Delone Catholic High School issued the following announcement on Mar. 25.
This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday of Lent. The readings are from Joshua 5:9-12; Psalm 34:2-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; and Luke 15:1-3, 11-32.
In lieu of a traditional reflection this week, I want to invite you to pray through a visio divina, which is a way of praying with art. It can be incredibly fruitful, and because this Sunday’s Gospel is the story of the Prodigal Son, I thought a reflection on Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son was fitting. The image is attached here, as are the steps for the prayer. Spend a few moments at each step. (Save these for the future, and use them with different pieces of art!)
Visio (See) Take time to scan the image. As you look at it, note below what draws your interest.
Meditatio (Mediate) Focus on the part of the image that caught your eye the most. What is it about this part that captures your attention?
Oratio (Pray) Consider again the part that caught your eye. What emotions does it inspire? What words does it bring to mind? Does it make you think of any other images?
Use this text from Henri Nouwen’s book The Return of the Prodigal Son to aid your reflection:
“The young man…left home with much pride and money, determined to live his own life far away from his father and his community. He returns with nothing: his money, his health, his honor, his self-respect, his reputation…everything has been squandered…The clothes Rembrandt gives him are underclothes, barely covering his emaciated body. The Father and the tall man observing the scene wear wide red cloaks…The kneeling son has no cloak. The yellow-brown, torn undergarment just covers his exhausted, worn-out body from which all strength is gone. 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…This is a man dispossessed of everything…except for one thing, his sword. The only remaining sign of dignity is a short sword hanging from his hips – the badge of nobility. Even in this midst of his debasement, he had clung to the truth that he still was the son of his father. [In the father] I see a half-blind old man with a mustache and a parted beard, dressed in a gold-embroidered garment and a deep red cloak, laying his large, stiffened hands on the shoulders of his returning son. This is very specific, concrete, and describable. I also see, however, infinite compassion, unconditional love, everlasting forgiveness – divine realities – emanating from a Father who is the creator of the universe. Here, both the human and the divine, the fragile and the powerful, the old and the eternally young are fully expressed…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. As father he wants his children to be free, free to love. That freedom includes the possibility of their leaving home, going to a distant country and losing everything. The father’s heart knows all the pain that will come from this choice, but his love makes him powerless to prevent it….The true center of Rembrandt’s painting is the hands of the father. On them, all the light is concentrated; in them, mercy becomes flesh; upon them, forgiveness, reconciliation and healing come together. Through them, not only the tired son but the worn-out father find their rest.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 son’s shoulder and back. I can see a certain pressure, especially in the thumb. That hand seems not only to touch, but, with its strength, also to hold…How different 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. It lies gently upon the son’s shoulder. It wants to caress, to stroke, and to offer consolation and comfort. It is a mother’s hand…Then there is the great red cloak. With its warm color and its arch-like shape, it offers a welcome place where it is good to be. At first, the cloak covering the bent-over body of the father looked to me like a tent inviting the tired traveler to find some rest. But as I went on gazing at the red cloak, another image, stronger than that of a tent came to me… ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem…how often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you refused!’ Day and night God holds us safe, as a hen holds her chicks secure under her wing.”
Contemplatio (Contemplation) Now look at the whole picture. How could God use this image to speak to you? What are some things this image inspires you to do?
Original source can be found here.
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