To Begin Again

This morning I read a reflection by Pope Benedict XVI on the parable of the prodigal son. Much of it was words I had said and thought before, but then he coupled some new words onto the parable which gave me some new insights, important ones, I think.

If you can indulge me a few moments, I’ll set the stage with some of his words on the Parable, and then perhaps you might see something new and important here, as I did:

Little by little the younger son comes to find this life (with his father) boring and unsatisfying. He thought: “But no, life is something more. I must find another life where I am truly free, where I can do what I like; a life free from this discipline, from these norms of God’s commandments, from my father’s orders; I would like to be on my own and have life with all its beauties totally for myself. Now, instead, it is nothing but work …” And so he decided to claim the whole share of his inheritance and leave. So his idea was: freedom, doing what I want to do.

Then, however, little by little, he felt bored here, too. It was then that he began to reflect and wondered if that really was the path to life: a freedom interpreted as doing what I want, living, having life only for me; or if instead it might be more of a life to live for others. The boy pondered and considered all these new aspects of the problem and began to see that he had been far freer at home, since he had also been a landowner contributing to building his home and society in communion with the Creator, knowing the purpose of his life. The younger son was motivated to return. He said to himself: I must begin again.

The son realized that it is precisely work, humility and daily discipline that create the true feast and true freedom. So he returned home, inwardly matured and purified: he had understood what living is…. This parable helps us to understand who the human being is: he is not a “monad”, an isolated being who lives only for himself and must have life for himself alone. On the contrary, we live with others, we were created together with others and only in being with others, in giving ourselves to others, do we find life.

The human being is a creature in whom God has impressed his own image. The human being is a free person. We must understand what freedom is and what is only the appearance of freedom.

From this point on, Benedict expands on the thoughts about the definition of freedom, but my thoughts lingered right here. The words about God creating us in his own image seemed out of place. From thoughts about the prodigal son to thoughts about what freedom is, he puts in between these a thought about the definition of the nature of man, one created in the image of God. I’ve always seen God as the Father image in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, but if every man is in His image, (as Benedict points out here) is God also in some way to be seen as the Prodigal Son in this parable?

In Genesis we see that God was alone. God was perfect in Himself; He needed nothing nor no one else. But then he goes on to create man, and to give Himself, in Love, to man. And, because He is God and in all ways perfect, then giving of Himself to man, creating him in His image, must also be a perfect thing. In His perfect freedom, God chose a perfect thing: to give of Himself to others: and man was created.

As Benedict reminded us here, man was created in God’s image, like Him in so many ways. I think that the reason for Benedict’s interjection of that point here is for us to note the parallels of God’s choice, made in freedom, and the Prodigal Son’s choice, made in freedom. God in His freedom was alone, but He found a better thing: to give Himself to others. The Prodigal Son was with others, but in his freedom he chose to be alone, thinking this was a good thing, but then he realized that real freedom existed in choosing to give himself to others, to love them and accept being loved by them (as God did in Genesis). Life would still be work; it might be a bore even, but life lived with and for others is so much more satisfying than life lived alone, only for ourself.

God chose to love others. Man, created in His image, is only being who he was made to be by choosing to love others, as God did. This is living our life to its fullest; this is our ultimate freedom of choice, when we choose to live life with and for others, not for ourselves alone.

True freedom is found in giving of ourselves, not in taking for ourselves. We once had a president who understood the importance of this concept when he spoke of asking “not what you country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” The thought that it is more important to give than receive is still alive today, even if sometimes we forget.

I liked Benedict’s subtle reminder. God in His freedom (and perfection) chose not to be alone. We are made in God’s image, and we should therefore choose the same. How are you doing in your choices? If you had to create a list of two columns, one for what you did for yourself today, and one for what you did for others, which would be longer? You were made in God’s image and therefore meant to give of yourself, like the Prodigal Son decided. Like him, it’s never too late to begin again to live our life in real freedom.

To whom have you given of yourself today? Are you living your life in the image God created --- or in the image you created?

Lord, I don’t want to be greater than I am; I only pray that I might be all who I am, who You made me to be.