杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

鈥淲e continue to pray for all who are ill due to this pandemic鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis introduced the Saturday morning liturgy at the Casa Santa Marta. Then he specified his intention for the day:

"Today, I would like to ask a special prayer for families: families who from one day to the next find themselves at home with their children because the schools are closed for security reasons and they need to manage a difficult situation, and manage it well鈥�with peace and joy as well. And in a special way, I think of those families who may have a disabled person among them. The welcome centers for people with disability are closed鈥�. So let's pray for families, so that they don't lose peace in this moment and that they might succeed in bringing the entire family forward with strength and joy."

The Gospel of the day, the Parable of the Prodigal Son, so dear to the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 heart, was the subject of his homily.

Words

杏MAP导航 Francis reflected on the words and feelings of two groups of people presented in the Parable of the Prodigal Son: sinners and Pharisees. The Gospel says that the sinners drew near to Jesus to hear him. The sinners 鈥渟urround Jesus in silence. They don鈥檛 know what to say鈥�. But their presence, the 杏MAP导航 said, tells us that they wanted 鈥渢o listen to Jesus鈥�.

About the Pharisees, the Gospel says they complained and criticized Jesus for doing that. They want to take Jesus鈥� authority away. They accuse Jesus, 鈥淗e eats with sinners. He鈥檚 impure鈥�. The rest of the parable, the 杏MAP导航 said, explains this drama.

Feelings

The first group 鈥渇eel the need for salvation鈥�for a guide, a pastor. And so the people draw near to Jesus because they see that he is a pastor鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis explained. The doctors of the law, on the other hand, feel animosity toward them.

鈥淭he doctors feel self-sufficient. 鈥業've gone to university. I've got a doctorate, I have two doctorates. I know very well what the law says.  Actually, I know every single explanation of the law in detail鈥�.  They despise others鈥�they despise sinners.鈥�

The son in the parable feels the need to 鈥渆at the world, to get out of the house. Maybe he felt like he was in prison鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 reflected. He has the 鈥渢he audacity to ask his father to give him what he had coming to him鈥�.

His father 鈥渄oesn't say anything because he's a father鈥� 鈥淎 Father knows how to suffer in silence鈥�waiting for the right moment鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis noted. 鈥淭he Father feels pain, tenderness and a lot of love鈥�. At times, this behavior makes fathers look 鈥渇oolish鈥�. And when that right moment came, the Father was 鈥渨aiting, he saw him at a distance鈥�. This provokes the elder son to reprove his own father, 鈥測ou were unjust鈥�.

鈥淭he older son feels indignant.鈥� Many times indignation is the only way these people feel deserving.鈥�

The problem

杏MAP导航 Francis explained that the problem is not realizing what living in the Father鈥檚 house truly means. The elder son fulfilled his duties and his work, but he never entered into a relationship of love with his Father. Instead, he is indignant with his Father, and says, 鈥淭his sinner arrived and you throw a party! And me?鈥�. He doesn鈥檛 even go into the house.

The Father names the problem. 鈥淪on you are with me always. And all I have is yours鈥�.

"This is what the elder son had never realized. He lived at home as if it were a hotel, without feeling his father's paternal love鈥�. It鈥檚 interesting that the father didn鈥檛 say one word about his sin when the younger son returned. He only embraces him and throws a feast.  He had to explain this to the elder son because his heart was hardened because of his conceptions of his Father, about his sonship, and about how he should live.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航鈥檚 Prayer

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded with a prayer, asking the Lord that we might understand the problem.

鈥淭he problem is living in the house but not feeling ourselves at home because there's no paternal or fraternal relationship, but only that of colleagues who work.鈥�