Henri Nouwen is a Dutch-born priest who, after teaching at America's most prestigious universities and traveling widely, became the spiritual director of an Arca community near Toronto. He has written numerous works of spirituality, and this book ranks among the finest I have encountered in a long life. Nouwen tells how he was once struck by a reproduction of the celebrated painting by his compatriot Rembrandt depicting "the return of the prodigal son." He was so deeply moved that he traveled to Saint Petersburg to see the original at the Hermitage Museum. This meditation, naturally paired with reflection on the Gospel parable, continued for a long time after his journey.
Nouwen discovers in the painting—often reproduced only in fragments—extraordinary riches. He examines it in every detail and invites us to share the hidden lessons it holds. As a result, each figure and every element becomes profoundly meaningful and calls us toward a true "conversion."
It is beautiful reading for Easter and especially fitting for "the year of the Father." It is worth noting, finally, the account Nouwen gives at the book's end about his relationships with the residents of ARCA where he lives: their lives confirm the truth of what Rembrandt and the Gospel had taught him.
- Henri Bissonier, 1999