A Journey Through the Parables

Gain unforgettable insight into 22 parables from leading Catholic historian, author, and homilist Fr. John Jay Hughes.

Who hasn't heard of the Good Samaritan? Even people with little knowledge of the New Testament know that a good Samaritan is someone who comes to the aid of a person in need. But did you know that those who first heard Jesus tell the story were shocked when they learned the identity of the hero--as shocked as we would be by a story that made a hero out of a bomb-planting terrorist?

You surely know also the parable of the farmer sowing seed in different kinds of soil, where little of it 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 straightforward and easy to follow. You will enjoy these talks, whether you are a minister or layperson.