The Parables: How to Understand and Live Jesus' Great Stories

Erudite and inspiring audio course on 22 parables by renowned Catholic historian, author, and homilist Fr. John Jay Hughes.  

You surely know the parable of the farmer sowing seeds in different kinds of soil, where little of his efforts came to fruition. We usually read it as a story about these different soils. When Jesus first told the story, however, he had something quite different in mind. What was the message Jesus originally intended to convey? 

Did the younger brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son come back home just to put a roof over his head and food on his table? Or was he truly sorry for wasting everything his father had given him? And didn’t the elder brother, who stayed home and always worked dutifully for his father, get a raw deal?

These are just a few of the questions you will find the answers to in this fascinating discussion of Jesus’ parables. You will also discover the reason why Jesus chose parables as his favorite form of teaching. 

Based on the work of scholars, and incorporating what Pope Benedict XVI writes about the parables in his book Jesus of Nazareth, Fr. Hughes’s presentation is colorful and easy to follow. Whether you are a minister or a layperson, you will love these talks.

This course is part of the Learn25 collection and includes a free PDF study guide.