8. Along the way

[Manuel]

Use this thread for comments as you read or that don't fit anywhere else.

[John]

I've read this before and have, or thought I had my copy in Florida. But when we got here, it's not here. I must have loaned it to someone. Hopefully they get good use of it. I've ordered another one.

In the meantime, I will finish Everlasting Man.

[Manuel]

I've finished "The Return of the Prodigal Son" and am now reading "Home Tonight."

I hadn't read this book before. It's quite out of the ordinary.

[Jesús]

Hi, Manuel! Why do you think this book is out of the ordinary?

[Manuel]

Jesús wrote: "Hi, Manuel! Why do you think this book is out of the ordinary?"

It's a religious meditation based on a single parable by Jesus, and a single representation of the parable as a work of art by Rembrandt. The parable is just a page long, and the painting is just a painting, but Nouwen gets out of this a book 140 pages long, and makes us identify first with the younger son, then with the elder son, then with the father, converting the detailed analysis of the parable and the painting in a full Lenten course.

I find this out of the ordinary :-)

[Tania]

I enjoyed this book.
Is without doubt one of my favorites

[Mariangel]

I finished it and started reading "Home tonight". They are not exactly the same, and I am liking the further meditations in the second one.

I think many priests have read it too, and mention things from it in homilies when the gospel of the day is the Prodigal son.

[Manuel]

Last March, when we read Cardinal Sarah's book The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise I commented that the book spoke about the importance of silent prayer, but gave no instructions on how to do it. This is where we discussed Sarah's book: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Although it is not its main objective, "Home Tonight" by Nouwen can be used as an introduction for this purpose, as it describes nine exercises of silent prayer.

[John]

I read this before, perhaps 12 or 13 years ago and it had really powerful impact on me. I am having trouble getting into it this time.

[Mariangel]

I finished "Home tonight". It complements well the first book, it continues with some of the same ideas but does not feel repetitive, and it includes meditation exercises.

[John]

Manuel wrote: "Jesús wrote: "Hi, Manuel! Why do you think this book is out of the ordinary?"

It's a religious meditation based on a single parable by Jesus, and a single representation of the parable as a work o..."

I sometimes think his meditation goes astray, sometimes focusing too much on a detail from the painting, or even an interpretation of a detail of the painting and then carrying that back over as though it is a valid meditation of the parable itself - I'm thinking of the interpretation of the prodigal as a newborn.

And then there is his effort to cast Jesus as the prodigal, which struck me as trying to hard.

[Manuel]

John wrote: "I sometimes think his meditation goes astray, sometimes focusing too much on a detail from the painting, or even an interpretation of a detail of the painting and then carrying that back over as though it is a valid meditation of the parable itself "

I agree. In the same way, I didn't like him pointing out that the two hands of the father look different in the painting, and extrapolating about a supposed God's bisexuality (Mother and Father). After all, Jesus always called God "The Father," never "The Mother."

[Mariangel]

Manuel wrote: "I didn't like him pointing out that the two hands of the father look different in the painting, and extrapolating about a supposed God's bisexuality (Mother and Father).."

I also don't like the extrapolation and his use of Mother for God.

However, I did liked that he pointed out the difference between the hands, and some of his comments about God receiving the child as a mother would. As long as the comparison is not taken as far as he does, I am fine with it: like in Isaiah 49, 14-15:

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me;
my Lord has forgotten me.”
Can a mother forget her infant,
be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
I will never forget you."

[Fonch]

I liked to me a lot the relationship between Henri M. Nouween and the Ark created by the Canadian Jean Vanier, and his work with hándicap people.

[Madeleine]

I'm not very far along yet, but I did note Nouwen mentions Adam. Some years ago I read "Seeds of Hope: a Henri Nouwen Reader." At the end of the book he tells Adam's story--a beautiful recounting of how he was able to find beauty and peace in a young man he tended who was basically in a vegetative state, and who suffered grand mal seizures daily. In stark contrast to a culture that would have people like Adam aborted before "subjecting" others to his imperfections, Nouwen shows, dramatically, the value of every human being, even the most helpless. What an opportunity for love and peace he found in the most difficult of caregiving tasks.

[Fonch]

Madeleine wrote: "I'm not very far along yet, but I did note Nouwen mentions Adam. Some years ago I read "Seeds of Hope: a Henri Nouwen Reader." At the end of the book he tells Adam's story--a beautiful recounting o..."
Well i must confess that i am a bit lost because that it is my first Henri M. Nouween.I have Heard to speak a lot of Mr. Nouween but it is the firt book that i have read it to him. For this reason i do not understand totally the reference to Adam. Although as he says a friend Jesus Christ is the new Adam and he put the model in the place to the Abraham`s marriage.

[Manuel]

Fonch wrote: "Well i must confess that i am a bit lost because that it is my first Henri M. Nouween.I have Heard to speak a lot of Mr. Nouween but it is the firt book that i have read it to him. For this reason i do not understand totally the reference to Adam."

Fonch, you got it wrong. Madeleine's reference was not about Adam in Genesis, but about an inmate of The Ark called Adam, who was in a vegetative state.

[Madeleine]

Thank you, Manuel. I should have made it clear he was talking about one of the Ark patients, I believe Adam was the one was the most helpless and challenging for the caregivers.

[Fonch]

Madeleine wrote: "Thank you, Manuel. I should have made it clear he was talking about one of the Ark patients, I believe Adam was the one was the most helpless and challenging for the caregivers."
Oh I am sorry. It is not your problema Madeleine i commited a big mistake with the translation. I have Heard of the Ark for a good article of the digital spanish religious magazine Religión y Libertad one comon friend of Manuel Alfonseca and me writes in this review and thanks to this article i can know the story of Vanier and his Project of the Ark. It was really curious to fiend a relationship between Henri M. Nouween and the Arc. It is really important the care of hándicap persons now we live the reality of the abortion and Euthanasia who menaces the lives of these groups especially and to prove that these persons are worth a present.

[Madeleine]

Fonch wrote: "It is really important the care of handicap persons now we live the reality of abortion and euthanasia. .."

I agree totally. As a teacher and in volunteer work and friends with special needs children, I have known many handicapped people, and it breaks my heart that over 90% of Downs Syndrome babies are aborted. I love those people: they have so much to teach us about unconditional love and acceptance. One of our grocery stores hires them to bag groceries, and one of my favorite people was a young man named Yussef, who has a wonderful personality, and always makes people laugh. He loves to flirt with the women. He was transferred last year, and we miss him. Another one, Thomas, works the desk at our YMCA and he is also popular with everyone. He put Halloween stickers on our membership cards and encourages us when we go there for workouts. There are so many more people with special needs that are such blessings. My daughter suffered a traumatic brain injury with almost fatal consequences and was quadriplegic and unable to speak for several months, Little by little she has regained her mobility and for almost two years I took care of her, in the hospital and out. We almost lost her more than once, and some of her doctors were pressuring her husband to give up and take her off life support. She beat the odds (prayer works miracles!) She is still in a wheelchair, but still hopeful that with the right therapy, she could walk again. She had to learn letters and numbers and reading/writing all over again, but she did. Her daughters have their mother back. I want to say to those people who choose abortion because their babies "might" have a genetic defect, suppose that perfect baby you didn't abort ended up like my daughter --would you just kill him or her to avoid the unpleasant journey to recovery? I've learned just since my daughter's ordeal began there have been some amazing breakthroughs in brain research, and some of them have contributed to her recovery. Why give up when even a quadriplegic may have something to contribute to humanity? Even Adam at the Ark gave Nouwen the opportunity to love more deeply and create moments of joy with him. I've always been pro-life, but now more than ever.

[Fonch]

Well One of my last reviews was about the book of a person Who suffered Asperger Syndrome and she was harassed in the School. She rescued the book of the box because in Argentina was producing cases of person with Syndrome of Down harassed in the School. I Work as honorship colaborator in the Department of History of Science (really the tecnich name of History of Medicine) with the permison of my Boss i bought the book of a writer that my friend Alfonseca and me admire him. Jose Javier Esparza, Who has a son with Down Syndrome and he wrote a book about the Catholic scientist Lejeune. I have bought for the Department and i said to me that we had to have It. Yesterday i hung a post Who asked for the canonization of the spanish Queen Elizabeth the Catholic. I recognize that the canonization is really controversial although if Saint Louis was canonized why not the Queen Elizabeth and i was discussing with a classmate of the University i replied him that the people of the 20th century we have not especial right to judge the people of previous ages, because It was One of the bloodiest period if the mankind and the 21th century is for the same way. He said to me that the people of This period was really violent and i replied him that under our passions hid more violence than the precedent periods of our history.
This thing can be observed on the case of abortion in the norse countries Iceland (a Country whose generation recognized as atheist) we do not need to go a communist dictatorship. In This Country did not born people with Syndrome of Down. In England happens something similar although in This Country there was not a genocide as Iceland, and in Country as Belgium and Netherlands kill the ill persons. In Spain the expresident of our Country Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, that is One of the bodyguards of Maduro's regime in Venezuela aproved a law Aido, Who liberalized the abortion (In Spain produced 85000 abortions per year 1 out of 5 pregnants conclude in abortion) This man was in a TV Programme I have a question for you and he was asked by a Children with Down Syndrome. I do not know that this man has the shame to reply the question of This Children, when he promoted a law Who provoked that the people killed more babies.
I have heard that these people are very sweet and good and they have that exist It is something that nobody can eliminate. Because with their elimination we Lost as a Society.

[Jill]

I think Jerome Lejeune (who discovered the genetics of Down Syndrome; previously mothers were blamed, something sinful they must have done to be punished with such a child) should be canonized.

[Fonch]

I think the same Jill not only for his actions against the abortion. He looked for the peace in the world.

[Madeleine]

We as a people can be judged by how we treat and value the weakest and most vulnerable among us. Who would that be other than a baby in its mother's womb?

[Christine]

Catholic TV has a bible study by Sonja Corbett and she has been doing it on the topic anger. The one I just watched was on the story of the prodigal son.

http://www.catholictv.org/shows/evang...

[Jesús]

For those interested in this parable, Benedict XVI makes a dissertation in chapter 7.2.2 of his book Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration.