THE PRODIGAL SON

Other Possible Titles:
The Loving Father
The Prodigal Father
The Running Father
The Grumbling Brother
The Lost Sons

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• The Humble Father
• Reckless Generosity
• Excessive Love
• Unlimited Compassion
• Divine Mercy

V. 12
Amounts to saying: "Father, I cannot wait for you to die."

The Father loves his son that he grants him the very freedom with which the boy will reject him. Such is the quality of God's love.

V. 13
He converted his share into cash and emigrated to a distant land.

V. 14
Disaster strikes.

V. 15
Pigs were considered impure animals.
Tending pigs means extreme degradation.

V. 16,17
He wants to come home not because he is converted but because he is HUNGRY.

V. 18
He repents for having lost the money and thinks he would not have sinned if he had not lost it.

V. 19
A face-saving plan: work as hired servant to earn a decent living and remain independent.

V. 20
Aimed at reconciling the community with the prodigal.

The Father RUNS!
It's humiliating for elderly man to run in public.
To protect his son from being humiliated by a mob, the father puts himself in a humiliating posture.

HE KISSED HIM AGAIN AND AGAIN

• A gesture of welcome
• Manifestation of forgiveness
• Manifesting reconciliation

V. 21
He changed his mind and gave up initial face saving plan. The unexpected loving welcome of his father made him change his mind.

V. 22
The father is not concerned with the motive of his son's return. He was looking for a son -- not for explnations!

V. 22-23

• Servants should accept him.
• Complete acceptance
• Community is invited to reconcile

HE GIVES HIM A RING

• Sign of trust
• Symbol of boy's authority
• Proof of his reinstatement

SHOES

The prodigal will not be considered a slave but a free man.

Fatted calf, not sheep

Big festivity involving the village
The whole community is to be reconciled with the prodigal.

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• How could he refuse?
• His pride is shattered.
• Forgiveness is offered.

The father's forgiveness has nothing legal about it, it is pure affection.

V. 25-28
Double insult on his father: refusing to participate in a feast and quarreling with him in public.

-Again a show of love by the father
-He humbly goes out to plead with his son
-"Parekalei" (plead) indicates a prolonged protracted process

V. 29-30
-By avoiding the term "my brother" he rejects him.
-Refuses to share in his father's forgiving welcome
-Where did he get the idea about harlots? Projection!

V. 31
-Affectionate response of an insulted father
-Assurance that the older son will not lose any of his rights

-The father discreetly corrects the elder brother's despising words
-Concludes with an invitation to rejoice and join the feast with him

"The love of God can defeat the foolishness of man, the seduction of the tempting voices, and even the deliberate rebellion of the heart."

William Barclay

"Now the Father loves all his children...this includes the worst criminals and the most vice-riddled dissolute...I must understand once and for all that God has no employees, no taxpayers, no electors, no enemies. He only has CHILDREN. "
(Fr. Nil Guillemette, SJ)

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