Day 26: A Model of Love

In today’s Gospel, we hear the familiar and popular parable of the Prodigal Son (or more appropriately titled, the Forgiving Father).

On March 22nd, I reflected on this parable, but for today, I would like to share briefly a story that I captured in my first book, Dreams Come True: Discovering God’s Vision for Your Life (NCP, 2020).

At 21 years old, I was experiencing this story at every turn. I was reading Henri Nouwen’s “Return of the Prodigal Son,” in which he focuses on the parable and Rembrandt’s painting (see below) that captured the moment of reunion between the father and his younger son, with the older brother looking on in judgment.

That painting kept appearing, from magazine covers, in the offices of administrators, and in the living room of a great mentor, Bishop Ignatitus “Iggy” Catanello.

I told Bishop Iggy the stories of how this painting kept appearing (Carl Jung would refer to this as synschonricity). When I graduated a few months later, he surprised me with his copy that he brought all the way from Rome. He wanted me to have it, and he assured me that someone would gift him with something soon that will fill the empty space on his wall (and he was right).

His love for St. Francis of Assisi called him to a live of simplicity, and he gave all that he had as freely as I have ever encountered. When I hear this parable, in the midst of all the challenges of becoming like the father, and not like the sons, I also think of Bishop Iggy who showed me how to be attached to nothing yet to love everyone wholeheartedly.

May we strive to be a model of love for others so when our children hear this parable, they will think of us. May we love as the father in this story, as Bishop Iggy did, and as God does, always.