Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Fr Mike Mahinay SVD
Saturday 2nd Week of Lent
Jack McArdle tells the story of a dying soccer fan who loved watching match replays. His pastor, visiting him, explained what happens when we die: “The Lord sits you down and plays a video called ‘This is your life.’ You watch everything — not only what you remember, but even what you had forgotten. And then you notice blanks. Those blanks are the times you sinned but admitted it. God pressed the erase button. When He forgives, His memory goes completely blank.”
This simple image captures the heart of the Gospel: God’s forgiveness is total. He does not keep a record of wrongs once we repent.
In today’s Gospel (Luke 15:11–32), the younger son insults his father by demanding his inheritance — a request tantamount to wishing his father dead. He squanders everything, then returns home, ready to be treated as a hired servant. But the father, filled with compassion, runs to embrace him, restoring him as a son.
This parable paints a vivid picture of God: watching, waiting, and always ready to welcome back His children. No offense, however grave, is beyond His mercy.
We often fear that our sins are too great, that our failures are unforgivable. Yet Scripture assures us: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). God’s forgiveness is not partial; it is complete.
Like the soccer fan’s “video of life,” our sins disappear when confessed. God does not recall them. What remains is His love, His mercy, and His invitation to begin again.
The parable reminds us that God’s love is relentless. He erases our sins, restores our dignity, and welcomes us home.
“Lord, thank You for Your mercy that forgets my sins. Teach me to trust Your forgiveness and to share that same compassion with others.”
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