Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

-weight of filling a jug with water

faucet that sprays water at the edge of cliff

only get by filling up jug

2 brothers given jug

older brother never pokes

younger pokes holes

eventually gets thirsty because he can’t drink, water passes right thru

father makes a new faucet that is easier to use and gives new jug

complains had to lift a jug and never got experience of a light jug with holes

wishes never had carry burden of heavy jug and that water passed through his too

Absurd

only complain if thought pouring water in the jug, not the water was point

only complain by looking at it wrong

gathering not water; water not gathering

water vs gathering it

a key to Gospel

Jesus addresses mad at celebration o repentant sinners

‘they got to be off not following God’s law, while we’ve had to follow the law and be with you, and now you let them back after they’ve avoided all that burden of your rule in their life??

Sheep under Shepherd [maybe skip this]

why sheep mad other sheep brought back?

why mad celebrating return?

only if thought freedom of not under the shepherd was valuable.

under shepherd hardship or curse

despise shepherd

complain are those follows god only out o fear of punishment, dont realize his rule is own blessing

Prodigal Son

water and filling a look at prodigal son again

Resummary

Church fathers

older son who stayed and younger

younger left worship of truth

inheritance is our reason (see truth)/ capacities (jug fill w/ truth)

used reason to serve primal urges

made worthless his capacities (jug became unfillable, his reason gets no truth)

from governors of the farm became less than filthy beasts of the farm

Older son had reason and filling it with truth (water) all this time

but jealous living without God’s rules (filling with weighty water)

When fatted calf given to younger son (Christ) new jug that makes filling easier

Got to use it too,

but son refuses to b/c of what it represents

represents getting to have time without the weight

son counted being w/ father as burden, not the prize hated the weight the water in his jug gave.

like the bad son wanted the life of sin ( jug with holes), just didnt go for it

now wish he did

Counted water he had over the years as burden, wished he just had an jug

infuriated he had to fill it up with the weight of water

the two brothers at first wanted the same things (not the father, but the inheritance, passing earthly good, water that never fills but passes in and out the jug).

will either end up valuing the weighty water that is God, or just despise the weight?

Are we older brother?

jealous at wicked person avoiding hell b/c they repent last moment?

lived a life of hedonistic pleasures, not the weight of virtue, only to end up in heaven too?

Don’t be.

living pleasure makes worse off than pigs

hedonism, living for pleasure, is taste of hell (the hotel California in that song by eagles)

why

already passes away, like water passing thru the holes of a jug

more itchy so you can stratch it, or sick so healthy

better to have no itch at all

like empty husks pigs feed on, no real substance

as soon as start filling what is wanting, we need to fill again

worm, fire

look at suicides and fakeness depression, and craziness of many who make it big and live life of luxury

when they inevitably die, detached from passing feelings of time, do you think they can honestly say ‘my life, which will everlastingly have existed, meant something positive’

time and ignorance help us not see the absurdity that it is like filling a drinking jug with holes in it

heaven is the water, God himself (goodness itself)

We don’t serve good for good things that pass, serve him for his very self (goodness for goodness sake)

only that will truly bring satisfaction, all else passes through holes

taste of heaven now

weighty water only burdensome in this life

soon that burdensome pass (habit [example], mystic xp, finally death), and water will spring up within us

purgatory if not in this life (imagine how hard it will be for that prodigal son to enjoy father’s company, it will be very awkward for a while after all he did, good habit much harder to form)

What means to u

Let us live to serve God, not serve God to live

Why do you serve God?

love him, or just put up

want weight of water, or wish you could just use a jug with holes?

Instead use a jug without holes.

Desire the weight of water, not the ease of filling.

The weight in this life should be the very sign of joy, not sorrow,

weight water is none other than the gate to the father

Notes

injustice?

no, nothing unjust about it

not b/c what gets

‘all i have is yours already’

gets to eat it too and celebrate it too

not b/c not punished

the famine and lowly state already was a punishment

jealously

b/c he got to live a life of pleasure and laziness and gets to return to inheritance, while he holds back from it and gets the same inheritance.

the jealousy reveals where his heart really is

not the Father, for he gets it too, but on the earthly inheritance

both sons wanted the same thing

one went for it and abandoned it

other never went for it and has not abandoned it

Notes

After the goods father gives or him alone?

both seem after same thing. Prodigal just goes for it, but both corrupt (Augustine hints this reading)

Rejoicing

not the real greatness

akin to pleasure and pain (i.e. empty husks)

requires the agonies to have the party

Real is in presence/ peace

Church Fathers

inheritance is man’s capacities, particularly reason

after creation took capacities for himself (particularly reason)

caused him to lose what he had

even filthy beasts had it better than man

Ambrose: loses self to himself

August: he then returns to inner reason

The departure is a departure of heart not reality

Binds self to citizen of non God (the devil)

husks are worldly teachings (shells of real truth and meaning)

but can’t even grasp those

empty (me: like pleasure/pain)

August: some not after truth itself even if they don’t leave truth’s house (mercenaries not paladins)

Greg Nyssa: kissing and hugging neck signifies yoke of reason imposed

calf is Christ

for both sons, but only one chooses to enjoy it

elder son not denied this feast

on contrary 1st son asks for kid (goat) not calf [Augustine sees no significance in this tho]

elder son held back from feasting b/c of THIS [what really is THIS?]

Kept law in letter but not spirit [Aug + Ambrose]

even that not true for he has violated the letter (being envious) [Chrysostom]

Forgiveness so great it will cause jealousy and scandal

The elder son is the pharisees who condemn jesus for dining w/ sinners