Father Guillaume: Jesus is waiting for those of us who have strayed far from Him, just as a father waits for his prodigal son!

"Brothers and sisters who have strayed far from the Lord and far from the Church, who feel that you have too many sins, that the Lord does not love you, or that you are unworthy to meet Him: do not be afraid! Do not be ashamed! We need to return to Jesus' arms and live with Him anew, which is our life within the Church community."

Every time we listen to the Gospel, it should bring us joy and hope! Why should we have hope? Because we see that Jesus has not abandoned us; on the contrary, He loves us even more than we love Him.

Delivering a reflection on the Gospel reading for Sunday, September 11, 2022, which was the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, focusing on the prodigal son, Father Guillaume Pingard—who is currently in charge of Koh Roka Parish and two other parishes—explained: "Jesus is incredibly generous and has great mercy for us!"

Even though He knows we are sinners, He continues to love and forgive us for everything. This Sunday's Gospel reading shows that the youngest son left home and squandered a great deal of wealth. After some time, when the son came to his senses and returned home, his father was not only not angry, resentful, or reprimanding, but he even ran to welcome his son back with the greatest joy.

The core message above is a source of hope for us. It means that when we stray far from God, He is waiting for us to return to His side, and He searches for us just as a shepherd searches everywhere for a lost sheep.

Why must we rejoice? Because we know with certainty, when we listen to the Scriptures, that He loves us eternally. The Lord is searching for us every day, calling us every day to come close to Him, and the Lord rejoices greatly when we all return and live with Him. This is also a joy given by the Lord to us.

Through this Sunday's Gospel, we ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten our minds and to grant us the courage and steadfast strength to move our hearts to return to the Lord whenever we stray far from Him, so that we may live with Him once again.

"I [Father Guillaume] implore the Lord to bless all of you. May the Holy Spirit guide us on our daily path of life, so that we may awaken to our senses and return to our Church."

By: Roeun Sreymach