sin is to take it off. In confession Jesus replaces the garment around us, which is our Christian identity. Note how the father in the parable placed a robe around his son and a ring and new sandals.
AN ETERNAL COVENANT MEANS AN ETERNAL MARRIAGE
Every time we sin, we break the eternal covenant (marriage) entered into with God at baptism. In confession, God restores that eternal marriage break-up, by invisibly placing a ring on our finger to signify our reconciliation with Him. To say “sorry” in confession heals the separation. Because we were walking on the road to hell, God also spiritually places new sandals on our feet, directing us to walk a sinless path home to heaven someday. If we are found worthy to enter the Banquet in heaven someday, God will cloth the repentant soul with the eternal garment that is in the image of His Son. Our soul will be conformed in the pure likeness of Jesus. To live in heaven, we must allow God to spiritually dress us now, by repenting for our sins. Unrepentant souls, who sadly go to hell, are returned their earthly-like bodies that are subject to terrible suffering for all eternity, fuelled by God’s righteous anger. Nobody wants to hear this, but it is the Truth.
WASH HANDS BEFORE A MEAL, SO WASH SOUL CLEAN B4 MASS
The fatted calf was killed to provide a celebration banquet for the younger son’s return. The calf symbolises the sacrificial killing of Jesus on the Cross, which brought redemption to our sinful souls. God is teaching us that before we receive Holy Communion in Mass, we must first, go to our Father and confess our sins in confession. The older son, who prided himself, on being virtuous and faithful to the father, ended up despising everyone else. The family Estate symbolises the Church. He appeared faithful, but did not practice mercy and love towards others. He was blinded by sin. Anyone who claims to be in the Light, but hates others, remains in the darkness controlled by the devil. We should love each other for the sake of God, who loves us. This is our mission and also to pray for the conversion of the world. Jesus came to save sinners and could sit with them without becoming one of them. Let us not live in sin and claim our inheritance beyond the grave someday. God bless, Fr. Brendan.