The Prodigal Son

“THERE is nothing more peculiar to God’s nature than to be merciful and to spare. To understand this rightly, ft must be considered that God is our father. Our divine Saviour assures us of this. He has taught us to pray, “Our Father who art in heaven.” Again and again in Holy Writ He calls God by the endearing name of “Our Father.” Now, what is meant by the term ” father “? Let us try to understand fully the meaning of this beautiful word. We see a poor man laboring day and night, watching and praying, suffering cold and hunger. Who is he? Why does he endure all this ? It is a father. He has children whom he loves, and would wish to see happy. That thought makes him forget all his own sufferings. Should one of those children go astray and become wicked, how sorely is the heart of that poor father grieved ! But still he keeps on suffering and toiling, even for his wayward child. He says to himself, ” Who knows? perhaps my child will have more sense by and by. Perhaps he will be sorry for his faults, and lead a better life.”

“Now, such a father is God — a good, kind, compassionate father, who is infinitely merciful.”

— The Prodigal Son, or, The Sinner’s Return to God, Fr. Michael Müller, 1875

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