The Prodigal Son

[Coder]

Hi,

In the teaching of the Prodigal Son, I am not aware of any explicit repentance of the son to his father or of his sin. Is his repentance implied? I.e. if his heart had not changed and he was not sorry would there be sense to having a celebration for him? Would the father do this to encourage him to repent and to show an example of love? For example, when someone runs out of money and so they return home it doesn’t mean he/she repented.

 

[Nathan_Wagar]

Luke 15:

17
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.
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I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, **“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
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I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ **
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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.
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**His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ **
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But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
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Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast,
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because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began.

This is an interesting question. I think the thing to keep in mind, after reflection, is that grace prompts us to repentance even when we have severed ourself from the Family of God, and so it would make perfect sense in the parable for the father to come running out when the son was “still a long way off,” just as grace prompts us to repent prior to the actual repentance. Keep in mind that true, Biblical repentance is acknowledgement of wrongdoing, but after acknowledging this, you need to turn back to God as an act, as is congruent with the Catholic understanding of works through faith. Just his act of returning to his father’s house was in itself an act of repentance, and should be as construed as such (and indeed is, by the father in the parable and by God), before the words are ever spoken.

 

[Oldtimer_7]

In many German Bibles, this parable is headlined “The Parable of the Two Lost Sons.” It recognizes that the son who stayed home was as lost in his rejection of his brother and jealousy of his father’s love that he too was lost.

 

[Reuben_J]

Hi,

In the teaching of the Prodigal Son, I am not aware of any explicit repentance of the son to his father or of his sin. Is his repentance implied? I.e. if his heart had not changed and he was not sorry would there be sense to having a celebration for him? Would the father do this to encourage him to repent and to show an example of love? For example, when someone runs out of money and so they return home it doesn’t mean he/she repented.

Hi.

I’d suppose when he said, **"Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. …” **his repentance is implied. He made an about turn to return to the father’s house, a humble pie he had to eat, after had left the house acrimoniously and having asked for his share of the inheritance. In the Jewish culture of the day it is tantamount to wish his father to die since only after the death of their father that the inheritance can be given.

However this story is not so much on the implication for the father or the prodigal son but rather a demonstration to show the foreshadow of God’s relationship with his people, how it is so important for God when a person believe in him (to return back to him) that’s it’s enough for him to give a celebration. This is about God’s forgiveness and when we identify with what the father of the prodigal son does, we understand in a deeper way what God does for us.

God bless.

 

[Coder]

Luke 15:

**His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ **

This indeed shows repentance. I may have forgotten that part. There is no statement of “I’m sorry” but perhaps in the culture or before translation his statement would be understood as an apology. It’s not far from an apology and he does admit his wrongdoing. Also, due to this indication of repentance, perhaps there is an implication that he said he was sorry.

Not related directly to the question: I think of Jesus’ teaching about those who love much because they have been forgiven much.

Thank you Nathan and all!

 

[Coder]

…It recognizes that the son who stayed home was as lost in his rejection of his brother and jealousy of his father’s love that he too was lost.

Perhaps the son who was at home in such a scenario would be suspicious of the sincerity of the repentance of the returning son. He should trust his father’s judgment. Plus, a day or two after the party, the father may have had some work for the returning son to do e.g. farming or tending animals. Again, if the at home son were a bit patient and trusted his father he might have seen a bit of the “penance”. Still any “penance” would be gentle, loving, and not too harsh I would think. Don’t forget - the party came to an end at some point.

It’s a wonderful teaching that the father welcomed him like that.

 

[Nita]

The Prodigal Son’s repentance seems to me to be an example of “imperfect” contrition (as opposed to “perfect” contrition). Here are the pertinent chapters from the Catechism that define the two types of contrition:

#1451 Among the penitent’s acts contrition occupies first place. Contrition is “sorrow of the soul and detestation for the sin committed, together with the resolution not to sin again”.

#1452 When it arises from a love by which God is loved above all else, contrition is called** “perfect”** (contrition of charity). Such contrition remits venial sins; it also obtains forgiveness of mortal sins IF it includes the firm resolution to have recourse to sacramental confession as soon as possible.

#1453 The contrition called** “imperfect”** (or “attrition”) is also a gift of God, a prompting of the Holy Spirit. It is born of the consideration of sin’s ugliness or the fear of eternal damnation and the other penalties threatening the sinner (contrition of fear). Such a stirring of conscience can initiate an interior process which, under the prompting of grace, will be brought to completion by sacramental absolution. By iteself however, imperfect contrition cannot obtain the forgiveness of grave sins, but it disposes one to obtain forgeness in the sacrament of Penance.

vatican.va/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a4.htm#VII