Father of the Prodigal Son 1

The home of the Father

The home of the Father

  1. I will schedule time with my father to ask for his advice about how to best communicate expectations, priorities and standards in my home.
  2. I will compose a list of expectations, priorities and standards for our home.
  3. I will discuss with my wife how we will more effectively address resistance to the expectations we have established in our home.
  4. I will write down ways in which low expectations and standards negatively affected myself or my siblings. I will share this list with my spouse.
  5. I will evaluate in my journal any areas of my fatherhood that have evolved since my first child was born. I will initiate any necessary corrections to excessive or lax standards that I find.

Father of the Prodigal Son 2

The younger Son Leaves

The younger Son Leaves

  1. I will ask my father to share about his experience of separation and reconciliation with his father.
  2. I will share with my children my own experience of separation and reconciliation with my father.
  3. I will schedule a holy hour to prayerfully journal and reflect on question #4 (In relation to God, how have I wandered...).
  4. I will spend time in adoration giving thanks to God for the blessings, gifts, lessons and strengths I have inherited from my father.
  5. I will schedule a time or a trip to reunite/reconnect with my father.

Father of the Prodigal Son 3

The older son

The older son

  1. I will print an examination of conscience and schedule 15 minutes of prayer to thoroughly examine how faithfully I keep the commandments.
  2. I will repent of any harshness, legalism and exclusion that I have exhibited toward any younger siblings.
  3. I will express repentance to any older siblings who I have wronged through abuse of my parent’s generosity.
  4. I will go to adoration and prayerfully examine what my oldest son needs from me and I will make a plan to provide that need to him.
  5. I will reflect on anything I still need from my earthly father and will schedule a time to visit him and share these needs with him.

Father of the Prodigal Son 4

Our Father’s house

Our Father’s house

  1. I will discuss with my wife any changes we can make to better incorporate religious formation into our parenting.
  2. I will contact a father who I know provides strong religious education for his children and I will ask for his advice and for suggestions to incorporate into the religious formation of my children.
  3. I will apologize to my father for any ways in which I have underestimated his intention, affection, work and heart.
  4. I will surprise my family with a religious feast that they were not anticipating
  5. I will compose a list of upcoming potential accomplishments in my children’s lives that we can celebrate with affirmation and merriment.