I will arise and go to my father
What a wonderful declaration from this week’s Gospel, Luke 15:1-32: “I will arise and go to my Father.”
Jesus does not merely say the prodigal son decided to return—He proclaims, ‘I will arise.’ This is no ordinary turning back; it is a movement of the whole person—body, mind, and soul. To arise is to be lifted from the depths of sin, despair, and separation into the light of restoration and grace.
And He speaks in the first person: ‘I will arise.’ This is the language of personal responsibility, of a soul awakening to the truth. It is a declaration of conversion—physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual. It is the cry of one who has been lost and now longs to be found, of one who was dead and now chooses life. This is not just a return; it is a conversion.
It is also a statement of trust. The prodigal son does not say, ‘I hope my father will take me back,’ but rather, he rises with the certainty that his father’s love endures. This is the essence of repentance—not merely regret for the past, but a confident movement toward mercy.
His journey home is not one of fear, but of hope, rooted in the unwavering love of the father who has been waiting all along. So too, when we turn back to God, we do not do so in uncertainty but with the assurance that His arms are always open, ready to embrace and restore us.
We think of the conversion experiences of our lives those moments when we have strayed, yet grace has called us back. Probably it was at a retreat, a Life in the Spirit seminar, an encounter with the fragility of life, or an unlikely pilgrimage, whichever way, it was a transcendence encounter with the divine. We experience God in a new deeper way.
Spiritual directors often remind us that true conversion begins within the heart before it is ever expressed in action. It is an interior awakening, a stirring of grace that prompts us to see our lives with new clarity. We witness this in the younger son—before he takes a single step toward home, he first speaks to himself, acknowledging his condition and recognizing the truth of his father’s love.
This moment of self-reflection is not just regret; it is the work of grace illuminating his heart, giving him the courage to change. Only then does he physically rise and set off on the journey back.
In the same way, our own conversions begin with an inner dialogue—a movement of the soul that compels us to respond to God’s mercy and take the first steps toward reconciliation.
My friend, probably you are feeling this stirring within, if so I encourage you ‘to arise and go to the Father’ in prayer, in repentance, and reconciliation. If you do not know where to start - contact me.
Friends, my assignment as deacon pastor and parish administrator of the inner city parish comes to an end at the end of June. I hope to make a Pilgrimage of Hope with my wife to the Vatican, for the month of July, creating newsletter posts, podcasts and videos along the way. I am seeking sponsors for these publications, if you know of any such sources please send me a note.