
Then Jesus said, "A man had two sons, and the
younger son said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of your estate
that should come to me.' So the father divided the property between them.
After a few days, the
younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country
where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had
freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found
himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill
of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his
senses he thought, 'How many of my father's hired workers have more than
enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go
to my father and I shall say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven
and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you
would treat one of your hired workers.'
So he got up and went
back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught
sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embrace him
and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven
and against you, I no longer deserve to be called your son.' But his father
ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring the finest robe and out it on him; put
a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet . Take the fatted 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." (Luke
Ch 15, 11-24). |