"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."'
"...this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found."
You are adam and to adam you shall return.
As you know, the word adam means dirt. And we find our cavalier Adam in today's gospel wallowing with pigs. He has returned to the starting point he never knew, to where he always belonged.
The pigsty in this story is a biblical wilderness like the Sinai peninsula. It is a chaotic place of origin, abandonment, escape, discipline, rest, rebirth, regeneration, and betrothal. It is remembered as punishment, but also as a honeymoon. For, despite his desolation, the prodigal son discovered grace amid the swine. Like the Hebrew slaves, his ancestors, he has found insight, direction, courage, confidence, and hope in a foreign land. He is ready to go home.
The parallels of this parable might be more complete if he'd spent forty days in the pigsty but they're clear enough already. By the end of these forty days we should be ready to return to our Father's house.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.