Theresa Aletheia Noble - The Prodigal You Love: Inviting Loved Ones Back to the Church

Theresa Aletheia Noble, FSP
Foreword by Father Dave Dwyer, CSP

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Noble, Theresa.

The prodigal you love : inviting loved ones back to the church / Theresa Noble, FSP ;foreword by Fr. Dave Dwyer, CSP.

1 online resource.

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ISBN 978-0-8198-6005-7 (epub) -- ISBN 978-0-8198-6006-4 (mobi) -- ISBN 978-0-Cover photo 8198-6007-1 ( pdf) -- ISBN 978-0-8198-6004-0.

1. Ex-church members--Catholic Church. 2. Non-church-affiliated people. 3. Church work with ex-church members--Catholic Church. 4. Prodigal son (Parable) I. Title.

BX2347.8.E82

248'.5--dc23

2014026881

Unless otherwise noted the Scripture quotations contained herein are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION.

Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Excerpts from the English translation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church for use in the United States of America, copyright 1994, United States Catholic Conference, Inc. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Used with permission.

Excerpts from Raniero Cantalamessas Have Fear But Do Not Be Afraid: Gospel Commentary for 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, copyright 2008, Zenit. Used with permission.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 18 17 16 15 14

For my parents, Jane and Chris,
who loved and prayed me back to the Church

Then Jesus said, There was a man who had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me. So he divided his property between them. A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living.

When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, How many of my fathers hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands.

So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran andput his arms around him and kissed him. Then the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his slaves, Quickly, bring out a robethe best oneand put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! And they began to celebrate.

Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. He replied, Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound. Then he became angry and refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. But he answered his father, Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!

Then the father said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.

L UKE 15: 1132

S tanding in the back of church after Mass, Im shaking hands with the good People of God as they stream toward the light beyond the doors. Most slow their pace just enough for me to give the briefest of blessings on their upcoming week as I attempt to convey slightly more sincerity than a flight attendant saying, Bye now. I like to think Im working an assembly line of grace.

One person in the crowd has a more pointed agenda, however. She stops right in front of me and grasps my hand, while the rest of the congregation re-routes around us as if we were a construction zone during rush hour. With a distressed look on her face, she implores, Father, please help.... My heart is breaking. Please tell me what I can do to get my son to go back to Church. I offer a sympathetic look that strains to express my own and the Churchs genuine concern for one of the lost sheep. At the end of a short exchange, I recommend prayer and perseverance, although even to my ears this sounds like a platitude. As the woman walks away, inevitably unsatisfied with my lack of a solution, all I can think is, I really wish that gift shop just behind me had a book that I could recommend for hera book that addresses this pastoral problem well and even lays out the process of inviting your loved ones back.