Lent 4 Yr C
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Comment 3/27/25: Good essay by Sandi about good parenting. But there is also bad parenting. Isn’t it reasonable for those who consider themselves always  unfavored by parents (God in the analogy) to doubt the goodness, or at least the competence, of the authority figure? 

Introduction

I think it's human nature to think one's sibling(s) is being favored over oneself. I certainly know that's the way I felt when I was growing up. One had better (read "more") clothes; one got more "stuff"; one got more hugs. Oh, nevermind that I grew like a weed and often couldn't wear last year's clothes. Or that one was half my age (then) and just catching up to my "stuff". Or that one was just more huggable. Are you catching my drift yet? Yes, you got it! Each of us has different needs/wants and at different times. 

For parents or guardians, it's a challenge to figure out the differences among their children that require different approaches. One child may be "needy", that is, have low self esteem that needs boosting from mom/dad. Another child may need to have its assertiveness checked, to help that child learn how to get along with and enjoy the relationship with others. Still another child may be awkward or less self-assured than its peers; this one needs more hugs. Good parents see and respond to the differences among their children; the children become better citizens of the world around them.

A good exercise for young ones is to recognize that there is a different in how they are treated by their parents/guardians. Moreover, for the child (regardless of age), it is important to understand why there is differential treatment. One possibility is that the parent/guardian sees differing maturity levels, or sensitivities, or degrees of shyness. For a child looking at how it has been treated, this discernment into why it happened permits the child to grow and become a more attuned and attentive and caring (and loving) adult.

Our Father knows us, his children, and what our needs/wants are. When we're feeling low, let's look more closely at what we have (rather than what we have not)! Given that, think about the father in the Prodigal Son story. Why would he permit his son to "take the money and run"? Why would he welcome the son back into the fold? What did the father perceive in the son who stayed with him that even that son did not recognize? [be sure to read "For youth" below.] Comments welcome.

You may want to listen to this 2016 sermon from Fr. Mark.

Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

. . . "There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. . . . But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! . . . But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. . . . And they began to celebrate. . . . Then the father said to him [the second son], 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

sermons4kids: “When one of God's children strays away, He always welcomes him with open arms when he returns home. Aren't you glad that you have a heavenly Father who loves you, even when you may not deserve it? I am! ”