Former St. Rose Pastor Explores the Timeless Wisdom of Jesus’ Parables in New Book

By Terry Dickson

BAY ST. LOUIS — Father Sebastian Myladiyil, SVD believes the parables of Jesus remain as powerful today as they were 2,000 years ago because they speak to the deepest realities of the human experience — mercy, forgiveness, justice, grace and the search for meaning.

Those themes are at the heart of his newly released book, “Treasures of Wisdom,” the seventh book written by the former pastor of St. Rose de Lima Parish in Bay St. Louis and current pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Greenville and St. Francis Parish in Shaw, Mississippi. The book reflects on the parables of Jesus and invites readers to move beyond simply hearing familiar Gospel stories to discovering the deeper spiritual truths within them.

Father Sebastian said the idea for the project grew naturally out of his earlier writing projects, particularly his “His Instrument” series, which focuses on important biblical figures and how God worked through their lives.

“That series has been well received by readers,” Father Sebastian said. “It has enabled them to understand the Scripture more and also relate to the events in the Bible with these personalities on focus, and seeing how God was using them to accomplish his purpose of salvation.”

As he reflected further, Father Sebastian said he felt drawn toward focusing not simply on biblical personalities, but on the words of Jesus himself.

“Everything was geared towards Jesus,” he said. “Then I thought about focusing on the words of Jesus for our reflection, and I thought the best way could be to use parables.”

For Father Sebastian, the enduring power of the parables lies in their universal accessibility. Whether a person is deeply religious or simply searching for wisdom, the stories still resonate.

“Parables are stories that regardless of people’s affiliation to a religion or not, they still can speak to us,” he said. “They are timeless stories.”

He pointed to familiar Gospel accounts such as the Good Samaritan, the seed and the soil and the net thrown into the sea as examples of stories rooted in ordinary human experiences, while simultaneously revealing spiritual truths.

“Whether one believes or not, the story of the Good Samaritan can touch us,” he said. “All those stories are everyday experiences, but at the same time giving us wisdom for our day-to-day lives.”

To help readers better understand the teachings of Jesus, Father Sebastian organized the book into three major sections: parables of the kingdom, parables of judgment and parables of grace.

He said the “parables of the kingdom” section explores Jesus’ central message throughout his public ministry.

“The kingdom of God was Jesus’ primary focus as he began his ministry, because he said, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel,’” Father Sebastian explained. “What is remarkable is that we don’t see Jesus giving us a definition of what this kingdom means. Rather, he is explaining the kingdom through the use of stories.”

The section on judgment focuses on human choices and accountability, while also emphasizing hope and conversion rather than fear.

“Our life — we all are called to make choices on a day-to-day basis, and our choices do have repercussions,” Father Sebastian said. “The parables of judgment are not to frighten us but rather to correct our ways so that we can make needed changes in order to receive his grace.”

The final section examines the grace and mercy of God revealed through the teachings of Christ.

“All of those parables, what shines forth is God’s amazing grace,” he said.

Father Sebastian said writing the book also deepened his own appreciation for the many layers contained within the parables. While many people initially approach them simply as moral stories, he said the teachings of Jesus invite believers to go much deeper.

“You can look at the parable just as a story in itself,” he said. “A story can give, right away, a practical lesson. Then you can actually go into a little deeper and reflect on a moral lesson — how can it affect our morality, our choices and things like that.

“But then we are called to reflect still further and see the spiritual nuances in all of these,” he continued. “That happens when we look at it from the perspective of faith.”

An example he discusses extensively is the Parable of the Good Samaritan. On the surface, the story teaches compassion and mercy toward those who are suffering. Yet Father Sebastian said the story also challenges believers to overcome prejudice and barriers that divide people.

“The one who reaches out is a Samaritan,” he said. “He is able to break the barriers that were there. He is not looking at those barriers. Rather, he is looking at the person in need.”

Father Sebastian also highlighted how early Christian thinkers interpreted the story symbolically. In that reading, the wounded traveler represents humanity wounded by sin, the Good Samaritan represents Christ, and the inn where the wounded man is brought symbolizes the Church.

“The wounded person is given the safety of the church,” Father Sebastian said. “The innkeeper — we are all part of that.”

That reflection led Father Sebastian to speak about Pope Francis’ description of the Church as a “field hospital” — a place where wounded people can encounter healing and mercy.

“Church should be like a hospital in which everybody can come,” he said. “It can be messy because a hospital is not a place of comfort alone. It is a place where healing takes place.”

Father Sebastian believes the book can serve as a valuable resource for parish Bible studies, small faith-sharing groups and individual reflection, particularly during Ordinary Time when many of the parables are proclaimed at Mass.

“It can definitely be a good resource for Bible study and Bible sharing,” he said.

Among the many parables explored in the book, Father Sebastian said the Prodigal Son remains especially meaningful to him because it reveals the limitless love of God the Father.

“The parable of the Prodigal Son — I realized that even though we try to focus on the son’s conversion and return, what we really see is the amazing love of the father who loves both his sons,” he said.

He noted that both sons in the parable fail to fully understand the father’s love — one through rebellion and the other through resentment and self-righteousness.

“But what we see is the unconditional love of the father who waits no matter what,” Father Sebastian said. “The father runs to greet the son when he comes back but also runs to the son who refuses to come home.”

Reading directly from the book, Father Sebastian reflected on what he believes is the central message of the story:

“Though we tend to focus on the son’s sins, what ultimately triumphs is love,” he read. “No matter how far we have gone, we can always come back to God. The door is always open and the invitation is good for eternity.”

He also emphasized the importance of the parable’s unresolved ending.

“The parable ends without a resolution,” Father Sebastian wrote. “We never learn whether the elder son enters the feast. This open ending invites every listener to finish the story in their own heart.”

Quoting theologian N.T. Wright, Father Sebastian added: “The ending is an unfinished symphony. The missing note awaits our response.”

“Treasures of Wisdom” is available on Amazon and through Father Sebastian, who hopes the book will help readers encounter the timeless wisdom, mercy and grace found in the teachings of Jesus.