LUKE 15:11-20a

Jesus said to them: "A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate that is coming to me.' So the father divided up the property. Some days later this younger son collected all his belongings and went off to a distant land, where he squandered his money on dissolute living. After he had spent everything, a great famine broke out in that country and he was in dire need. So he attached himself to one of the propertied class of the place, who sent him to his farm to take care of the pigs. He longed to fill his belly with the husks that were fodder for the pigs, but no one made a move to give him anything. Coming to his senses at last, he said: 'How many hired hands at my father's place have more than enough to eat, while here I am starving! I will break away and return to my father, and say to him, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son. Treat me like one of your hired hands."' With that he set off for his father's house."  

Gospelthink: Jesus tells the first part of the story of the "Prodigal Son" who finally came to his senses. Do I have the desire to always do the right thing?

"When she was just a girl, she expected the world, but it flew away from her reach, so she ran away in her sleep, dreamed of paradise every time she closed her eyes. So, lying underneath those stormy skies, she said 'I know the sun must set to rise. This could be paradise.'"  

The group Coldplay in their song "Paradise" is singing about a lady who understands the problems of the world, but sees that she can still make this world a wonderful place to live, a paradise. She is very much like the young man in Jesus' story. Both seem to be searching for something other than what their present world was giving, looking for a place where there would be no miseries of human civilization, and only a place of peace, prosperity, happiness and contentment. Such a place could be called "paradise" as the dictionary defines it.

But the lady in the song studied her life underneath her stormy skies, and the young man in Jesus' parable felt the pains of the life he had chosen, and their study produced a startling conclusion. Perhaps, they said, I had something that resembled paradise before I began to look for it some place else. In essence, they were both saying that what they had previously could have been a paradise, something the lady in Coldplay's song says specifically. It is a great insight.

The Christian will still hope for the paradise of eternal life after he/she lives on this earth. But in the meantime, living on this earth could be a time that approaches the joys of that future paradise. Our earth could honestly be a place of peace and contentment without misery if we want it to be.

There is a catch, of course. Simply put, we have to change the way that we view this earth, and what we have right now. The lady in Coldplay's song saw that the sun was going to rise again the next day, understanding that it meant life was going to continue whether she enjoyed it or not. The young man of Jesus' story finally came to his senses, realizing what his father had and that he would probably give it to him again.

Admittedly, our lives may not always be sunny, and what we have might not be the best, but it is life, and we have it. We can make it better than it is, maybe even coming close to the future paradise we desire.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, you have promised us paradise if we follow your Son. Give us the grace to truly listen to him, realizing that even on this earth we can make our lives better than they are right now. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Even with all the problems of this world, we can make it a paradise.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. This is only the first part of Jesus' parable. (The second part is given with the song "Drive By" by Train.)  Read the complete parable (Luke 15:11-32) and then answer the question: what is the overall message of the parable? Why?
2. The beginning of chapter 15 in Luke's Gospel indicates that Jesus told this story to the scribes and Pharisees who were complaining that Jesus welcomed sinners. In your opinion, why did Jesus spend time with "sinners"?
3. The story is probably better named "The Forgiving Father" rather than "The Prodigal Son." It is arguably the most important of Jesus' parables because it illustrates how God the Father acts on our behalf. See Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, number 1439. Do most Christians think that God is a merciful God? Yes or no and why?
4. Text analysis: "Coming to his senses." The phrase signifies some type of conversion experience. What are the most common events in a person's life that moves a person to turn his/her life around
5. Text analysis: "She expected the world." In your opinion, what is the meaning of the phrase?
6. Analysis: How do people "run away" from their problems in this life?
7. What is your definition of "paradise" or "eternal life"?
8. Analysis: "This could be paradise." What are the ways in which we can consider our world "a paradise"?
9. The meditation seems to imply that the manner in which people grow up can be a "paradise." Do you agree with that thought? (See Bon Jovi's song "Who Says You Can't Go Home" in these meditations.)
10. If people have a poor view of what their life is on earth, do you think that they could easily change their views? Yes or no and why?
11. Do you believe that people often make an effort to change for the better? Yes or no and why?
12. What does the song "Paradise" teach young people?

©2007 Capuchin Province of Mid-America
Fr. Mike Scully is a member of the Capuchin Province of Mid-America