Today is the second Sunday of the Triodian.
Last Sunday , the Sunday of the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, I wrote on how the Eastern Church spends the Four Sundays before Lent by preparing us for it.
For the unchurched, the reason why we go to Church is for healing, not so much for the physical healing of our bodies but for the spiritual healing of our souls, a far more important matter, and something we all are in need of no matter how far along our journeys we may be.
Today's Gospel reading is Luke 15:11-32, the parable of the Prodigal Son, and hence today is called Prodigal Son Sunday.
This is a parable deep and full of meaning but the lesson and the thing the Church wants us to reflect upon today is contained in the hymn we will sing today during the Divine Liturgy
I have recklessly forgotten Your glory, O Father;
And among sinners I have scattered the riches which You had given me.
Therefore, I cry to You like the Prodigal:
"I have sinned before You, O compassionate Father;
Receive me a penitent and make me as one of Your hired servants."
One of my favourite parables. Pulled out the Bible and read it again (sorry but I don't like the old English in the link you provided).
ReplyDeleteAndrei, the Orthodox readings must be on a different cycle than the readings of the Roman. Today we had the Gospel about Jesus saying how a prophet is not accepted in his own country where the people tried to take Jesus to the edge of the town and throw him off a cliff (but he slips away).
ReplyDeleteInteresting to compare the two.