Mercy and Pardon: The Parable of the Prodigal

By Fr. Len Fecko

When Pope Francis announced that the church would be celebrating a year of mercy, he mentioned that the parable of the prodigal son is one of the stories included in the Gospel of Luke, the Evangelist of Mercy, that help us understand the nature of God the Father. The God of love and compassion wants to lavishly bestow an extravagant amount of mercy and pardon on all His children, especially those who have lost their way. In this work, Father Len Fecko shifts the emphasis away from the younger son and focuses on the behavior of the father. Although the parable is often used as a starting point to talk about conversion, the intent and purpose of the younger son is not what matters. It is the response of the father that provides an important lesson for us. He is the character who was disrespected by his son and made to look like a fool, yet he is the one who opens our minds to a new way of understanding the nature of God the Father.

Fr. Len sets the stage for his analysis of the parable by considering the historical and cultural setting in which Jesus told the story as well as other aspects of biblical interpretation that are important to consider in order to understand the full meaning of the story. He concludes his reflection by telling three personal stories that provide a deeper understanding of nature of the father and what a true conversion experience might look like.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 8, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504970570

Fr. Len Fecko

Father Len Fecko received a BA in psychology and an MS in counseling from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He spent a year of specialized studies in gerontology at Miami University and the University of Hawaii. He received a master of divinity degree from the Athenaeum of Ohio, Mt. St. Mary Seminary Division, and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1989. He also received an MA in Pastoral Studies from Seattle University. Fr. Len has served in parish ministry in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and in campus ministry at the University of Cincinnati and Miami University. He has been an adjunct professor in gerontology at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati and in the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University. In 2005, Fr. Len suffered a massive stroke, forcing him to resign from full-time ministry. “I am an example of how God opens a window when we think the door of opportunity has closed, especially when we have experienced a major crisis in our lives,” Fr. Len confesses. “Although I no longer have the stamina to be involved in full-time ministry, in 2011, I was asked to give a retreat for the sisters of Notre Dame of Namur in Cincinnati. I have been involved in retreat ministry ever since. I realize now that my academic studies, the work experience I had prior to entering the seminary, and the ministerial experiences I have had as a priest have been God’s way of preparing me for this ministry for over forty years.” The reflection on the parable of the prodigal son and the personal stories that I have included are stories I have shared on retreats. It is my intent that as people read my reflections, they will understand the God of love I have come to know, the God who has been present in the people I have loved and who have loved me in return in every chapter of my life.

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2016 Fr. Len Fecko. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/07/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5049-7056-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-7057-0 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations in this publication are from the St. Joseph Edition of The New American Bible Copyright © 1970 by the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. including the Revised New Testament, © 1986. Used with permission.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

The Nature of the Father

A Case of True Conversion

About the Author

Acknowledgements

Cover Artwork:

Sister Dora Lee Monian, FSCC

Manuscript and Cover Layout:

Letty Reifel Hater

Technology & Marketing Advisor:

John Fecko

Business Advisor:

Bob Dahlheim

Attitude Adjustment Coordinator:

Elizabeth Fecko

Introduction

I was having lunch with a group of friends when I announced that I was in the process of writing a book. I passed the draft of the cover design around the table. One of my friends remarked that my proofreader was not very astute because she missed the mistake I made by omitting the word son as part of the title. You are very perceptive, I exclaimed. But it was not a mistake. You have picked up on the very point I want to make.

The word prodigal describes the younger son in the story because he spends money freely or recklessly. But there is another character in the story who fits the definition. This character gives something on a lavish scale and is not concerned about giving it freely or recklessly. This character shows mercy to his lost son; this same character bestows understanding and patience on a lavish scale to his older son. This character, of course, is the father.

The parable provides meaningful lessons for us in several ways. The younger son is the character who reminds us that it is never too late to find our way back to our spiritual home. The older son is the character who reminds us that harboring petty jealousies and judging others with a self-righteous attitude is not the loving way. But it is the father who teaches us about mercy, pardon, forgiveness, and love.

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On April 11, 2015, Pope Francis officially proclaimed a Holy Year of Mercy which would begin on December 8, 2015, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and conclude on November 20, 2016, the feast of Christ the King. The Holy Father has called on the Church throughout the world to refashion itself as a place not of judgment or condemnation but of pardon and merciful love. In Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis emphasizes that the Church must be a place of mercy, freely given, where everyone can feel welcomed, loved, forgiven and encouraged to live the good life of the Gospel. The Holy Father states that the church’s very credibility is seen in how she shows merciful and compassionate love.

Jubilee years find their origin in the Book of Leviticus (25:8-13) and usually focus on the themes of forgiveness and pardon with the intention of helping people grow closer to God. Jubilee years have been celebrated every twenty-five or fifty years since the 1300’s, the last of which was the Jubilee Year of 2000. The Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Francis deviates from the 25/50 year cycle and will focus on one of his favorite themes: the mercy of God the Father.

In Misericordiae Vultus (The Face of Mercy) the Holy Father explains his rationale for proclaiming the Holy Year: Perhaps we have long since forgotten how to show and live the way of mercy… mercy is the force that reawakens us to new life and instills in us the courage to look to the future with hope… Pope Francis continues: The temptation… to focus exclusively on justice made us forget that this is only the first, albeit necessary and indispensable step… In proclaiming the Holy Year of Mercy, Pope Francis asserts that …the time has come for the Church to take up the joyful call to mercy once more.

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