Lenten prayer reflects by Mikayla O'Brien

Luke 15:1-3,11-32
This Gospel reading is about The Parable of the Lost Son. It begins with Jesus Christ preaching to the tax collectors and sinners, startling the Pharisees and the scribes. Jesus then tells them the story of the lost son which is known for its powerful focus on forgiveness. A young son asks for his father’s money, runs away from home, and wastes all he has on materialistic wants. Upon his return home, he realizes he has sinned greatly and no longer feels worthy of being called his father’s son. Unexpectedly, the father welcomes the son with open arms and forgives him. The father asks for a celebratory feast to be held for his son who, “was lost and has been found.”
This parable can be applied to the present in numerous ways. Just as the son was lost and then found, we may often become confused and must turn to God for guidance. Sometimes with all the distractions of our modernized world it can become quite difficult to stay focused on God and make right decisions. We live amongst many temptations; however, God will always be there to help guide us down the right path in life. Also, the son wasted all of what his father had given to him. How many times do we take what God has given us for granted? We must learn to be more grateful and less prodigal with the gifts He provides us with. We must also realize that no matter how hard we fall down and give in to sin, the Lord will always be willing to pick us back up and forgive us. His love for us is endless and understanding. God continually forgives us for all of our wrong doings and, ultimately, leads us to salvation.