“A seemingly insignificant encounter with a poster presenting a detail of Rembrandt’s The Return of the Prodigal Son set in motion a long spiritual adventure that brought me to a new understanding of my vocation and offered me the strength to live it,” wrote Dutch Catholic priest, Henri J.M. Nouwen at the start of his now classic interpretation of the powerful Gospel story about forgiveness and homecoming.

This reading reminds not just fathers and sons, but also mothers, daughters and all those who parent or are parented that God the Father awaits our return from loneliness, anger, jealousy and desolation with His ever-ready blessing.