One of the highlights of Pope Francis' pontificate is how he has highlighted the mercy of God. The Gospel of the Prodigal Son this Sunday, September 11, was a natural occasion to return once again to this idea. "God is just like that: he excludes no one, he wants everyone to be at his banquet, because he loves everyone as his children."
God's heart is that of a good father, who "comes to look for us whenever we have gone astray". Even if a person possesses an abundance of material goods, he cannot be completely happy if he suffers for a loved one who is going astray. "The one who loves is concerned about what he misses, is nostalgic for the one who is absent, seeks the one who is lost, waits for the one who has wandered away. For he wants no one to be lost. Brothers and sisters, God is like this: he does not remain 'quiet' if we are far from him, he is grieved, he is deeply moved and he begins to search for us, until he takes us back into his arms".
God is father and mother
A true father, a true mother, loves her children unconditionally, without calculation or measure. For this reason, Pope Francis points out that the "Lord does not calculate loss and risks, he has the heart of a father and mother, and he suffers when he misses his beloved children. Yes, God suffers for our remoteness, and when we are lost, he awaits our return. Let us remember: God is always waiting for us with open arms, whatever the situation of life in which we have been lost."
As usual in the preaching of the Holy Father, he ends his words with some questions that serve as an examination of conscience for the faithful. On this occasion, he said: "Do we feel nostalgia for those who are absent, for those who have distanced themselves from the Christian life? Do we carry this inner restlessness, or do we remain serene and unperturbed among ourselves? In other words, do we really miss the one who is missing in our community? Or are we comfortable among ourselves, calm and blissful in our groups, without having compassion for the one who is far away?"
True Christian fraternity includes all people, regardless of how they think or how they like them. For this reason, the Pope launched some final questions underlining the Catholic, universal mentality of the Christian heart: "Do I pray for those who do not believe, for those who are far away? Do we attract those who are far away by means of God's style, which is closeness, compassion and tenderness? The Father asks us to be attentive to the children he misses the most. Let us think of someone we know, who is close to us and who perhaps has never heard anyone say to him or her: 'You know, you are important to God'".
