You may well have seen this elsewhere. There are several versions floating around. But here is the story of the Prodigal Son stick on the letter “F”
Feeling footloose and frisky, a feather-brained fellow forced his fond father to fork over the farthings and flew to foreign fields and frittered his fortune, feasting fabulously with faithless friends.
Fleeced by his fellows, fallen by fornication, and facing famine, he found himself a feed-flinger in a filthy farmyard. Fairly famishing, he fain would have filled his frame with foraged food from fodder fragments . “Fooey! My father’s flunkies fare finer,” the frazzled fugitive forlornly fumbled, frankly facing facts. Frustrated by failure and filled with foreboding, he fled forthwith to his family. Falling at his father’s feet, he forlornly fumbled, “Father, I’ve flunked and fruitlessly forfeited family favor!”
The farsighted father, forestalling further flinching, frantically flagged the flunkies to fetch a fatling from the flock and fix a feast.
The fugitive’s fault-finding brother frowned on fickle forgiveness of former folderol. But the faithful father figured, “Filial fidelity is fine, but the fugitive is found! What forbids fervent festivity? Let flags be unfurled. Let fanfares flare”
And the father’s forgiveness formed the foundation for the former fugitive’s future faith and fortitude.
If we’re going to have a theme of alliteration, should not this story be called the Parable of the Prodigal Progeny?
Alright that’s a start
I went and got out the Bible and reread Luke 15:l-32. The movie thus, I believe, puts a fictional ending on the presentation of scripture. At least it’s fictional for me, because I have not lived it. Here is more fiction for you. The story begins: My children have both rejected me, not because their values are poor, but because they find that I can be mean, and get angry. My son is a doctor; my daughter a lawyer; and I am not like the father in the parable given by Jesus, but rather I a wayward, mother, who is now ‘chasing’ her children in the hope that they will reconsider their judgment upon me. They say I was a poor mother, because I gave them ‘too much ‘freedom’ when they were growing up, and of course they had to deal with my illness. So this scripture today made me feel like the ‘prodigal’ mom. It is interesting that the narrative I wrote about the ‘illness’ depicts mental illness, schizophrenia, through the use of alliteration, which I jokingly refer to as illiteration sometimes but it’s purpose is to point out what is ‘beyond the intellectual pale, and the condensation of thought experienced in schizophrenia. Perhaps this is too personal a confession for this blog; but it is like the movie version capable of being heard as parable or fiction. : My ‘good’ intentions are that I’m attempting to put forward examples from the church and philosophy in order to ‘make good’, my failure as a parent. I am actually attempting to reconcile the philosophy of today with my faith teaching learned as a child, which I did not pass on to the siblings. I do regard my ‘issue’ as ‘free’ persons; I may however be ‘pleading my case’. My brother contacts them all the time. I follow suit. I refuse to condemn them as part of the new generation as he can when ‘miffed’, however. I have however, sent copies of this blog to my son; and information about mental illness which he is scrutinizing professionally; re the stigma. I do have faith. I am trying to be disciplined. They both have very ‘high standards’; moral and professional; which exclude me. They have however embraced not their family but this new age. Both are known however, for their integrity. This is my parable to contrast with that given by Jesus. Perhaps it is a parable of this generation. That is why I seek reconciliation between the new and the old, within the realm not only of my life, but within philosophy as well. The question I ask from this story is who in this case is to grant forgiveness. Remember it’s a parable. God bless you father. Thank you for your blog. (Confession complete – notice the alliteration!!!! God forgive me)
Dear Loreen,
I care for a friend with schizoaffective disorder so I know a tiny bit of your pain. I will pray for you that your children will come back to you. In the meantime, make Christ and the Mass the center of your life for your own sake. Let God take care of you and bless you with his love. Let him fill your life. The father in the parable didn’t go chasing after his wayward son. He had the faith to let God bring him back in his own good time. May God give you great blessings to heal your pain. ~ Carolyn Elizabeth
Thanks for a nice response here Carolyn. God bless you Loreen.
It’s OK. They just don’t want any more of the pain. Read the other blog which answered that the man in the parable should have been called the ‘prodigal father’. That was what I was after with the topsy-turvey account of me being ‘prodigal’ as a mother. The whole situation seemed reversed; that my children don’t want, don’t need inheritance; that I brought them up with the ‘world’ in view which they have taken up, but with integrity. I am actually very grateful, because they did so well, which means, that despite the illness I couldn’t have done that poor a job. I do regard them as ‘free’, just like the prodigal father did, but maybe I should say I do a bit of evangelizing, rather than ‘chasing them down’. So I think you’re advice holds good, even there. Thank you, Carolyn. God bless.
Given that the Father is lavish in generosity and forgiveness, maybe the alliterative title should be “Parable of the prodigal paternal parent!”
TeaPot562
OK That’s a start Teapot. Now, can you finish it? 😉
There once was a very young man
Who took his inheritance and ran
When the money was spent
The lad did repent
His father rejoiced and served steak.