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Lent reminds us that “God loves all of us”. His love for us is unconditional love. The Parable of the Prodigal Son shows us very clear this dimension of love. I liked this Parable very much since I was in high school because through this Parable I came to realize God’s face as a good and merciful Father. Luke tells us that the father saw the son from afar because he was waiting for him. The father went onto the terrace every day to see if his son would return. He waited and when he saw him, he went out in haste and ‘threw himself on his neck’. The son had prepared some words to say but the father did not let him speak; his embrace covered his son’s mouth. This is our Father-the God that waits for us. His action showed his love is a kind of loving longing for our return. He longs for us when we distance ourselves from him. He celebrates every person’s return to him. God who waits for us and he is also the God who forgives for us. He is the God of mercy; for this, I am not afraid to go for Confession.
It is absolutely necessary to confess at least once every year. The longer we go on without confessing, the worse it is for us, the more entangled we become in the bonds of sin, and therefore the more difficult it is to give account. We should confess our sins more frequently, in order to strike and scourge the sins by the open avowal of them, and in order to feel a greater loathing of them. She/he who is accustomed to give account of her/his life at confession will not fear to give an answer at her/his last day. In contrary, she/he will find the joy of the feast of God.
Our Pope Francis who often in his homily and speech mentions about the face of our merciful heavenly Father who does not tire of forgiving but we are the ones who tire in asking for forgiveness. He encourages the faithful as often as possible approach to God in Sacrament of Reconciliation. “The miracles that Jesus did with many sick people were also a sign of the great miracle that every day the Lord does with us when we have the courage to get up and go to him.” That statement was said by Pope Francis on the day of “24 Hours for the Lord” which was held in Rome last week on 28-29 March 2014. Thank to Pope for his initiative which involved many people return to God, especially those whose left the Church for many years had courage to come back to the merciful Father and experienced his unconditional love. As faithful Christians, let’s keep in mind the Pope’s statement and often approach to God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to experience God’s unlimited love and to encounter merciful Father who always waits for us by loving longing for our return not only in this Lenten season but through our daily life.
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