The Sunday of the Prodigal Son gives us the opportunity to consider how much we value our inheritance in Christ and see the fruit of a repentant heart. 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: his very identity has been squandered. When he “returns to himself,” that is, he repents, he recovers a sense of the truth of who he is—his father’s unworthy 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. But, in this humility and repentance, he is restored. Likewise, 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 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,” through repentance—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.
THIS WEEK AT HOLY ARCHANGELS:
- Wednesday, Feb 11, 7 p.m., Applied Orthodox Discussion, John’s Boathouse
- Sat, Feb. 14, 6:00 p.m. Great Vespers Confession offered following the service.
- Sun, Feb. 15, 9:30 a.m. Hours; 10am Divine Liturgy, Sunday of Meatfare Trapeza following.
Looking Ahead: Mark your Calendars!
- Sun, Feb. 15, Sunday of Meatfare, Thanksgiving Moleban, Trapeza, Annual Mission Mtg.
- Sun, Feb. 22, Cheesefare/Forgiveness Sunday: Trapeza. Vespers with Rite of Forgiveness
- Mon, Feb., 23, Clean Monday, GREAT LENT begins
- Wed, Feb. 25, 6:30 p.m., First PRESANCTIFIED LITURGY, St. John’s Boathouse
- Sat-Sun., March 28-29, Lenten Retreat with His Beatitude, Metropolitan TIKHON
January Financial Report: Holy Archangels received a total of $1,833 in offerings in January. $2333 was pledged. We have made our pledges to God, which is something we are to take very seriously. Please make up any pledges not made in January and stay current with your pledges/offerings. Thank God for His provision and your faithful offerings, which insures that our Mission can continue and grow! The Holy Archangels Mission Council
Prayer Requests:
- That God may grow our Mission “in spirit and in numbers…”
- For God’s financial provision for our Mission and ACM (Annapolis College Ministry);
- Newly-departed Robert
- Metropolitan Isaiah of Georgia, Archpriest George, Priest John, Dcn. Basil, Rdr. John, newly-illumined Ioane, Benedict, James, Daniel, Seraphim, Ed, Bede, Wanda, George, Daniel, the Church in Georgia and Romania as they address the relativism of the West, speaking the truth in love, our persecuted Orthodox brethren in Iraq and Syria, a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine., those suffering from the Ebola epidemic and a speedy end to the disease.
Troparion (Resurrection) Tone 2
When Thou didst descend to death, O Life immortal,
Thou didst slay hell with the splendor of Thy Godhead.
And when from the depths Thou didst raise the dead,
all the powers of heaven cried out://
“O Giver of life, Christ our God, glory to Thee!”
Troparion (Meeting of the Lord) Tone 1
Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Full of Grace!
From thee shone the Sun of Righteousness, ^Christ our God,
enlightening those who sat in darkness.
Rejoice and be glad, O righteous Elder,
thou didst accept in thine arms the ^Redeemer of our souls,//
Who grants us the Resurrection!
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 Thy glory, O Father;
and among sinners I have scattered the riches which Thou gavest me.
And now I cry to thee as the Prodigal:
I have sinned before Thee, O merciful Father;
receive me as a penitent, //
and make me as one of Thy hired servants!
Kontakion (Meeting of the Lord) Tone 1
By Thy Nativity Thou didst sanctify the Virgin’s womb
and didst bless Simeon’s hands, ^O Christ God.
Now Thou hast come and saved us through love.
Grant peace to all Orthodox Christians, //
O only Lover of Man!
