Pope Francis once gave a retreat for priests using this parable of the Prodigal Son. He focused on a few different moments, one being the embrace between the father and the son.
Notice when the son returns home, the father immediately vests him with the finest robe, new sandals for his feet, and a ring just like his dad’s.
He doesn’t say, “Go first and shower, wash your face, and brush your hair.” He immediately embraces him and sends him into the banquet.
That is the type of love God has for us. When we confess our sins, we are instantly forgiven, as if they never happened. God simply wants us to come home where we belong.
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While it’s easy for the Father to forgive us, the other side of the coin involves forgiving ourselves. This son had wasted his inheritance on a life of pleasure, learning in the end that love alone would fulfill him.
But just as the father didn’t want his son to hold on to past memories, or suffer any longer from guilt or shame, so God wants us to move on from our past.
If we’ve done anything that we feel guilt or shame for, God wants us to let it go. He already has.
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After all, God is preparing a feast for us at this very altar, where he will offer his Son in reparation for our sins.