Ukrainian Catholic ChurchAustralia, New Zealand and Oceania
Homily by Fr. Andriy Mykytyuk on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son
January 28, 2024
I call on all of us — prodigal sons, older sons — to change our lives for the better, to be with God, to be in his love, and to enjoy the joy that he gives us!
Beloved,
In today’s Gospel, we heard how Christ tells us the Parable of the prodigal son. This parable is one of my favourite parables. It shows us very well how much God loves us. And it is important for us to see, understand, and realise that God is love that comes out to meet us. He is the one who sees where we are when we are gone for a long time. He is the one who looks for us, like he looks for the eldest son, when we go somewhere. He is a love that wants to receive us, embrace us, and elevate us to the dignity of being his children.
But this parable also shows us very well the attitude towards the sinner. Very often in society, we hear that we have to tolerate different things, that we have to treat each person’s choice with respect, and we say, “Because God did it that way. Because Jesus talked with sinners, he accepted them”. Yes, God accepts everyone and loves everyone, but only those who repent and understand. This prodigal son had to realise what he had lost in order to want to return to God. And on his way to God, God had already run out to meet him. If he stayed with those pigs or stayed in luxury, God would only see where he was but would not be able to meet him or see him. Therefore, a person must change; a person must take this step. God is love, and if we want to be embraced by this love, then we must show it in our lives; we must also go towards this love.
This parable shows us that, unfortunately, in our lives, we sometimes also, until we lose everything that God gives us, do not see and realise how important it is for our lives. As the prodigal son who lost everything, lost these gifts that his father gave him, lost money, lost friends, lost luxuries, and was left with nothing, only then he saw all the values that his father gave him.
This parable teaches us that God is love. God is the one who is near, who wants to give us everything because we are his children, but we also have to see it and want to be with him. We have to change, put away everything old, put away what prevents us from being close to him, and go meet him to be his children. And when we come, let’s not forget that he gives us an opportunity to enjoy our lives. Let’s not be like the older son who, being with his father, could not feel his love. Because it is also inherent in our lives. We go to church, we pray, and we seem to be with God, but we do not feel happy. God is love. He wants us to be loved, beloved, joyful, and happy. Therefore, let’s learn to change our lives to be with him, and, when we are with him, let’s learn to be joyful and happy, because only then can we give that God to others.
Do you know the answer to the question: why do young people or older people leave and do not go to God, and what to do about it? The priest can’t do anything about it, but we can. Because when we feel the joy of being with God and can share it with other people, other people who are looking for this joy and happiness may also want to feel it and come to God. Not to us, not to the priest, but to Christ.
I call on all of us — prodigal sons, older sons — to change our lives for the better, to be with God, to be in his love, and to enjoy the joy that he gives us!
