SONG - The Prodigal Father

This past week, the gospel told the familiar parable of the prodigal son. As I was planning music for that liturgy, one title kept coming up, for obvious reasons. The song is "The Prodigal Father" by Brian Flynn.

Since I work as a transcriber and arranger for World Library Publications, I have the privilege of hearing some music more than others. I remember transcribing this song from Brian's album "Born Again" and thinking, "This is really good. Simple, honest, and good." I promised myself I'd store it in the back of my mind for future reference and use at liturgy. I almost forgot it!

After talking it over with my associate, we decided that, for us, it would be best as a post communion song, and it would be sung as a solo with minimal instrumentation.

Well...I received emails, my associate received emails, and people kept asking about this song! It was moving people to tears at every Mass. Folks came up afterward and asked the musicians where they could find a copy of it. "Is it on iTunes? Who wrote it? Where can I get it?"

So, let me share this song with you if you haven't heard it already. It was on my song suggestions for last Sunday, so perhaps some of you have already checked it out.

The Prodigal Father by Brian Flynn (WLP) - (from the CD "Born Again")

The Song

I asked Brian to share the 'backstory' of this song with all of us. He immediately agreed and sent me the following:

"My own father, Vinny Flynn speaks all around the country on Divine Mercy. Years ago I was at a gig with him and heard him give a talk called "The Prodigal Father." It basically takes the story from the gospel of Luke and emphasizes the love and mercy of the Father. Up until then, I had always heard preaching about the passage emphasizing the son and his sin and how we should be like the son and repent and come back to the father. I, in my own life had rebelled as well and didn't come back to the Church until I was 22. Although I could relate to the son in the story, I also wanted people to hear about the unconditional love and mercy of the Father, so I wrote the song. The song reflects the truth that, although the son recklessly and, without regard, squandered his inheritance, so too the Father squandered His love and lavishly poured out His love and mercy on His son, as He wants to do for each of us. There is always greater rejoicing at the return of a wayward son than anger at his leaving!"    - Brian Flynn