This is an idiom.
By, “to kill the fatted calf,” we mean to bring to mind the Biblical
story of the Prodigal Son. In this story, the younger of two sons asks his
father for his share of the inheritance. Not only is this a great insult (to his living father), but he
goes on to squander it all, leading a life of self-centered, decadent spending.
After a short time, he is penniless and malnourished. So, he returns home to
plead his father’s mercy—hoping to be received as simply a farmhand—knowing the
servants there were well treated. What follows is the son’s unexpected restoration
as his father runs to meet him, proclaiming:
“Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we will celebrate by having a feast, because this son of mine was dead and had come back to life; he was lost and is found.”
In this story, the fatted calf was a symbol of a climactic
celebration of homecoming. Today this idiom has taken on a more general
meaning. According to an online resource “If you kill the fatted calf, you have a celebration, usually to welcome
someone who's been away a long time.” Here’s how we’ll define it: The sacrificing of your best for
others even when you don’t have a lot. This is not a perspective on the appropriateness of the consumption
of meat, namely veal. (Didn't want to chance the confusion.)
We will use this idiom as the
title of an ongoing series about celebration, hospitality, gratitude, and making
much of little. We hope to share with you some of our own ideas for “killing
the fatted calf” as penniless students without much to share, let alone offer
lavishly.
Is it possible to live over-abundantly
with very little means? We think yes. Stay tuned for more!
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