Daily reflection _ unfailing mercy, pardon and grace

UNFAILING MERCY, PARDON AND GRACE
Our heavenly Father loves all His children and welcomes us with open arms.
Deacon John Ruscheinsky
In today's Gospel reading from Luke, we hear the scribes and the Pharisees complaining about Jesus' reception of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus told the parable that I am sure we are all familiar with, the parable of the Prodigal Son. Through this parable, Jesus shows that He is doing His Father's Will in seeking out those who are lost and bringing them back to God. The scribes and the Pharisees, had they been truly following the way of God, would be very happy and excited to see sinners being led to repentance.
When we reflect upon this parable, where do you and I fit into the story? We probably do not completely match either son, but we are a little bit like both of them at one time are another. We certainly should realize that we are not perfect and that we are sinners throughout our journey. During this season of Lent, we are called to look in-depth at our own lives, at the things that hurt others and ourselves. We also need to evaluate our relationship with God, our family, and our friends, even those we call our enemies, which can be the biggest challenge.
The Church calls us to repentance during this holy season. Whichever son we may resemble at the moment, at all times, let us remember that our heavenly Father loves all His children and welcomes us with open arms. We prayed for this in our Responsorial Psalm: "The Lord is kind and merciful. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He put our transgressions from us" (Ps 103:8a, 12).