The Gospel for Saturday of the second week of Lent is taken from St. Luke, 15th chapter, first through the third verse and 11 through the 32nd verse. Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus. But the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, this man welcomes sinners and eats with them. So to them Jesus addressed this parable. A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.

So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on. On a life of dissipation when he had freely spent everything. A severe famine struck the country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat the fill of the pods on which the swine fed.

But nobody gave him anything. 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 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. The son said to him, father, I’ve sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son. But his father ordered his servants, quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him.

Put a ring on his fingers and sandals on his feet. Take the fatted calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast. Because this son of mine was dead and came to life again. He was lost and has been found. Then the celebration began.

Now the older son had been out in the field and on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fatted calf. Because he. He has him back safe and sound. He became angry.

When he refused to enter the house. His father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, look, all these years I’ve served you, but not once did I disobey your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns, who swallowed up your property with prostitutes for him, you slaughter the fatted calf. He said to him, my son, you are here with me always.

Everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice because your brother was dead and has come to life again. He was lost and has been found. I want you to pay attention to the two brothers. One takes the safe route and never ever does anything to offend his father. And he’s loved by his father.

The other son, who represents something that I would call a vibrant spiritual life, is the one who is extravagant in his longing and hunger for everything in life. And he goes out and experiences it all and learns and finds it empty and comes back a different man. What a wonderful image of the way in which God is inviting us to experience life. And it’s balanced by his incredible, generous, compassionate forgiveness. It’s all right to make mistakes as long as we learn foreign our eyes to the world and its beauty, all of it, and help us to use it in ways that bring not simply something to us, but always bring something to other people. So bless us with a generous heart, and we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.