My wife remarked on the promos for the upcoming tv production, The Story of God. If we want insight about God off the tube, the parables of Luke 15 tell us quite a lot.
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.
Keep in mind our context here: the Pharisees and scribes complained about Jesus’s associations. They shared with good believers the desire to know, love, and serve God. They just didn’t comprehend that associating with miscreants was a quality of God. (Didn’t they know Israelite history?)
For us mortal beings, the sight of our beloved fills us. Note that the Father experiences this with his returning son. Does it imply the sight of us touches something within the heart of the Creator?
His son said to him,
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you;
I no longer deserve to be called your son.’
The rehearsed speech is cut short; a celebration is ordered:
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.
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it.
Then let us celebrate with a feast,
because this son of mine was dead,
and has come to life again;
he was lost, and has been found.’
Then the celebration began.
We’ve spoken so far of journeys. A wayward son moves to a faraway alien land. An impoverished and friendless man wakes up and makes that long walk back to home. What does God think of all this? I hope we have our answer here.
Catholic Sensibility 