We can learn from the honesty and insight of the Prodigal Son

The Gospels for the Third and Fourth Sundays of Lent are very complementary. Last Sunday, Jesus called for repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and today we hear the parable of the prodigal son which centers on these themes. The Fourth Sunday of Lent is Laetare (Rejoice) Sunday, and this celebration inspires us to hear the Gospel in light of the joy that comes from repentance and forgiveness.

The story begins with a father with two sons. The younger son requests his inheritance, depletes it and struggles to support himself. Repentant for his reckless actions, he returns home and says, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son.”

The son’s statement is notable for its honesty and insight. First, he acknowledges outright that he has sinned in his actions, taking responsibility for the behavior that led him to return home. The son declares who has been injured: his father and God. The son’s candor is an example for us of what we must do when repenting from sins—specify our shortcomings, recognize those who have been injured and ask for forgiveness. Moreover, the son follows his statement by saying he is unworthy of being called his father’s son, showing humility about his failures.

It is obvious how the son sinned against his father, as he left him to “set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.” The younger son requests his inheritance prematurely and then misuses it. The assertion that he has sinned against God is important, as it reminds us that problems and abuses in our relationships with one another strain our relationship with God.

The father and the older brother react in opposite ways, and we should consider how we respond when someone asks for forgiveness. The father is the model of openness. When he sees his son’s return, he is filled with compassion, as Jesus is when he responds to people in need. “He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.” This warm welcome is followed by a feast in honor of the son’s return.

The older son reacts harshly—though his responses might feel very relatable. He is critical of both his father and brother. He questions and critiques his father’s compassion and wonders why he never received such festivities. He is critical of the wasteful actions of his younger brother, who squandered his father’s estate but is given a celebration. The older brother seems to reject his younger brother’s penitential turn away from sin.

The father is thoughtful in his reply, and his answer speaks to why we hear this parable on Laetare Sunday. The parables that precede this one focus on finding lost items, a sheep and a coin, and each ends with a call to rejoice or find joy in locating what was lost. The father’s joyful celebration is a statement that repentance should be celebrated, as it signals transformation and growth. By humbling himself to return home to serve his father, the younger son realizes his errors and makes amends. The celebration is not only for his return but for what it represents in his life, a turning point that moves him closer to his father and to God. The announcement that the son was dead but is now alive reflects the new life that comes from repentance and forgiveness.

The parable does not give us the older brother’s response. Is he convinced to accept his brother’s return, or does he continue to reject him and his father’s willingness to forgive? Are these relationships deepened or are the family dynamics strained? Hopefully, in our own lives, we model our actions on the younger brother and father, asking for forgiveness when we sin and responding to repentance with compassion and love.