THE SECOND MOVEMENT - THE FALL
"I have broken my relationship with God by my sin.
PDF LINK TO EVERYTHING FOUND ON THIS PAGE
"I have broken my relationship with God by my sin.
PDF LINK TO EVERYTHING FOUND ON THIS PAGE
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Scripture: John 1:7–9He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. Prayer for this week: The Confiteor LINK FOR PRAYER I confess to Almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask Blessed Mary, ever -Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord, our God. Amen Click the image for full size. Image Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/91/Rembrandt_Harmensz._van_Rijn_-_The_Return_of_the_Prodigal_Son.jpg |
RESOURCES
TIME (minutes:seconds) |
TITLE & LINK |
DESCRIPTION |
2:14 |
Fr. Mark Soehner, O.F.M. from Franciscan Media talks about Mercy and how we obtain it! |
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2:53 |
Divine Mercy Chaplet Explained (St Faustina) - Catholic Video by Speaker Ken Yasinski |
Provides a history of the Divine Mercy prayer of Sr. Faustina, “for the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world”. Learn what the prayer means. |
3:51 |
Official Audio for "Kyrie Eleison” by Chris Tomlin feat. Matt Maher, Matt Redman, and Jason Ingram |
SUGGESTED REFLECTION
Relationships sometimes become broken. Refusing to admit any wrongdoing and refusing to apologize can break relationships, seemingly beyond repair. Our relationship with God can become broken too. It can be broken by sin. A sin is any choice that goes against God’s love. Sin is how we say no to God. Sin damages our relationships with God and other people, leaving a trail of destruction and sorrow in its wake. We hurt ourselves, we hurt those we love, and we damage our relationship with God. And yet God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to give back to you—to us—an even more beautiful life, an eternal life.
Relationships sometimes become broken. Refusing to admit any wrongdoing and refusing to apologize can break relationships, seemingly beyond repair. Our relationship with God can become broken too. It can be broken by sin. A sin is any choice that goes against God’s love. Sin is how we say no to God. Sin damages our relationships with God and other people, leaving a trail of destruction and sorrow in its wake. We hurt ourselves, we hurt those we love, and we damage our relationship with God. And yet God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to give back to you—to us—an even more beautiful life, an eternal life.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
What name can you give to the restlessness in your heart? What ache and hurt do you want to be free of?
What is the one thing you want to let go of in order to be truly happy?
What name can you give to the restlessness in your heart? What ache and hurt do you want to be free of?
What is the one thing you want to let go of in order to be truly happy?
PRAYER: Mantra
Pray this as a mantra every day this week.
Meditate deeply on the words and what they mean and what the action it demands:
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”
― Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium: The Joy of the Gospel
Pray this as a mantra every day this week.
Meditate deeply on the words and what they mean and what the action it demands:
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”
“God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy.”
― Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium: The Joy of the Gospel
DIGGING DEEPER - IF YOU WANT TO...
Meditate with the picture The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt (Click the image for a full size)
Meditation on the picture of the prodigal by Rembrandt, using the reflections of Henri Nouwen from his book
"The Return of the Prodigal Son," found here: LINK to the complete guide. Excerpts are found below.
This resource goes quite deeply into the image. You can focus on various aspects of the image at your own pace such as
Questions: As you look at the prodigal, what do you see? One word… As you look at the father, what strikes you? Reflect on each part of the painting:
-the sinner’s feet
The soles of his feet tell the story of a long and humiliating journey. The left foot slipped out of its worn sandal, is scarred. The right foot, only partially covered by a broken sandal, also speaks of suffering and misery. This is a man disposed of everything … except for one thing – his sword on his right hip, the only remaining sign of dignity, the badge of his nobility. The sword is the symbol of his sonship.
-the son resting
"See the son against the father’s heart. The detail of the painting recalls words from the beginning of John’s Gospel: “No one has ever seen God. Only the son who is closest to the Father’s heart has made him known."
-the father's eyes
"The near blind father sees far and wide. His seeing is an eternal seeing that reaches out to all humanity, to each one of us."
-the father’s face
"The father’s face reminds us of parents searching for their child. The mother searching the streets; the father searching among the homeless. Even when they fail to make contact their search never ceases. They are always waiting…always hoping."
-the father’s hands
"The two hands are quite different. The father’s left hand, touching the son’s shoulder, is strong and muscular. The fingers are spread out and cover a large part of the prodigal’s shoulder and back. How different is the father’s right hand. This hand does not hold or grasp. It is refined, soft, and very tender. The fingers are close to each other and they have an elegant quality. This hand lies gently on the son’s shoulder. It wants to caress, to stroke, and to offer consolation and comfort. It is a mother’s hand. The father is not simply patriarch. He is mother as well as father. He touches the son with a masculine hand and a feminine hand. He holds and she caresses; he confirms and she consoles…"
-the red cloak
"the sheltering wings of the mother bird. Remember Jesus’ words about God’s maternal love: 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, How often have I longed to gather your children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…yet you refused!' ”
-the elder son
"He hovers on the edge of the light that surrounds his father and his younger brother and yet absorbs it almost involuntarily."..."He cannot bring himself to step over his anger and allow his father’s love to heal him as well. Pride holds him back, and yet deep down he desires his father’s love. The inner battle being wages within his soul is not only portrayed on his face but also in the wringing of his tightly gripped hands."
-the people in the shadows
"Situated in the background of the painting near the elder brother are three other figures gazing into the scene unfolding before them. These people in the shadows are situated in various degrees of diminished light as if Rembrandt wanted to indicate their different levels of involvement and interest in what is taking place."...Who these people are and what role they play in the painting is a puzzle, but perhaps they call us to reflect on our own involvement in things. A life lived without passion, without risk and commitment, gives us only a shadowy kind of existence."
ALL references quoted above are from Meditation on the picture of the prodigal by Rembrandt, using the reflections of Henri Nouwen from his book The Return of the Prodigal Son. Download the entire reflection to really experience the picture prayerfully.
Are there other parts of the image that you notice?
Notice the areas where light seems to be shining.
Here is another image that can be used to reflect on the loving mercy of God, our Father. Take time to reflect on what you see in this more modern image. What do you see in this picture? How would mercy be defined from this image?
Meditate with the picture The Return of the Prodigal Son by Rembrandt (Click the image for a full size)
Meditation on the picture of the prodigal by Rembrandt, using the reflections of Henri Nouwen from his book
"The Return of the Prodigal Son," found here: LINK to the complete guide. Excerpts are found below.
This resource goes quite deeply into the image. You can focus on various aspects of the image at your own pace such as
Questions: As you look at the prodigal, what do you see? One word… As you look at the father, what strikes you? Reflect on each part of the painting:
-the sinner’s feet
The soles of his feet tell the story of a long and humiliating journey. The left foot slipped out of its worn sandal, is scarred. The right foot, only partially covered by a broken sandal, also speaks of suffering and misery. This is a man disposed of everything … except for one thing – his sword on his right hip, the only remaining sign of dignity, the badge of his nobility. The sword is the symbol of his sonship.
-the son resting
"See the son against the father’s heart. The detail of the painting recalls words from the beginning of John’s Gospel: “No one has ever seen God. Only the son who is closest to the Father’s heart has made him known."
-the father's eyes
"The near blind father sees far and wide. His seeing is an eternal seeing that reaches out to all humanity, to each one of us."
-the father’s face
"The father’s face reminds us of parents searching for their child. The mother searching the streets; the father searching among the homeless. Even when they fail to make contact their search never ceases. They are always waiting…always hoping."
-the father’s hands
"The two hands are quite different. The father’s left hand, touching the son’s shoulder, is strong and muscular. The fingers are spread out and cover a large part of the prodigal’s shoulder and back. How different is the father’s right hand. This hand does not hold or grasp. It is refined, soft, and very tender. The fingers are close to each other and they have an elegant quality. This hand lies gently on the son’s shoulder. It wants to caress, to stroke, and to offer consolation and comfort. It is a mother’s hand. The father is not simply patriarch. He is mother as well as father. He touches the son with a masculine hand and a feminine hand. He holds and she caresses; he confirms and she consoles…"
-the red cloak
"the sheltering wings of the mother bird. Remember Jesus’ words about God’s maternal love: 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, How often have I longed to gather your children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings…yet you refused!' ”
-the elder son
"He hovers on the edge of the light that surrounds his father and his younger brother and yet absorbs it almost involuntarily."..."He cannot bring himself to step over his anger and allow his father’s love to heal him as well. Pride holds him back, and yet deep down he desires his father’s love. The inner battle being wages within his soul is not only portrayed on his face but also in the wringing of his tightly gripped hands."
-the people in the shadows
"Situated in the background of the painting near the elder brother are three other figures gazing into the scene unfolding before them. These people in the shadows are situated in various degrees of diminished light as if Rembrandt wanted to indicate their different levels of involvement and interest in what is taking place."...Who these people are and what role they play in the painting is a puzzle, but perhaps they call us to reflect on our own involvement in things. A life lived without passion, without risk and commitment, gives us only a shadowy kind of existence."
ALL references quoted above are from Meditation on the picture of the prodigal by Rembrandt, using the reflections of Henri Nouwen from his book The Return of the Prodigal Son. Download the entire reflection to really experience the picture prayerfully.
Are there other parts of the image that you notice?
Notice the areas where light seems to be shining.
Here is another image that can be used to reflect on the loving mercy of God, our Father. Take time to reflect on what you see in this more modern image. What do you see in this picture? How would mercy be defined from this image?
RESOURCE ARTICLE Meaning of Mercy, by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio
An excellent article by Crossroads Initiative on the meaning of mercy and things to remember such as:
An excellent article by Crossroads Initiative on the meaning of mercy and things to remember such as:
- Mercy is for everyone
- Mercy relieves suffering, and there are different kinds of suffering
- Charity begins at Home
- Charity can’t end at Home
- Mercy is not always Convenient.
- Charity is not the same as Social Work
- Love is Never Condescending
