“Foolishly I sprang away * from Thy great fatherly glory, * and dispersed in wicked deeds * the riches that Thou didst give me. * With the Prodigal I therefore * cry unto Thee now: * I have sinned against Thee, O compassionate Father. * But receive me in repentance; * make me as one of * Thy hired servants, O Lord.”
Dear to Christ,
Greetings to you in Christ Jesus.
This Sunday the Holy Orthodox Church wants us to meditate in the story of the Prodigal Son. Each one of us is this son who takes his Father wealth and waste it. That is why the troparia above says “Foolishly I sprang away from thy great fatherly glory”.
In the Synaxarion of this Sunday we read:
“On this day, we make remembrance of the Parable of the Prodigal Son, which occurs in the noble Gospel and which our deified Fathers reinstituted in the Triodion.
Verses: O thou who art like me, a prodigal, come forward with confidence and tranquility; For unto all has been opened the door of Divine Mercy.
In the parable our Savior tells, Jesus illustrates three things: the condition of the sinner, the canon of repentance and the knowledge of God’s compassion. For in the person of the prodigal son, we view the wretched condition that sin creates for us, distant from God and His Sacraments. However, we become aware of ourselves and awaken, hastening with hope to return to Him through repentance. Our Savior wants to call back to His mansions all those who have been overtaken by despair, lacking hope of forgiveness for their grave sins. The Father encourages all of his lost children to remove the desperation from their hearts, and revive their energies for virtuous deeds. Through Thine ineffable love for mankind, O Christ our God, have mercy upon us. Amen.”
Next Saturday is Soul Saturday, we will remember all our departed loved ones. Please, bring with you “Boiled wheat/Koliva” to pray for your departed loved ones. You don’t need to register to attend the Liturgy at 10 AM.
During Lent, we will have services every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7 PM. Join us in person or online.
Let us make this coming Lent a time of change by God’s Grace to our lives, a time of repentance, and time of renewal. Let us use this prayer every day during Lent and any other time by saying: (Lenten Prayer of St. Ephrem):
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant.
Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions, and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. Amen.
With the Prodigal Son let us say: I have sinned against Thee, O compassionate Father. * But receive me in repentance; * make me as one of * Thy hired servants, O Lord. Amen
Rev. Fr. Dr. George Dahdouh, Pastor
St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church
9116 Bayview Ave.,
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3M9
Office: 905/731-7210, Cell in case of Emergency: 416/937-6301
~Pastor’s Message of February 28, 2021~