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| Cropped image of painting: Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt, circa 1668, downloaded from Wikipedia |
Note the different ways which the characters in the Parable of the Prodigal Son address each other. The prodigal son addresses his father as "father." The father refers to the prodigal son as "this son of mine," and he addresses the older son as "my son." But the older son does _not_ address his father as "father." This may reveal the heart of each of the characters. Both the father and prodigal son refer to the other in familial terms, but the older son does not. The older son seems to be viewing his relationship in transactional terms: "look what I've done and look what he has done" rather than rejoicing with his father that his "brother was dead and has come to life again."
In the second reading (see link), St Paul tells the Christians in Corinth that God the Father reconciled the world to himself in His Son. That is, in becoming members of the body of Christ (i.e. in Christ) our relationship to God is restored/reconciled. In Christ we can be like the prodigal son and cry out, "Father!"
Whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
And all this is from God,
who has reconciled us to himself through Christ
and given us the ministry of reconciliation,
namely, God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ,
not counting their trespasses against them
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."
(2 Cor 5:17-19)
