• Why do you think the tax collectors and sinners were drawn to Jesus? 
• Why was the father so happy that the younger son returned? Why wasn’t the father angry with the younger son? 
• Does the reaction of the older son surprise you? Why or why not?

Scrutiny Discussion Questions:

• How do you think the blind man felt at the beginning of this passage? In the middle? At the end?
• What can a person do to “see” the things of God more clearly and more deeply?
• How do our senses help us to experience God?

Gospel Memory Match

Create a simple matching game using words or images from today's Gospel. Write words or draw pictures on index cards. Each family member can make three (or more) sets of cards that have a word, simple phrase, or picture. Collect and shuffle all the cards. Place them face down on a table or the floor. Have one person select two cards, and if they are a match, they keep them and select another two. If they do not match, flip them back down, and the next person selects two cards. Play continues until all the cards are matched. The person with the most cards wins. 

Litany of St. Monica

Pray this prayer today and throughout the week, along with this week's Family Challenge, asking for the intercession of St. Monica.

A litany is a form of prayer containing a series of petitions to which people make fixed responses. Litanies originated in the 4th century. The prayer leader prays the bold text. The responses follow.

Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.

St. Monica, pray for us and for our children.

Model of wives, pray for us and for our children.

You who converted your unbelieving husband and son, pray for us and for our children.

Prudent teacher, guardian of your son in all his ways, pray for us and for our children.

You who carefully watched over his conduct, pray for us and for our children.

You who were untiring in your petitions for his soul's safety, pray for us and for our children.

You who continuously hoped, pray for us and for our children.

You who were filled with consolation upon his return to God, pray for us and for our children.

You who intercede for all mothers who pray as you did, pray for us and for our children.

St. Augustine, holy son of a saintly mother, pray for us and for our children.

Preserve the innocence of our children, we beseech you, St. Monica.

Protect them against evil, we beseech you, St. Monica.

Pray for those who have fallen away from the Church, we beseech you, St. Monica.

Pray for those who don't know Christ, we beseech you, St. Monica. 

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord! 

Pray for us, O holy St. Monica, That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ. Amen.

What statues or images of the saints do you see in your church? Do any of them have special meaning to your parish?

Rembrandt painted a picture of today’s Gospel called “The Return of the Prodigal Son.” Find an image of it and see what draws your attention!