In the first Reading we have the beautiful words God spoke to his people: ‘I have taken the shame of Egypt away from you’. The shame of sin and the darkness of slavery are behind them. The years of wandering in the desert are over; they have come home to the promised Land. A new Era was about to begin. They mark their homecoming by celebrating anew the Feast of Passover. This reminds us of the home-coming of the prodical son (Gospel). His shame is also behind him. His years of wandering are over and he returns home to a warm welcome and a great feast. A new and bright future lies ahead of him. Jesus told the parable in response to the criticism of the Pharisees that he was too lenient towards sinners. They were meant to see themselves in the older son. For Luke the ‘Pharisees’ are righteous Christians for whom God’s mercy to sinners is unfair and scandalous.

The second Reading stresses how God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ, not holding our faults against us. The task of the Church is to bring the benefits won by Christ to all people.