De La Mennais Brothers: Making Jesus Christ better known and loved by young people

This retelling of the Prodigal Son story relates it to the Passion narrative through the question “What would you do for the person you love?” It’s a hard-hitting, wonderfully moving short film that certainly got a reaction when I used it during the Reconciliation services we had in school the past 2 weeks (used it only with Yr. 10s upwards due to the content).

Today we had the first of two Reconciliation Services in school for our Yr.8 pupils. Through various media (the Gospel story of The Prodigal Son in Lk 15, a slideshow I put together last year to accompany Coldplay's "Fix You" , a newspaper, the true story of Victoria Ruvolo , intercessions, a procession of light and modern Christian songs by Delirious...) we sought to help the pupils understand the need for mutual forgiveness, for reconciliation in our lives and to prepare them for the chance to receive the individual sacrament after the service for those who wished. I mentioned to them an element of interpretation of the Prodigal Son story that came to me in prayer during my annual retreat in February . Here is the end of the parable: While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was moved with pity. He ran to the boy, clasped him in his arms and kissed him. Then his son said, “ Father , I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be...

I put this slideshow together for our Reconciliation services in school during this final week of Lent. It was very much a last minute idea to use this song, but in the end the lyrics were just so apprpriate.