homecoming

i was in the middle of an american pie marathon

when ma told me to watch

this JesCom special on pilgrimages,

particularly this one with Bishop Tagle

across four countries

and after everything, i had this strange longing to read

Henri Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son

again but i left my copy in manila and so

i googled.

found this blog with an excerpt (link here) pasted below.

"As the Beloved of my heavenly Father...

Having 'received without charge', I can 'give without charge'.
I can confront, console, admonish, and encourage
without fear of rejection or need for affirmation.

As the Beloved, I can suffer persecution
without desire for revenge
and receive praise without using it as proof of my goodness.

As the Beloved, I can be tortured and killed without ever having to doubt
that the love given to me is stronger than death.

As the Beloved,
I am free to live and give life,
free also to die while giving life."
-Henri Nouwen

i honestly don't miss those holy week moments

where i would get so overwhelmed by the wrong notion

that Jesus died again. and again the year after.

and that by sunday, two days after, all is well again.

but i'm grateful that we're given the moment

to be reminded that He actually did.

and that He loved us first.

i miss the book.