Life after the prodigal son returns

"It's yet another night. I have exploited everything on television and I am feeling a little guilty".  That was the conversation that I would have with myself many nights a few years ago and still do sometimes even now. The only difference between then and now is what I would do next. No! I didn't take the remote and throw it at the television and swear not to do it again. I did something most people are familiar with; tune in to one of the channels where a very well spoken person would be preaching. Yes the televangelist. Everyone has their favorite, but at this time I seemed to listen to any. A couple of minutes later I would be praying for forgiveness and I would feel like the prodigal son. Yes truly that moment felt good being received back by my Father, but after a few days, the feeling would wear off, I would go off and then be back to the door knocking as the prodigal son. I had joined the "perpetual prodigal son's return club."  I had enjoyed the feelings of the reception so much that I wanted them to last. In reality, I wasn't so much concerned about what God wanted, as much as what I felt. In reality, I was after the gift more than the giver. After countless episodes like this, I soon realized that I had succeeded in self deception. Although I had stayed clear of despairing since I knew of God's mercy, I had probably crossed over to presumption, forgetting His justice.
  This was until one day I heard someone
talk about the sacrament of reconciliation.For those who may not be aware, this is that practice mainly exercised by Catholics where they confess their sins to a priest and he in turn absolves them in the name of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. I knew about this as a Catholic but had not appreciated it as much. Further more, it is one of the things that Catholic Christians are made the most fun of by their non catholic brothers and sisters. I didn't want to jump in with both feet until I found out where they really got this from. It wasn't long before I read this "And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained." (John 20:22-23) After reading this words by Jesus to his disciples giving them the power to forgive sins, I went to confession for the first time in a long time. Finally a prodigal son had returned. With a truly contrite heart, I was not only ready for the gift of forgiveness, but was ready to go about my Father's business. This is realized in this sacrament of reconciliation which  not only extends forgiveness, but also healing and strength to avoid sin in the future. Oh what great freedom that comes with this.
Many of us want to remain in that initial moment of conversion. We come back like the prodigal son and we are reunited with Our Father in a most celebratory way. We feel good to be back home and even a few tears are shed in joy. The problem is that we never want to go beyond that point. We don't want to part ways with our feelings and we end up choosing them over the one who allows them. When I was listening to my favorite televangelists, they offered me the option to fix things instantly and I took them up on the offer. The only problem was that after a few days I found myself back in the same position. Now a few years later, I know that not to be true, which made me think of what happened to the prodigal son after the feast. The story doesn't stop with the feast, it continues. Did he ever go back to his father's vineyard and help out, maybe become a part of the family again and resume responsibilities of a son? Did he ever have squirms like his elder brother and maybe need to apologize to his most gracious father again. I would think so. There was a relationship to be maintained with his family.
   While many of us would like to have our story end there, we come to terms with reality and realize that we continue to fall time and again and need that mercy of God. While the Father, remains always open to receive us, we need to always approach him when we sin and repent. Jesus surely knew this and that's why He left us that sacrament of reconciliation through his priests when he gave them the power to forgive or retain sin.

    "O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because of your just punishments, but most of all because they offend you, my God, who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin." This is the prayer of contrition which I am sure was familiar to the prodigal son who realized both his sins and God's grace and mercy. It is also the words of a prayer which have been prayed by countless prodigal sons and daughters over the centuries who have taken to heart Jesus' words; "repent and believe in the gospel," and have knelt in confessionals in Catholic churches all over  the world seeking reconciliation with God or in their rooms prayed this same prayer with perfectly contrite hearts. It is often told that two of the greatest souls of our time; Venerable Pope John Paul II and Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta utilized the sacrament of reconciliation very frequently. They would go to confession weekly and some even say more often than that. If Jesus' word are true that "you shall know them by their fruits," These two souls bear witness by their fruits of holiness. They truly understood God's power to forgive and used the sacrament of confession often. Now its your turn.