24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
September 12, 2010

"While he was still a long way off,
his father caught sight of him,
and was filled with compassion."
Luke 15:20

Fr. Henri Nouwen in The Return of the Prodigal Son explains,
“It might sound strange, but God wants to find me as much as,
if not more than, I want to find God.
Yes, God needs me as much as I need God.
God is not the patriarch who stays home, doesn’t move, and
expects his children to come to him, apologize for their aberrant behavior,
beg forgiveness, and promise to do better.
To the contrary, he leaves the house, ignoring his dignity
by running toward them, pays no heed to apologies and promises of change,
and brings them to the table richly prepared for them.”

How is my image of God affected by this parable?

How can this parable help me
to come home to my best self?