Edward Kleinguetl
Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Triodion)
February 5, 2012
Gospel: Luke 15:11-32
“Now we must celebrate; he was lost and has been found” Glory to Jesus Christ!"
“Good morning. My name is Ed Kleinguetl and I am a sinner.”
“Welcome, my brother.”
In our Gospel today, we are afforded a chance to take a long, honest look into the mirror, to see ourselves as we really are. We all have one thing in common. We all share in the brokenness of humanity. When we strip away all the trappings – the clothes, the car, our job, our native language, our ethnic origin, and everything that we have or are – when we consider just our basic humanity, we are all sinners; fallible human beings in great need of our Loving Father’s tender mercy. When we look into the mirror, do we see the face of the Younger Son?
We all have our demons and our crosses to bear. Yet if we are ever tempted to think we are alone, look to the right or look to the left. We are all the Younger Son.
Sometimes it is hard to take a deep down look at ourselves. We may not want to carry the cross or acknowledge it exists. We may want to keep it safely hidden from sight. However, we all have a cross. It might be alcohol addiction, or drug addiction, or sexual addiction, or workaholism. It might be perfectionism or impatience or a feeling of superiority. We all have an “–ism,” a demon or cross which we are called by Jesus to bear alone. That is one of the reasons we gather together as community.
My Spiritual Father, Fr. Damon, used to describe the Church as the “Twelve-Step Program for Repentant Sinners.” We may be at different places on our spiritual journey; however, we all need the loving compassion of our Heavenly Father. Can we see the Younger Son in the mirror?
To me, one of the most beautiful images in the Gospels is the Loving Father who sees his son in the distance and runs to embrace him. Despite all failings of his child, he never hesitates, nor does he strip away his dignity (putting a ring back on his finger). What a wonderful image! However, if we allow the image to stop here, we are selling the Gospel message short. Recall that we are made in the image and likeness of God; the divine attributes have been impressed within each of us. Thus, we are not only called to repentance like the Younger Son, we are also called to be like the Loving Father – to allow the divine attributes of our Creator to shine forth in our lives. We pray each day, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Jesus tells us in plain language that we, too, are called to love and forgive; to show mercy and compassion. When we look in the mirror, do we also see the Loving Father?
Tomás Borge was one of the founders of Sandinista Party in Nicaragua. In the early 1970s, Amnesty International described him as “the most tortured political prisoner in the world.” In addition to his own torture, his wife was tortured, raped, and brutally murdered in his presence. On July 21, 1979 (two days after the Sandinistas came to power), Tomás went to the prison where his primary tormentor was being held captive. He faced the man through the iron bars and said to him: “Now you will experience the real power of the revolution. For your punishment….I forgive you. My revenge is this: You are free to go.”
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. When we look in the mirror, can we see the face of the Loving Father? Can we see the divine attributes shining forth from within ourselves?
Now if the parable ended with the Repentant Son and the Loving Father that would be almost too simple. There is a third person in the story: the older son. For simplicity, let us call him “the Accuser.” He was the voice that tries to say to the Father, your younger son is so unworthy of your love. Look what he did!
When we look in the mirror, do we see the Accuser? Do we accuse ourselves, trying to convince ourselves of our unworthiness of the Father’s love? Do we accuse others of not being worthy of the Father’s love? When we look into the mirror, do we see the Accuser looking back?
For a moment, let us visualize the three people Jesus mentions in the parable: the Sinner, the Loving Father, and the Accuser. Now let us take the image of those three and fuse them together as one. Once we have done that, we have a picture of our true selves. And, then and only then are we truly ready to take the look into the mirror. So take a look….
Who do we see? Do we see a sinner? Do we see a repentant sinner? Do we see the Loving Father? Do we see the Accuser glaring back at us? Or, is it some combination of each? Are we in denial? Again, this is the face of the Accuser. The reality is this, the image we each see is different for each of us; however, we are all on the same journey, and in the same twelve-step program. All three images are there whether we see them or not. And if the image we see is dirty or unlovable or unwanted, or has yet fallen again, that is okay. We are absolutely not alone. That is why we gather together in community to pray and support each other on the spiritual journey.
As we approach the Holy Table today to partake of Precious Body and Life-Giving Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, let us recall our solidarity in the Body of Christ; that we are all sinners. Let us ask God to give us the strength to take the honest look into the mirror and see ourselves as we really are. May the Eucharist we receive stir within us an attitude of repentance and the desire for the divine attributes impressed within us to shine forth in our lives. And, may God give us the strength to keep the Accuser at bay – to never be allowed to think we are unworthy or unlovable or despair at having fallen another time or to be deceived in thinking we are ever alone.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
Sunday of the Prodigal Son (Triodion)
February 5, 2012
Gospel: Luke 15:11-32
“Now we must celebrate; he was lost and has been found” Glory to Jesus Christ!"
“Good morning. My name is Ed Kleinguetl and I am a sinner.”
“Welcome, my brother.”
In our Gospel today, we are afforded a chance to take a long, honest look into the mirror, to see ourselves as we really are. We all have one thing in common. We all share in the brokenness of humanity. When we strip away all the trappings – the clothes, the car, our job, our native language, our ethnic origin, and everything that we have or are – when we consider just our basic humanity, we are all sinners; fallible human beings in great need of our Loving Father’s tender mercy. When we look into the mirror, do we see the face of the Younger Son?
We all have our demons and our crosses to bear. Yet if we are ever tempted to think we are alone, look to the right or look to the left. We are all the Younger Son.
Sometimes it is hard to take a deep down look at ourselves. We may not want to carry the cross or acknowledge it exists. We may want to keep it safely hidden from sight. However, we all have a cross. It might be alcohol addiction, or drug addiction, or sexual addiction, or workaholism. It might be perfectionism or impatience or a feeling of superiority. We all have an “–ism,” a demon or cross which we are called by Jesus to bear alone. That is one of the reasons we gather together as community.
My Spiritual Father, Fr. Damon, used to describe the Church as the “Twelve-Step Program for Repentant Sinners.” We may be at different places on our spiritual journey; however, we all need the loving compassion of our Heavenly Father. Can we see the Younger Son in the mirror?
To me, one of the most beautiful images in the Gospels is the Loving Father who sees his son in the distance and runs to embrace him. Despite all failings of his child, he never hesitates, nor does he strip away his dignity (putting a ring back on his finger). What a wonderful image! However, if we allow the image to stop here, we are selling the Gospel message short. Recall that we are made in the image and likeness of God; the divine attributes have been impressed within each of us. Thus, we are not only called to repentance like the Younger Son, we are also called to be like the Loving Father – to allow the divine attributes of our Creator to shine forth in our lives. We pray each day, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Jesus tells us in plain language that we, too, are called to love and forgive; to show mercy and compassion. When we look in the mirror, do we also see the Loving Father?
Tomás Borge was one of the founders of Sandinista Party in Nicaragua. In the early 1970s, Amnesty International described him as “the most tortured political prisoner in the world.” In addition to his own torture, his wife was tortured, raped, and brutally murdered in his presence. On July 21, 1979 (two days after the Sandinistas came to power), Tomás went to the prison where his primary tormentor was being held captive. He faced the man through the iron bars and said to him: “Now you will experience the real power of the revolution. For your punishment….I forgive you. My revenge is this: You are free to go.”
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. When we look in the mirror, can we see the face of the Loving Father? Can we see the divine attributes shining forth from within ourselves?
Now if the parable ended with the Repentant Son and the Loving Father that would be almost too simple. There is a third person in the story: the older son. For simplicity, let us call him “the Accuser.” He was the voice that tries to say to the Father, your younger son is so unworthy of your love. Look what he did!
When we look in the mirror, do we see the Accuser? Do we accuse ourselves, trying to convince ourselves of our unworthiness of the Father’s love? Do we accuse others of not being worthy of the Father’s love? When we look into the mirror, do we see the Accuser looking back?
For a moment, let us visualize the three people Jesus mentions in the parable: the Sinner, the Loving Father, and the Accuser. Now let us take the image of those three and fuse them together as one. Once we have done that, we have a picture of our true selves. And, then and only then are we truly ready to take the look into the mirror. So take a look….
Who do we see? Do we see a sinner? Do we see a repentant sinner? Do we see the Loving Father? Do we see the Accuser glaring back at us? Or, is it some combination of each? Are we in denial? Again, this is the face of the Accuser. The reality is this, the image we each see is different for each of us; however, we are all on the same journey, and in the same twelve-step program. All three images are there whether we see them or not. And if the image we see is dirty or unlovable or unwanted, or has yet fallen again, that is okay. We are absolutely not alone. That is why we gather together in community to pray and support each other on the spiritual journey.
As we approach the Holy Table today to partake of Precious Body and Life-Giving Blood of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ, let us recall our solidarity in the Body of Christ; that we are all sinners. Let us ask God to give us the strength to take the honest look into the mirror and see ourselves as we really are. May the Eucharist we receive stir within us an attitude of repentance and the desire for the divine attributes impressed within us to shine forth in our lives. And, may God give us the strength to keep the Accuser at bay – to never be allowed to think we are unworthy or unlovable or despair at having fallen another time or to be deceived in thinking we are ever alone.
Glory to Jesus Christ!
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