{"id":4736,"date":"2016-09-11T10:17:45","date_gmt":"2016-09-11T15:17:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scarboromissions.ca\/?p=4736"},"modified":"2016-09-22T11:00:21","modified_gmt":"2016-09-22T16:00:21","slug":"the-parable-of-the-crazy-father","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scarboromissions.ca\/spiritual-reflections\/the-parable-of-the-crazy-father","title":{"rendered":"The parable of the crazy Father"},"content":{"rendered":"
A reflection by Fr. Dave Warren, S.F.M., on the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. First Reading: Exodus 32.7-1, 13-14; Second Reading: I Timothy 1.12-17; Gospel: Luke 15.1-32<\/em><\/p>\n Elie Wiesel died in New York this year on July 2. President Obama described him as \u201cone of the great moral voices of our time.\u201d Elie Wiesel was born into a Jewish family in Romania in 1928. In 1944, he and his family were sent to Auschwitz where his mother and one of his sisters were put to death. His father died of starvation and dysentery in the Buchenwald concentration camp. Elie survived and he dedicated the rest of his life to being the voice of the millions who didn\u2019t. In 1986, he was awarded the Nobel Peace prize for his role in speaking out against racism.<\/p>\n His own experience and the experience of the Jewish people shook Wiesel\u2019s faith in God. He couldn\u2019t understand how the God of Israel could allow His people to suffer as they did. He stopped praying. He didn\u2019t attend synagogue. But after a few years he began to feel sorry for God.<\/p>\n \u201cSuppose every Jew stopped talking to God,\u201d he said to himself. \u201cIf every Jew stopped talking to God, then God would feel lonely.\u201d And so Elie Wiesel began to pray again and to attend the synagogue.<\/p>\n Does God need us to talk to Him? Yes, He does. You who are parents understand this. You didn\u2019t have to have children. But you did. You chose to have children and in so doing you have made yourself needy. You love your children and you need your children to love you in return. If they don\u2019t return your love, you feel hurt. If they don\u2019t communicate with you, you feel lonely. You have a big emotional investment in your children.<\/p>\n God has a big emotional investment in us. We see the depth of that emotional investment in today\u2019s gospel.<\/p>\n For some strange reason, today\u2019s gospel is known as the \u201cParable of the Prodigal Son.\u201d That\u2019s the title which the elder son would give to the story. But the central figure in the story is not the younger son. The central figure in the story is actually the father. Allow me to suggest a different title. Instead of \u201cThe Parable of the Prodigal Son,\u201d how about \u201cThe Parable of the Crazy Father\u201d?<\/p>\n\n
The father, who has been watching for his son every day, makes a fool of himself by running to welcome him. Instead of scolding his son, he embraces and kisses him. He ignores his son\u2019s request to treat him as a servant. Instead, the father orders a party!<\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n