Dear Friends in Christ,

Some people say, “Christianity is a religion for losers.” They say this as an insult. But I think this is the Good News.

Losers, like the prodigal son, are grateful for the invention of Christianity. But he is not the only one. The sick, the blind, the lame, the crazy – all have a lot to be thankful for. So do the dead. So do the poor, those who mourn, those who are persecuted. Outsiders, the despised… when you begin to count them up, a lot of people fall into the category of those who have lost something and long for forgiveness, comfort or justice.

The prodigal son was not the only loser in the story. The father had lost his son, which was a crushing blow. And what the elder son suffered from was perhaps the most devastating loss of all: the ability to feel compassion for his own brother. The Christian story promises to redress all these losses, whether from sin, suffering or spiritual sickness. All we have to do is come to the feast.

Peace,

Father Slawomir