A lot to learn from the Prodigal Son

To the Left is Rembrandt's famous painting of the Prodigal son. Its power and beauty are unbelievable. Here are some thoughts that I borrowed from Pope Benedict and Michael O'Brien in a talk that he gave on this painting, that can be found at www.studiobrien.com.

The first thing to point out is the most obvious, the Prodigal Son's return to his Father, and return to the world of love. He has lost everything, even his health. The picture is the perfect portrait of what sin ultimately gets us. But behind the horrible garments, and the bruised flesh, you can tell that he has finally found peace. He has nothing left in this world except the loving arms of His Father, and finally he realizes that was all he ever needed. We can find this embrace every time we pray, when we allow our souls to be wrapped up in God.

The second important point is the Father, there is something more here than simple pity. Pity is easy to feel, just look at the prodigal sons torn cloths. Mercy is difficult, but that is what those hands give, pure mercy. There is something else that many spiritual writers have pointed out about this picture, its almost like the head of the prodigal son is the head of an infant child, all the way down to the mucus of an infant emerging from the womb. This is what the Mercy of God gives us. A brand new start! Its as if the Father sees all the way back to his birth, He sees the man He was created to be. He sees that He made him Good, made him to love. At every confession we are invited to experience this newness. To begin again, and walk in the original goodness that the Father created us for.

The third point is the Elder Brother, in all the books and all the homilies I have ever heard, I never heard the point that Michael O'Brien made in his talk on the prodigal son. The elder brother says to the Father, "This son of yours," and the Father in total gentleness corrects him immediately by saying, "This brother of yours," Upon receiving mercy from the Father, we have to remember what got us into trouble in the first place, Selfishness, living for ourselves. The only way to live is radically connected to our brother, to care and love our brother not as a mere social contract, but as a family.

Finally, Pope Benedict makes the point, the elder brother is invited into the banquet, to celebrate, to live Christian Joy. If we believe what we say, that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, then Joy is the only response. We never learn what the elder brother decided to do, if he accepted the invitation into the party, that's because the invitation is addressed to us today, lets walk into the banquet to rejoice with our Father and our brothers.