The Sunday of the Prodigal Son gives us the opportunity to consider how much we value our inheritance in Christ. The prodigal demands his inheritance from his father even before his father dies and squanders it on riotous living. Having become a slave to his passions, there’s no sating them. Having starved his soul to give the passions their desire, the prodigal is left hungering and thirsty, longing to eat the pig’s slop. He’s lost everything, even his identity has been squandered. Even still, he’s his father’s son. When he “returns to himself,” that is, he recovers a sense of the truth of who he is—his father’s son—he returns from self-imposed exile. This is the very ‘icon’ of repentance (Gk. metanoia), that is, of a “change of heart and mind.” The son, in his returning, sees himself worthy only of being one of his father’s hired servants. His prideful arrogance is gone; only the humility of one who has seen the emptiness of losing one’s true self, one’s true identity, remains. For us all, our true identity is who we are in Christ, who we are as God’s adopted sons and daughters, called to glory and participation in the life of God the Holy Trinity. When the son returns, he receives his father’s forgiveness, who even runs out to embrace him. Fittingly, in many Orthodox icons of this Parable, the father is portrayed as Christ Himself, before whom we repent, to whom we return when we “come to ourselves,” that is, our true personhood, our true identity, as those who are being made fit and worthy for life with God, in His near presence with all the Saints, in His eternal and heavenly Kingdom. Such is God’s gracious love and mercy on us sinners! Such is the fruit of repentance!
House blessings need to be completed, if possible, in the Triodion (i.e., before Lent). We invite Christ into our homes to bless them and pray God to make them places of His light, peace, truth, and love. Please contact Fr. Robert ASAP with 2 suggested days and times for a house blessing.
This week at Holy Archangels:
- Sun., Feb. 16, Memorial Service for newly-departed Charlene, 40th day
- Mondays, Fr. Robert’s Day Off (please don’t contact except for pastoral emergencies)
- Tuesday, Feb. 18, 12:50-13:20, Sixth Hour prayers, USNA
- Wednesday, Feb. 19, 6:30, St. John’s College Boathouse, Applied Orthodox Theology Discussion—“All about Confession”
- Saturday, Feb. 22, 6:00 p.m., Great Vespers. Confession following.
- Sunday, Feb. 23, 9:30 Hours, 10 a.m. Divine Liturgy, Sunday of the Last Judgment Meatfare, SUNDAY SCHOOL and ANNUAL MEETING
Save the Dates:
- Sun., March 2, Forgiveness Sunday, Cheesefare, followed by the RITE of FORGIVENESS.
- Mon., March 3, “Clean Monday,” GREAT LENT BEGINS!
- Wed., March 5, 6:30 p.m.,FIRST PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY, Lenten potluck, St. Martin’s
$5,000 Matching Grant Update
We have been offered a $5,000 matching grant by an anonymous donor, the goal of which we must reach by Pascha. Please take a flyer from the back table or forward the weekly email to friends and family and help us get the word out so we can meet this challenge! All non-pledged donations will go to help meet this goal. So Far we have raised $1,130! Praise God!
Prayer Requests:
- That God may grow our Mission “in spirit and in numbers…”
- For God’s financial provision for our Mission and ACM;
- For our Mission that we may find a Choir Director;
- Archpriest George, Archpriest Michael, Priest John, Dcn. Basil, Rdr. John, Benedict, Colette, Mary, Carol, Katherine, James, Daniel, Sarah, Seraphim, Ed, Patricia, the Church in Georgia and Romania as they address the relativism of the West, speaking the truth in love, our suffering Orthodox brethren in Syria, the nuns and orphans of St. Thekla Monastery abducted by Syrian terrorist rebels, our brethren in Ukraine.
- The newly-departed Reader Michael, Mat. Claudia, Charlene (Fr. Robert’s Mother), 40th day
Troparion (Resurrection) Tone 1
When the stone had been sealed by the Jews,
while the soldiers were guarding Your most pure ^body,
You rose on the third day, O Savior, granting life to the world.
The powers of heaven therefore cried to You, O Giver of Life:
“Glory to Your Resurrection, O Christ! // Glory to Your ^Kingdom!//
Glory to Your dispensation, O Lover of mankind!”
Troparion (Holy Archangels) Tone 4
Commanders of the heavenly hosts, // we who are unworthy beseech you:
by your prayers encompass us beneath the wings of your immaterial glory,
and faithfully preserve us who fall down and cry to you://
“Deliver us from all harm, for you are the Commanders of the Powers on high!”
Kontakion (from the Lenten Triodion ) Tone 3
I have recklessly forgotten Your glory, O Father;
and among sinners I have scattered the riches which You gave me.
And now I cry to You as the Prodigal: // “I have sinned before You, O merciful Father;
receive me a penitent, // and make me as one of Your hired servants!”
Kontakion (Holy Archangels) Tone 2
Commanders of God’s armies // and ministers of the divine glory,
princes of the bodiless Angels // and guides of mankind;
ask for what is good for us, and for great mercy,// Supreme Commanders of the Bodiless Hosts
