Sunday of the Prodigal Son

Date: 19 February 2006 11:46:59

Today is the Sunday of The Prodigal Son for Eastern-Rite Orthodox [those of the Western-Rite follow the same calendar as the "western" liturgical churches do]. A well-known story, and a timely reminder of God's infinite mercy, grace and love -- even when we go astray.

Some wonderful hymns for the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, among them:

The riches of the grace which You, O Saviour, did give me, I spent vainly, wretched one, when I set out on a hapless journey. Living in extravagance with devils, I squandered it in an evil way. But having returned, receive me, O compassionate Father, as the prodigal son, and save me.
I have destroyed Your riches, O Lord, wretched one, squandering it, and submitted myself to evil devils. Wherefore, O most compassionate Saviour, have compassion on me, purify me, polluted one, and restore to me the first robe of Your kingdom.

I too have come, O compassionate One, like the prodigal son, I who spent all my life-time in estrangement, and squandered the riches which You gave me, O Father. Wherefore, receive me, O God, repentant, and have mercy upon me.

O Good Father, I have withdrawn from You. Do not forsake me nor cast me out from Your kingdom. The most evil enemy has stripped me naked and robbed me of my fortune; and I have wasted the gifts of the soul in riotous living. Wherefore, I will rise and return to You, crying, “Make me as one of Your hired servants, O You who for my sake did stretch Your pure hands on the Cross to snatch me from the wicked beast and clothe me with the first robe, since You alone are most compassionate.”

As well as the services of Matins and Divine Liturgy at my parish this morning, I went to another parish this evening for the Divine Liturgy. There were a number of people up from Melbourne this weekend for the Sydney Youth Retreat and some of them came along to the service also. They have a beautiful church there, richly decorated, and they are blessed with a wonderful choir: I truly felt as I was lifted up to the heavens. When lines of hymns were repeated -- it happens quite a bit in Orthodoxy! ;-) -- they alternated between English and Arabic: beautiful. And a wonderful sermon by our sub-deacon on the need for the youth and young adults to take up the baton and prepare the way for the future of Orthodoxy in Australia.

After the Liturgy, a few of us headed off to Leichhardt [a predominantly Italian area of Sydney, and hence full of wonderful cafés and restaurants], meeting up with some more people from Melbourne who went to St George's Cathedral for Divine Liturgy as well as some people from our parish. It was great to meet new people from Melbourne and see again those I met at the retreat last year.