Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 / Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
A turning point may refer to a climax of a story or a book or a movie.
Or it may also mean a defining moment in a person's life when that person realizes something about his/her character or identity.
There may be a few turning points in the gospel parable, depending on the angle of our reflection.
One turning point could be that phrase about the wayward son - "Then he came to his senses ... "
It was a turning point in the gospel parable, it was also a defining moment for the wayward son and also a defining moment in his relationship with his father.
The character and the identity of the son and the father was revealed and realized.
Yet the defining moment in today's gospel passage could be at the beginning, when the passage begins with saying that the tax collectors and sinners were all seeking the company of Jesus to hear what He had to say.
The tax collectors and sinners knew who they were and where they stand in the eyes of God.
They came to seek the company of Jesus and hear what He had to say because Jesus was their hope and a symbol of God's mercy and compassion.
May the gospel passage and its parable lead us to our defining moment with God and may it also be a turning point in our Lenten journey.