“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule. The home is well suited for education in the virtues.”
-Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2223
This month’s memory verse for grades 3-6 is likely to be very familiar to your kids. No matter where you prepared for the sacrament of Reconciliation, learning an Act of Contrition was part of the program.
When you get to the part of confession where you pray an Act of Contrition, the Rite of Penance says:
“The priest then asks the penitent to express his sorrow, which the penitent may do in these or similar words:” [followed by several choices]
There is no “official” version that is required to receive the Sacrament – you can even make up your own prayer to expresses your sorrow. All versions of this prayer have several elements in common; you recognized you have sinned, that sin is wrong, you’re sorry for these sins, and you’ll try to do better in the future.
We’ve chosen to use a traditional version in Family Formation materials for a few different reasons:
Repentance (also called contrition) must be inspired by motives that arise from faith. If repentance arises from love of charity for God, it is called “perfect” contrition; if it is founded on other motives, it is called “imperfect.” -CCC 1492
O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You.I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, but most of all because they offend You, O my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love.I firmly resolve, with the help of Your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life.Amen.
Return of the Prodigal Son by Pieter Pauwel Rubens
The process of conversion and repentance was described by Jesus in the parable of the prodigal son, the center of which is the merciful father: the fascination of illusory freedom, the abandonment of the father’s house; the extreme misery in which the son finds himself after squandering his fortune; his deep humiliation at finding himself obliged to feed swine, and still worse, at wanting to feed on the husks the pigs ate; his reflection on all he has lost; his repentance and decision to declare himself guilty before his father; the journey back; the father’s generous welcome; the father’s joy – all these are characteristic of the process of conversion. The beautiful robe, the ring, and the festive banquet are symbols of that new life – pure worthy, and joyful – of anyone who returns to God and to the bosom of his family, which is the Church. Only the heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father’s love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way. -Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1439
The Prodigal Son by Albrecht Durer
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.’ ~Luke 15:16-17
Allegory - The representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form.
The Return of the Prodigal Son
In this painting by Spanish painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1617-1682), we see an interpretation of the famous parable of the Prodigal Son. The painting is part of a series depicting lessons from the Corporal Works of Mercy showing the necessity of good works, and the importance of personal participation in such acts. As you might have guessed by the servant on the far right, this one is depicting Clothing the Naked.
Instead of being dominated by the wretchedness of the son, this painting is a study of the joy that comes with repentance. Notice the father’s protective embrace, the tender looks they’re exchanging, the little dog in the foreground (a common artistic symbol for faithfulness), and even the sun starting to emerge from the dense clouds.
Originally in a chapel for Seville’s Brotherhood of Charity, this painting can now be seen at the National Gallery in Washington, DC.
The Return of the Prodigal Son
In this month’s first Home Lesson your family will learn more about the parable of the Prodigal Son, a popular subject for artists. I’ll post a few pieces this week, but the most well known is this one by Rembrandt.
Consider Rembrandt’s beautiful use of contrasts to highlight the realities of the story of the Prodigal Son. The first thing I notice is the younger son. Clothed in rags, with shoes that won’t even stay on his feet (and what could’ve happened to his hair?), his poverty stands in high contrast to the rich red robes and elaborate sleeves of his father’s garments. Yet in spite of this wretchedness (and the implied lifestyle that caused it), he is embraced by the father whose hands seemed imposed on his shoulders as if in a tender blessing. What a perfect analogy for our place before the Heavenly Father; in spite of our spiritual poverty, He joyfully welcomes us back!
Also interesting is the way Rembrandt highlighted the difference in reactions between the father and the older son. He effectively turns the spotlight on the younger son’s reaction by making him one of the three characters who are not completely in the shadows. His carefully folded hands, arched eyebrow, aloof posture, and position to the side (instead of participating in the embrace) stand in contrast to his father’s solicitude.
There is a large reproduction of this painting in the chapel, by the confessional. Take time to see it and talk about the details with your children sometime this week after you’ve done the Home Lesson on the Prodigal Son. You’ll see lots of detail – especially in the shadows – that is easy to miss on a screen sized version.
Students Ask Parents: What was it like when you made your first confession?
Parents Ask Students: Name the Ten Commandments.
*Travel Home Trivia was created to be a planned talking point for parents and students after the monthly Family Formation classroom sessions. You’ve all just learned about the same basic topic at age-appropriate levels, and the trip home is a great place to start the discussion!
General Intention: for the world economy
That the world economy may be managed according to the principles of justice and equity, taking account of the real needs of peoples, especially the poorest.
Missionary Intention: for the churches in Africa
That the churches in Africa may be signs and instruments of reconciliation and justice in every part of that continent.
Church of Saint Paul’s Reconciliation timesMonday 8:30 AMMonday 5:30 PMSaturday 3:30 PM
Repentant St. Mary Magdalele by Domenico Feti
Matt Brounstein
Sue Klejeski
Molly Koop