Parable Of The Prodigal Son - Lectio Divina

Welcome to your Lectio Divina meditation practice.

Today,

I will be reading scripture over you three different times.

In each reading,

You may notice that your attention is brought to a certain phrase or word.

I encourage you to lean into this word and let your mind come back to this throughout the rest of your day.

Coming into a comfortable seated position,

Relax your jaw.

If you feel comfortable,

Let your eyes softly close,

Palms open to the heavens and surrender.

Start to notice your breath without changing it.

Feel the flow of your chest and stomach rising and the compression that follows.

Your breath is the connection to God's Holy Spirit.

He breathes life into your lungs,

Speaks creation into existence with every inhale and exhale.

The parable of the lost son,

Luke 15,

11-32.

Jesus continued,

There was a man who had two sons.

The younger one said to his father,

Father,

Give me my share of the estate,

So he divided his property between them.

Not long after that,

The younger son got together all he had and set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth and wild living.

After he had spent everything,

There was severe famine in that whole country and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating,

But no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses,

He said,

How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare?

And here I am starving to death.

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him,

Father,

I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

Make me like one of your hired servants.

So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off,

His father saw him and was filled with compassion for him.

He ran to his son through his arms around him and kissed him.

The son said to him,

Father,

I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants,

Quick,

Bring the best robe and put it on him.

Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Bring the fattened calf and kill it.

Let's have a feast and celebrate.

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

So they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile,

The older son was in the field,

And when he came near the house,

He heard music and dancing.

So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.

Your brother has come,

He replied,

And your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.

The older brother became angry and refused to go in.

So his father went out and pleaded with him.

But he answered his father,

Look,

All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.

Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when the son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes come home,

You kill the fattened calf for him.

My son,

The father said,

You are always with me and everything I have is yours.

But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

What stood out to you?

Do you see yourself in the wandering sun?

The son who wasn't recognized for his work?

If a phrase stood out to you,

Hold that in your mind.

Hold that word in your heart.

Jesus continued.

There was a man who had two sons.

The younger one said to his father,

Father,

Give me my share of the estate.

So he divided his property between them.

Not long after that,

The younger son got together all he had,

Set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth and wild living.

After he had spent everything,

There was a severe famine in that whole country and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.

He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating,

But no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses,

He said,

How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare and here I am starving to death.

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him,

Father,

I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

Make me like one of your hired servants.

So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off,

His father saw him and was filled with compassion for him.

He ran to his son through his arms around him and kissed him.

The son said to him,

Father,

I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I am no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants,

Quick,

Bring the best robe and put it on him.

Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Bring the fattened calf and kill it.

Let's have a feast and celebrate,

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

So they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile,

The older son was in the field.

When he came near the house,

He heard music and dancing.

So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.

Your brother has come,

He replied,

And your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.

The older brother became angry and refused to go in.

So his father went out and pleaded with him.

But he answered his father,

Look,

All these years I have been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.

Yet you never gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when the son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes come home,

You kill the fattened calf for him.

My son,

The father said,

You are always with me and everything I have is yours.

But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

The wandering son felt unworthy,

But we know that God's arms are always open with grace and mercy.

He won't turn you away no matter what you've done.

Where in your life do you feel unworthy of God's love?

How can you reconcile that with God's truth?

This will be our last reading.

I encourage you to come back to your breath and focus on God's word and what he wants you to hear today.

Jesus continued.

There was a man who had two sons.

The younger one said to his father,

Father,

Give me my share of the estate.

So he divided his property between them.

Not long after that,

The younger son got together all he had,

Set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth and wild living.

After he had spent everything,

There was a severe famine in that whole country and he began to be in need.

So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country who sent him to the fields to feed his pigs.

He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating,

But no one gave him anything.

When he came to his senses,

He said,

How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare?

And here I am starving to death.

I will set out and go back to my father and say to him,

Father,

I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

Make me like one of your hired servants.

So he got up and went to his father.

But while he was still a long way off,

His father saw him and was filled with compassion for him.

He ran to his son and threw his arms around him and kissed him.

The son said to him,

Father,

I have sinned against heaven and against you.

I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.

But the father said to his servants,

Quick,

Bring the best robe and put it on him.

Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.

Bring that fattened calf and kill it.

Let's have a feast and celebrate,

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

So they began to celebrate.

Meanwhile,

The older son went in the field,

And when he came near the house,

He heard music and dancing.

So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.

Your brother has come,

He replied,

And your father has killed a fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.

The older brother became angry and refused to go in.

So his father went out and pleaded with him.

But he answered his father,

Look,

All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders.

Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.

But when the son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home,

You kill the fattened calf for him.

My son,

The father,

Said,

You are always with me and everything I have is yours.

But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

Did anything stand out to you in this final reading?

He was dead and is alive again.

He was lost and is found.

What a great promise we have from God in this passage.

He is our shepherd and will always be with us.

We are made alive through Jesus.

Focus back onto your breath.

Feel the gift of every inhale and every exhale.

Know that with every inhale,

God is calling you back home.

And every exhale,

He's pushing away the sins of the past.

Feel your sit bones pressing into the earth.

Feel the backs of your hands on your thighs.

Deepening your inhale,

Raise your arms overhead.

Feel a nice stretch.

And on a loud exhale,

Sigh all out.

Thank you for taking time to sit at God's feet today.

I pray for reconnection and hope.

Namaste.