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From year to year we hear the gospel reading and every time the word of God sounds new and new facets that shine, shedding light on us divine truth. The parable of the prodigal son, which will be read today during Sunday's worship, is one of the most famous and seemingly easiest to understand, but at the same time, one of the deepest in meaning.

Who is the prodigal son? This is the image of all that is lost in humanity's own sins and at the same time - it is any of us, every man who is from his own will depart from God, his Father. Removed not from coercion or from fear, but by making absolutely free, independent, though erroneous and misguided choices. Removed not with empty hands, but with part of the Father's property, which the Father did not leave himself at home, but out of love gave to his son. These gifts of God are our life, health, wisdom, knowledge, talents and much more.

′′ The youngest son, having gathered everything, went to the far edge and spent his property there, living depraved ′′ (Lk. 15: 13), the Gospel further tells. The distant edge is a promoistic definition of the state of a person who distanced himself from the House, from the Father's warmth, love and comfort. And longing becomes simply unbearable, when you are handy, due to inadequacy, pride, self-immolation, you lose that spiritual connection when you realize that, as in the parable, you have spent the Father's wealth on temporary fun and forced to live with pigs and suffer (Lk. 15 : 14-16).

In this parable there is an important breaking point: awareness, finding truth by a sinful person and his desire to return, fix the situation. ′′ Remembering, he said: how many hires my father have excess bread, and I starve; I will rise, go to my father and say to him: father! I have sinned before heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hires ′′ (Lk. 15-19). Remembering - as if awakened, tearing out of oblivion, a prodigal son I remembered the Father's Good, I realized the decision to step up from the circumstances in which I found myself, go to the Father and apologize! At the same time, understanding that he is no longer worthy to be called a son, but ask to accept back ′′ at least a hired ".

The path of returning the prodigal son is a path that everyone should take, recovering from spiritual sickness, from misconception, mistakes. Prodigal son is a symbol of every sinful person, and his Father is a symbol of God's inexhaustible love for a man who always looks and waits for His children from a distance, and as he sees - he gladly meets us, hugs, kisses. Isn't this a real parental love?

In the parable, we also hear about the elder brother who remained living with his father, worked on the field, but when his younger brother returned, he was not happy about it and, seeing his father's joy for returning the prodigal son, begins to be jealous and angry with him. This image is an outrage for each of us, for those who consider themselves more righteous than others, compares themselves to others, mentioning their merits and mistakes of others. The Lord loves all His children equally, and therefore it is not necessary to condemn anyone, but vice versa: ′′ Having fun and rejoice, because your brother was dead and revived, missing and found ′′ (Lk. 15).

So, dear brothers and sisters, from this parable, let's put on our heart the all-forgiving love of God for man as the highest creation, the love of the Father for his children. He is always waiting for each of us, giving us His helping hand, revealing His fatherly embrace. And from us we need - only a sincere desire to return to Him

Bishop Gregory Alan Menke

What a beautiful gospel of a loving and forgiving Father, we all have been one of them or all three of them 1. repentance of the Prodigal or 2. the angry and resentful and unforgiving Older brother or 3. To be loving and forgiving as the Loving Father. Preparation for Lent is to soul search your hearts and souls and to get rid of sin and to become more Christ Like everyday becoming a vessel of love and forgiveness. The choice is our. Jesus gave us a great command to love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind meaning with our whole being. To put the Lord Jesus Christ first in our hearts and our lives. Let us who have stray and wander far from God draw back near to him through repentance. Let us who have unforgiveness and anger and hate in our hearts ask God to pluck it out of our hearts and to give us loving hearts. Jesus said i give you a command to love one another as i had first love you, remember the Holy Word of God say that love covers a multitude of sin. Remember John 3:16 For God so loved the world that means you and me that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believe on Him shall not perish bu have eternal life. Behold today if you hear his voice harden not your heart but invite him in as Personal Lord and Savior and Friend. Jesus also said Behold i stand and knock at the door of your heart, He wants us to let him in. Won't you do it today for tomorrow may be too later and then St. Paul tells us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We are to run the race and fight the good fight so that we might receive our prize of a crown of eternal life. Read this gospel of today and meditate on it but most of all live it. We are not only to call ourselves Christians but we must be followers of Christ, He said come and follow me. We must walk the walk and talk the talk. Let us today my dear brother and sisters put on love. Amen and Alleluia (This is only a tidbit or a morsel of my sermon today in church.