Forgetting the Keys

Fourth Sunday of Lent – Year C

Joshua 5: 9a, 10-12; 2 Corinthians 5: 17-21; 

Luke 15: 1-3, 11-32

A couple of weeks ago, I was online and I “googled” the phrase “prodigal son.” My search results gave me hundreds of homilies, sermons and various other reflections regarding this parable. But mixed in with these was a short newspaper article that caught my eye. It was about a woman from Muncie, Indiana and her daughter. The article said that the daughter had run away from home and had been gone for several months. One afternoon the telephone rang and the mother answered it. It was the daughter. She was calling from the bus station and asking if she could come home. The mother was so excited that she ran out of the house but had to turn around and go back inside - she had forgotten her car keys.

In the article, the part about forgetting the keys was a minor point of interest. But for some reason this image has stayed with me. The mother had endured months of worry and anguish as a result of her daughter’s actions. How many nights of sleep were lost? How many phone calls were made searching for the daughter’s whereabouts? How many horrible images were imagined during this separation? But when that phone rang, all of those feelings were forgotten. In that instant there was only joy and thankfulness. In that moment of time the mother experienced what I imagine God feels when we, his prodigal children, return home.

It is obvious that the father image in this gospel parable is God. There are two other characters in this story – the two sons. The younger sons’ actions are easy to identify as sinful. He disrespected his father, he demanded his share of his father’s estate before it was due and he squandered his inheritance. The younger son came to understand that his actions were wrong. He retuned to his father, took responsibility for his behavior and sought reconciliation. The father had already forgiven his son. That much is obvious from the father’s actions. But the father did not say “it’s OK – no need to apologize.” It was important that the son acknowledge his sinfulness and ask for forgiveness. This was necessary for full reconciliation to occur.

The older brothers’ actions are not quite as easy to recognize as sinful. As outsiders, we can look at the elder brother and see that he is arrogant, self-righteous and unforgiving. But in his eyes, his actions are justified. He doesn’t understand that his behavior is damaging the relationship with his father. The older son has a real dilemma. How do you take responsibility for your sinful actions if you do not see them as sinful? How can you apologize for something when you don’t understand that an apology is warranted? That is where listening to God becomes most important. The father came to his son and pleaded with him to return to the house and the banquet. The father was telling the son that his feelings are standing in the way of his own salvation. But did the older son get the message? That is one thing the story doesn’t tell us. It doesn’t say if the older son is able to overcome his feelings of anger and self-righteousness, take responsibility for his feelings, and reconcile himself with his father AND his brother.

I had an experience this past week that helped to put everything into perspective. I was talking with someone about “part time Catholics” – the people who you only see in church on Christmas and Easter. I was trying to come up with a way to reach these people and make them want to come to Mass regularly. In other words “How do I change these people to make them more like me?” I was feeling self-righteous and angry because they are not obeying the rules. I am the elder son.

I will confess that the sacrament of reconciliation was not important to me for many years. In fact, I did not go to confession for more than fifteen years. I’m sure that I had plenty of reasons for not going, but the primary reason was that I did not believe that it was necessary. I did not believe that I had done anything serious enough to justify reconciliation. I now understand why the sacrament is so important. There is a satisfaction that comes with acknowledging your sins to another person – taking ownership for your faults and missteps – and vowing to try to improve. A good reconciliation experience not only heals the wounds that sin causes, it actually deepens our relationship with the Father. My prayer is that each of us here today will take advantage of this sacrament in the coming weeks leading up to Easter.

The theologian, Henri Nouwen, wrote that God in infinite compassion is linked for all eternity with each of us. God has gifted us with the freedom to make our own choices, whether they be good or bad. This choice causes God grief when we leave; this choice brings God gladness when we return. But God’s joy will not be complete until all who received life have returned home and gathered around the table prepared for them.

There is an image that I have stuck in my head – an image that I would like to share with you now. You will recall that the mother I referred to earlier had to go back inside and retrieve her keys. I picture God standing in the kitchen, waiting for the phone to ring. The keys are in-hand and He’s ready to leave at a moment’s notice when that call from us is received.

Deacon Darryl J. Diemer

Fourth Sunday of Lent

March 14, 2010