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[Coming to his senses he thought,
‘How many of my father’s hired workers
have more than enough food to eat,
but here am I, dying from hunger.
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I no longer deserve to be called your son;
treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’
So he got up and went back to his father.
While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion.
He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him.] (Lk. 15:17-20)

Today we hear the parable of the prodigal son. Taking his inheritance, the prodigal son goes into a foreign land and wastes the entirety of it living his life the way he wants to live it. Eventually, he hits rock bottom and realizes that he can’t survive on his own anymore. He needs to rely on someone else, namely his father. Shamefaced he makes the journey back to his dad and, much to his surprise, his dad welcomes him back with open arms.

Jesus presents this parable to the scribes and the Pharisees as an illustration of the life of a sinner encountering God’s immense mercy. Yet, I think we also see our heavenly Father’s longing love for us. The son is met on the road by his dad. His father must’ve been eagerly watching for him from the window of his house. He must’ve been waiting to run and save his son from the awful situation his son found himself in.

As the Coronavirus continues to spread, I think we all are beginning to experience fear and uncertainty on some level. Schools are closing, professional sports have halted, and store shelves are scant. Catholic Dioceses across the world are even canceling public Masses and other religious services. Despite these preventive measures, the virus continues to spread, producing fear and hysteria. Many feel helpless and some even hopeless. Where do we turn?

We must turn to our heavenly Father. Like the prodigal son, we must turn towards our Father in heaven for help. He is longing to save us, to comfort us, to be with us. We all must be prudent and follow health guidelines to the best of our ability during this time. However, even more importantly, we must recognize that we can’t live on our own anymore. We need to run toward the open arms of our loving Father. He’s in charge, and He will get us through this.

Jesus I trust in You.
Jesus I trust in You.
Jesus I trust in You.