Vatican City, Apr 16, 2025 / 10:13 am (CNA).
Pope Francis on Wednesday said the Gospel is a “message of hope” founded on the belief that God is a merciful father and not a slave master.
Using Rembrandt’s oil painting “Return of the Prodigal Son” as a source of inspiration for his April 16 catechesis, the Holy Father said God’s love is like that of a father who goes out in search of his lost children.
“In this we find the heart of the Gospel of Jesus, namely God’s mercy,” the pope said in his written reflection on the parable of the merciful father with two sons.
“The Gospel is intended to give us a message of hope, because it tells us that wherever we are lost, and however we are lost, God always comes looking for us!” he added.
In his catechesis, the Holy Father said the eldest son who “does not share his father’s joy” in the parable “represents those for whom the parable is told” — those who judge others and do not realize that they are also lost.
“He is the son who always stayed at home with his father yet was distant from him, distant in heart,” he said. “This son may have wanted to leave too, but out of fear or duty he stayed there, in that relationship.”
“When you adapt unwillingly, however, you begin to harbor anger within you, and sooner or later this anger explodes,” he added. “Paradoxically, it is precisely the eldest son who in the end risks being left out.”
Reflecting on the situation of the younger son who “hits rock bottom” after squandering his inheritance, the pope said his father did not refuse to welcome him back home even though his son “got tired of being in a relationship that he felt was too demanding.”
In his written catechesis, the Holy Father added that it was the merciful father’s gratuitous love that freed his son from the “distorted belief” that he needed to earn back his father’s respect or beg for his affection when he returned home.
“Only those who truly love us can free us from this false view of love,” the pope said. “In the relationship with God, we have precisely this experience.”
“The young man’s head is shaven, like that of a penitent, but it also looks like the head of a child, because this son is being born again,” the Holy Father said, commenting on Rembrandt’s painting.
Asking his readers to “take a position” and ask “where am I in the story?” the pope prayed: “Let us ask God the Father for the grace that we too can find our way back home.”
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I did not read PF’s recollection (the original). However, I have heard several homilies on that topic during Mass, about how the father was merciful and forgiving despite his son’s disgusting behavior. They all have missed one pivotal point: the prodigal son repented. Yes, his father ran out to meet him yet the son repented before; it was his repentance that brought him back. When he saw his father, his first words were “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”. Only because he reached that point of humility, his father’s mercy was able to connect with him. Imagine if he did not repent, returned and said “listen dad, I no longer have money – give me more”.
Unfortunately, it is a trademark of narcissism – to chronically omit the notion of repentance, even in those Gospel stories where it is transparent. The proper message would be “God loves all and wants to save all – but you also need to turn to Him and realize your condition”.
I wrote exactly about that, water-down Gospel, in the past so I will leave a quote:
“Instead of the extremes of the Gospels “reject oneself and follow Me”, “take up your cross and follow Me”, “one who saves his life will lose it” etc., the narcissist priest says “you are good enough for God”. It sounds nice indeed. It can even be theologically defended, as “God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son…” “Good enough” could be possible [albeit not the best and not entirely correct] rendition of the notion of the selfless love of God for his prodigal children if the priest did not keep missing another point of the story: the prodigal son repented. And not only this – the whole Gospels begin from St John the Baptist’s call for repentance. (“Repent and believe in good news!” says also Christ). This is how a Christian life begins and continues: love of God – my response to Him, repentance out of seeing myself in His light – my love for Him that is never enough – repentance – and so on, towards the union with Him, in mutual love. This notion of the movement of a soul towards God is entirely absent in a take of a narcissist preacher who keeps going on “we are good enough”; in fact he does it so often that it looks like a self-comforting mantra.”
Though father and mother may forsake you, I will not – says the Lord.