Are You the Wayward Son, the Resentful Son, or the Reconciled Son?

Today we hear the Gospel of the Prodigal Son. It calls to mind the question of which son resonates most with us and what God is calling us to in this season of Lent: Are you the wayward son, the resentful son, or the reconciled son? 

If you’re the wayward younger son who’s living a faithless life and succumbing to the empty pleasures of life, perhaps there’s a need for radical conversion. A need to see the error of your ways, pass over to a faithful life, and let go of the empty pleasures you’ve made priorities over God such as drinking, gluttony, partying, greed, and a lavish lifestyle. Signs of a wayward son? Overly attracted to vain pleasures and distractedness from a life of faith and virtuous living.

If you’re the resentful older son who’s done a lot right, but is seemingly resentful or jealous of the goodness others receive that you don’t, perhaps there’s a need to see more clearly that you too are blessed with God’s goodness. There’s enough blessing and goodness for everyone. You too have the Father’s love. Signs of a resentful son? Feeling like you’re being treated unfairly or not given the blessings others are given for being faithful and living as virtuously as you are able.

If you’re the reconciled son, welcome home to the loving arms of God and His forgiveness. Bask in the light of a reconciled relationship with the Father, and continue to work on your ongoing conversion. Signs of a reconciled son? Isn’t blind to sin. Examines conscience daily. Goes to confession regularly and has a heart and mind focused on repentance and converting from the error of your ways to God’s ways.

In reality, we are like all the sons, but perhaps more like one of the sons at any given point in time. For example, for me, the older son has always seemed more like me than the younger son. Perhaps because I’m the oldest daughter and I see a bit of these tendencies in myself!  But at times, I’ve been wayward (and still am), and other times, I’ve been reconciled, and when I avoid confession, I am not reconciled. And so, I'm a mixed bag of these sons, like most of us are.

Today, let us recognize the son we are at this point in Lent, and at this point in life, and the specific call to conversion God is asking of us.