Everyone feels unappreciated and overlooked sometimes. The prodigal son has an older, clearly responsible and obedient brother. Scholars tell us this brother represents the Pharisees, with whom Jesus shares this parable. How does God deal with our resentment when we feel our efforts are unacknowledged?

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LOVE the Word® is a Bible study method based on Mary's own practice: lectio without the Latin. Get the book based on her method in the right margin, How to Pray Like Mary.

L - Listen (Receive the Word.)

If you'd rather watch the video, you can do that here. 

O - Observe (Choose one or more of the following personality approaches to connect the passage to your life and recent events.)

F | Franciscan – Invite someone single or lonely to your home or out for a meal. 

I | Ignatian –  When you imagine this parable, do you see yourself as the rude prodigal, the angry older brother, or the father caught between them? Using all your senses, imagine the ending of this story, the way you hope it goes in your own life.

A | Augustinian – One of the most wonderful truths in this parable is that God cares more about His relationship with you than anything you do for Him: "You are always with me, and all that is mine is yours" (Luke 15:31). In what situation or with whom do you feel yourself resentful toward? 

has given you all that He has (vs 31), “everything I have is yours”

pleads with you to come to His party (vs 28).

In the situation that came to mind, above, go out of your way to treat someone better than they deserve this week.

T | Thomistic – Take a moment to take a little quiz on your resentment level. 

V - Verbalize (Pray about your thoughts and emotions.)

Remembering that He loves you and that you are in His presence, talk to God about the particulars of your O – Observe step. You may want to write your reflections in your LOVE the Word® journal. Or, get a free journal page and guide in the right-hand margin.

E - Entrust (May it be done to me according to your word!)

O God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee and I detest all my sins, because I fear the loss of heaven and the pangs of hell, but most of all because You are all good and worthy of all my love. I resolve, therefore, with the help of Thy grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.+

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*Find out your prayer temperament with this quiz! LOVE the Word® exercises are offered according to FIAT: the four personalities, or "prayer forms," explored in Prayer and Temperament, by Chester Michael and Marie Norrisey: Franciscan, Ignatian, Augustinian, and Thomistic: FIAT! These prayer forms correspond to the Myers-Briggs personality types.

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You can download a complete, word-for-word transcript here, when it becomes available, courtesy of Dora Donovan who does our transcripts for you.

Image Credit: Esi Grünhagen, Pixabay