Micah 7:14-15,18-20; Psalm 102(103):1-4,9-12; Luke 15:1-3,11-32
The parable of the prodigal son is a well known text - indeed the concept and the name is part of everyday English speech even for non believers. At a first reading it seems straight forward, clear, and above all full of God's love for us - He will welcome us back whatever we may have done. But there are complexities - the attitude of the brother is interesting.
A good way to approach such a parable is to role play, that is to say, think through the story but take the part of just one of the characters in the plot. What are they thinking? What do they say? Most of all, what do they feel? How do they change as a result of those hapenings?
After going through (or listening to) the parable with that minds eye, think about what you yourself would have said or done - how different (or similar) are we to the person in the story? Did I choose a character that is quite like myself, or quite unlike myself?
This might be repeated several times, focusing on another character each time, and gradually a full appreciation of the message contained in Jesus's words will become clear to us. It won't be the same message for us all - and it can be instructive to listen to each other's results, if there are others who can do this with you.