In the fifteenth chapter of Luke's Gospel is Christ Jesus' familiar and well-loved parable of the prodigal son, who wasted his substance in the vain search for selfish happiness. Then when he had suffered sufficiently from the "mighty famine" which had arisen, "he came to himself" and humbly returned to his father, who lovingly received and forgave him.

So every prodigal whose energy has been spent in seeking pleasure and satisfaction from matter must rise to acknowledge a higher source of satisfaction and well-being. Realizing anew through spiritual understanding the blessings awaiting him in his heavenly Father's household, the repentant prodigal is welcomed by Love and assured of his continuing sonship, man's forever status as the image and likeness of God.

The conclusion of the parable is especially arresting. The self-righteous elder son, who had remained constantly in the household, was tempted to be envious of his younger brother's welcome. This first-born son, the father rebuked with a declaration which, in the light of Christian Science, serves as a magnificent benediction on every individual in every age who becomes conscious of man's spiritual sonship with divine Life, Truth, and Love, man's Father-Mother. It reads, "Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine."

What a recognition is this! "Son"—the very salutation is a blessing! Paul declares in his epistle to the Romans that "as many as ate led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God," He adds, "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ." The heir, of course, is one who receives an inheritance. And the inheritance the Father grants His son is indicated in the words of the parable, "Thou art ever with me." To be ever with God is to be ever conscious of man's oneness with the perpetual harmony and joy of Soul. To be ever with God is to know one's nature as the expression, or idea, of the all-knowing intelligence, or Mind. It is to realize and experience man's oneness with ageless, timeless Life.

"Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine." One might substitute for the pronouns "me" and "I" the seven inseparable synonyms for God given in Mary Baker Eddy's inspiring definition in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 465): "God is incorporeal, divine, supreme, infinite Mind, Spirit, Soul, Principle, Life, Truth, Love."

Since man possesses through reflection all that belongs to Principle, his being is ordered, productive, purposeful—governed by unvarying, ever-operative harmony. As we understand this truth, injustice or tyranny cannot have authority over us. We cannot be subject to—or guilty of—dictatorship in a family, an office, or a nation.

Since all that Mind has is man's, he can never forget, or make a mistake, or lose anything, for he reflects the all-knowing Mind. He is the ever-active and ever-rested expression of intelligence. As the heir of Spirit—omnipresent, omnipotent, infinite good—man has all substance. Knowing this, we can never lack supply, companionship, opportunity, or anything good.

Soul is divine consciousness, including beauty, sinless joy, home, heaven. Mrs. Eddy says (Rudimental Divine Science, p. 5), "Soul is the only real consciousness which cognizes being." The senses of Soul are perfect. Soul's intuition is unerring. Comprehending that man includes by reflection all of which Soul is conscious, we cannot then be homeless, miserable, or in bondage to sin or the limitations of sense.

Similarly, man's riches as the heir of Life, Truth, and Love are incalculable. Life involves no less than eternity, without beginning or end. Man, then, is not subject to time limitations. One who hears himself saying, "I should like to do that, but I haven't time. My days are too full," should remember, "Son, thou art ever with me [Life], and all that I have is thine."

A familiar hymn in the Christian Science Hymnal begins (No. 93):

Happy indeed is he who, through an understanding of the basic teachings of Christian Science, can rest assured that God's goodness is ever at hand! He need not wait to be happy until he is moved to a different place, or he has more leisure, or someone else acts differently. Each day is complete and blessed with joy. He is, in fact, in "perfect peace" as he realizes man's God-given status as His spiritual idea and expression.

Truth frequently is symbolized in the Bible and Science and Health by light—light that illuminates consciousness spiritually and demonstrates the nothingness of sickness, sin, sorrow, lack. He who possesses this light of Truth knows that man made in God's image is never in need of healing, but is whole and harmonious.

And what a world of blessings one enjoys through realizing that all that Love has is man's. Two Christian Scientists were in a small boat which capsized on the ocean in a thundersquall, with high winds, later found to be about seventy miles an hour. As the cold waves dashed over the boat, the occupants clinging to it realized that all the radiant warmth which Love reflects was present. They sang hymns from the Christian Science Hymnal, including one which has the lines (No. 374):

The result of their understanding reliance on Love's protection was that they experienced a minimum of discomfort and no fear for their safety, and there were no ill aftereffects whatsoever from the period of exposure. Neither the boat nor personal belongings aboard, including a wrist watch and a portable radio, which were under water for some time, were seriously damaged.

"All that I have is thine"! Whether one, like the prodigal son, has gone through a period of suffering before arising to claim his sonship, or, like the elder son, has permitted himself to entertain self-righteous, envious thoughts, the fact is that man's being is and ever has been at one with Principle, Mind. Soul, Spirit, Life, Truth, and Love. Mrs. Eddy says of man's oneness with God (Science and Health, p. 361): "As a drop of water is one with the ocean, a ray of light one with the sun, even so God and man, Father and son, are one in being. The Scripture reads: 'For in Him we live, and move, and have our being.'"