Rejoicing with Jesus
bringing our brothers to life
Dear Friends,
This weekend's Gospel passage gives us what many people consider to be the greatest story ever told.
Think about the Parable of the Prodigal Son. What arises in your heart and mind as you consider that great story? Actually, why don't you let me know about it? Click on that link or reply to this email to send me a private note... I'd love to hear from you.
Henri Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son is a special book, and well worth a read. In it, he journeys through his own understanding of Jesus' parable: he identifies as the elder son, he sees himself as the younger son, and he experiences the call to become the father.
Nouwen's work is filled with gems like this one:
On the whole, Nouwen's work honors our experience of the parable. That's a good thing, to be sure, but let's see if we can take a step beyond it. Taking a look at the setup for the story, we read:
Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable.
To be fair, he gives them three parables. But in each (including the Parable of the Prodigal Son) he is addressing the Pharisees who are complaining that Jesus is partying with the wrong people.
What is the message Jesus has for them? Simple: God is madly, recklessly, in love with his people.
In light of that, this quote from Ricky Gervais, a well known atheist, breaks my heart:
I never understood redemption when I was young. Even before I was an atheist, I always thought with the prodigal son, "well, why's he getting the special treatment?"
The truth is that the younger son does get the special treatment, but the special treatment is also at the ready for the elder son. With the Prodigal Father - the wastefully extravagant Father - everyone gets the special treatment.
It's ours, simply, to join Jesus' party: to receive the unmerited mercy of the Father and give ourselves recklessly away in his service. More simply still, it's ours to become God's love for every person we encounter.
Christ's Peace,
Father Daniel
δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ
PS In my pastor's letter this week, I'm rejoicing in God's blessing to us of new life and new lives. Read it here.
Preparing for Mass?
Check out this weekend's readings:
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Return of the Prodigal Son, Pompeo Batoni