‘Father I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him… and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and now is found.’
The Gospel of Luke
The Prodigal Son
Topic: Prayer, Meditation, & Contemplation
And Jesus said, “There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and now is found.‘ And they began to make merry.
“Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of his servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'”
The Gospel of Luke
Wilson, Andrew, editor. World Scripture II. Universal Peace Federation, 2011, pp. 315-316 [Luke 15:11-32, Parable of the Prodigal Son].
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Luke 15:11-32, Parable of the Prodigal Son
Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son speaks not only of God’s grace and forgiveness (represented by the father), but also of the ethic that righteousness (represented by the elder brother) be accompanied by forgiveness and compassion for sinners (the younger brother).
–World Scripture II [Universal Peace Federation, 2011] pp. 315-316.
Spiritual Practice: Lectio Divina
Lectio divina is a spiritual practice that derives from the Christian tradition. It was encouraged for monastic use in the sixth century by St. Benedict. The four steps were formalized in the twelfth century and are promoted today for general use by all Christians and, I would say, anyone wishing to adapt this practice to another tradition.
Lectio divina means “divine reading,” words that point to a greater feeling for and closeness to God. For Christians this comes because of the ministry of Jesus, which revealed God’s purposes with particular clarity….
–Pastor Don Mackenzie [Finding Peace Through Spiritual Practice (The Three Interfaith Amigos)].
The Four Steps of Lectio Divina
The four steps of lectio divina (Divine Reading) are: (1) reading a passage of scripture, (2) meditating on that scripture, (3) praying in the context of that scripture, and (4) contemplating the broader message of the scripture, particularly how it increases our awareness of God’s presence. Lectio divina is not a process of analyzing scripture. It points us toward an understanding of the purposes of God.
–Pastor Don Mackenzie [Finding Peace Through Spiritual Practice (The Three Interfaith Amigos)].
Lectio Divina: The Prodigal Son
Consider the story of the Prodigal Son (See Luke 15:11-32 in Context above). When reflecting on this story through lectio divina, the purpose is not to try to understand forgiveness in an intellectual sense. Rather the process is useful in helping us feel the meaning of forgiveness and better absorb the meaning of God’s purposes.
Find a quiet place to read and meditate, the first two steps. After you have read the passage slowly once or twice, noticing words or phrases that stand out to you, sit up straight with both feet on the floor and slowly and gently close your eyes and become aware of your breath moving in and out of your nose…. Use a word or phrase from the passage of scripture that you have just read to help you return to the center of your meditation…. You will need to decide just how long to meditate, perhaps aiming for ten to twenty minutes, and set a timer for yourself. The third step is prayer. When we pray, we use words to communicate with God. But we are not educating God about our needs. That is not necessary. The use of words is an act that helps open our hearts, to manage the activities of our egos so that we can find that balance between our individual needs and the needs of the world. So as you move into prayer, become aware of some words that are suggested by the reading of the story of the Prodigal Son. Use those words in a conscious attempt to be emptied of your narrower concerns and filled with the concerns and purposes of God. This requires practice as well…. As you move into the fourth and final step, you can simply listen to your thoughts as you reflect on what has happened in the first three steps. You will experience a similarity between meditation and contemplation because the openness of the mind and the heart is essential to each step. But with the final step you may experience a feeling of peace, increased spiritual awareness and closeness to God and God’s purposes.
–Pastor Don Mackenzie [Finding Peace Through Spiritual Practice (The Three Interfaith Amigos)].
Walking this practice into the World
After you’ve experienced the full lectio divina practice, take the meditation into your daily activities by occasionally repeating your special word or phrase from the Parable of the Prodigal Son to remind yourself of the miracle that happens with the experience of forgiveness.
–Pastor Don Mackenzie [Finding Peace Through Spiritual Practice (The Three Interfaith Amigos)].