The Prodigal Son is a story of sin, repentance and God's surprising mercy. Let us explore three short verses.

"When he came to his senses" (Lk. 15:17). Here the youngest son is suffering greatly in a foreign land. Everything is enslaving him to the core, from his basic needs to his sense of worth. When he bravely acknowledges that he has sinned, however, it is a turning point in his life, that he cannot control everything according to his whims and fancy. This moment of honesty opens him to God's mercy and a more promising future with an attitude of reconciliation. Do I honestly acknowledge my sin before God?

"[H]is father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son" (15:20). Traditionally, the clan patriarch holds the highest position in the family. People run to him. He has no need to run to others. Yet, in the Gospel, the father runs to the son. This is a striking symbol of just how deeply God the Father yearns to reconcile with each of us.

"The older brother became angry and refused to go in" (15:28). God is lovingly merciful to me. If God is kind to my enemy, will I get angry? Can I accept that God may show mercy to someone who has hurt me? We can choose to resist God's mercy (the elder son) or accept God's mercy (the younger son).