The Prodigal Son Luke 15:11-32

Our Lord's parable of the prodigal son is one of the most famous and remembered parables in the Gospels. It is such a detailed parable of our whole existence. It clearly makes known many truths about our human condition and God's Love for us. We see that it is the younger son that falls into sin and betrays his Father and homeland, showing that it was a later development in which sin began to corrupt mankind. The elder son being righteous shows that God made us originally without sin. When the prodigal son began to desire his own way of life apart from his Father, he went off to a distant land, showing that once we sin it is we that depart from God, our source of sustenance and Life. God has made man with free will, which is the greatest and godliest characteristic that He has bestowed on creation. He does not force his son to stay against his will.

The life that the prodigal son experienced began to turn sour after the momentary sweetness wore off. We are never satisfied with the husks of pigs because we are made to be in constant communion with God, the only true source of nourishment. 

God also allowed a famine to occur in the land that he was living in. "Thus, often the Lord sends external calamities to a sinner who has become mired in his sinful life, to force him to become sober. These misfortunes are at the same time both the punishment of God and His call to repentance." - Archbishop Averky

He repents and rises up from the filth of the swine which represent the passions of the flesh that he was feeding. But he does not stop there. He begins a journey back towards his Father, indicating the need for us to not just repent, but to begin acting towards our correction. 

He plans to beg his Father to treat him as a hired servant since he is no longer worthy to be called His son. "This is an expression of profound humility and a confession of his unworthiness, both of which always accompany true repentance in a sinner." -Archbishop Averky

It is on his journey home that His Father, Who was continually watching for His return, goes out to meet him before even reaching His Father's house, which is a symbol of the Church.

Here the three Holy Mysteries/Sacraments of initiation are described. We see that the Father has his servants, the Priests, put the Chief/First robe on His son, Holy Baptism, bringing him back to his original state, being clothed in God's likeness that he had before the fall in when he was made naked. He is given the ring of his Father, as a symbol of the power of his Father and as a seal and pledge of the future blessings in the world to come, just as the symbol of chrismation is given to those baptized. Along with the ring, shoes are put on his feet to trample on snakes and scorpions, demons and the devil himself that had dominated him previously. Then the gift of the slayed wheat-fed young bullock is given him to eat and be merry, because the son that was dead was made alive again, and he that was lost was found. When we begin this life of repentance and journey toward God, we are joined to the Church, and then God in His love allows us to partake of Holy Communion to be fed spiritually on wheat that has become the flesh of Christ, the Lamb of God.

Christ became man, closely like becoming a beast in comparison to His Godly nature, to trample down death by death. In His being slayed, He destroyed death because death had no hold on Him because of His being without sin and having fulfilled all of the Law of Moses, not incurring guilt. By partaking in Christ, the Lamb of God, we partake of the Life of Christ and we too can become conquerors of death and rise with Him at His future second coming.

When the elder son heard of what had happened, he was very upset and began to sin himself. He who had victoriously conquered all of the sinful pleasures, was defeated by the sin of envy and lack of mercy for the repentant. He refused to go into his Father's house and made himself like a hired servant by speaking of his deeds as serving his Father. He made His Father's ways mere commands to be followed, not seeing how He lovingly was training him to become godlike. He asks why his Father never gave him a goat to be slain to make him merry. He is asking why God never destroyed his wicked enemies, the goats, and instead allows them to continue on living a life of sin causing trouble for the righteous. God does so, because he desires the repentance of all. The elder son also does not realize that he has sinned, and that if he would come into the house of God, the Church and feast at the table that the Father has made for the prodigal son, he too will be brought back to life.

May we learn from both sons and return to our Father's homeland, and once there remember the great blessings that our Father has given us and never stray from His house. And remembering how merciful God is with us, let us also be merciful to those that have sinned gravely and welcome them back to communion with God and His Church, to whom be the glory honor and worship, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Publican and the Pharisee - Luke 18:10-14

Our Lord Jesus Christ not only came to destroy death and open to us the gates of heaven, He also taught us very clearly how to become partakers worthy of these gifts.

In the first Gospel reading of the famous parable of the pharisee and the publican, we are instructed how to pray to God. He had just finished giving another parable of the importance of praying constantly.

He lovingly “teaches us in what manner we ought to make our requests unto Him, in order that the act may not prove unrewarded to them who practice it; and that no one may anger God, the bestower of gifts from on high, by means of those very things by which he imagines that he shall gain some benefit.” -St. Cyril of Alexandria

First, we see that the two men went up into the temple to pray. “This is the nature of prayer, it brings a man up from the earth into heaven before the God who is over all.” - St. Gregory Palamas

The Pharisee prays with himself. How often we see those that don’t know how to pray, use prayer to give a speech. Many times, these prayers go on and on and never beg God to have mercy.

The Pharisee says that he is the only man that is not sinful and then adds the publican to the ranks of sinners. He then lists his ascetic accomplishments without acknowledging that it was with God’s help that he accomplished anything.

“In all his words seek out for any one thing that he asked of God, and you will find nothing.” - St. Augustine

The Pharisee compared himself to sinners to lift himself up to great heights. We all do this at one time or another when we think to ourselves, well, at least I haven't killed anyone or have done some of the bad things that criminals do daily. We take comfort in the fact that there are people out there more wicked than ourselves, because it allows us to feel better about our own sins. If all these evil people were not there to compare to, our conscience wouldn't be so clear and we would actually have to face the fact that we are not as holy as we have tricked ourselves into believing. We do not want the salvation of all these sinners, because they are our method of coping.

St. Cyril of Alexandria says: “No man because he is in health ridicules one who is sick for being laid up and bedridden: rather he is afraid, lest perchance he become himself the victim of similar sufferings. Nor does any man in battle, because another has fallen, praise himself for having escaped from misfortune. For the infirmity of others is not a fit subject for praise for those who are in health.”

The Pharisee was all too happy to have the Publican there to compare himself to, never stopping once to think of him as a fellow member of God’s people in need of help. His sin was using the weak for gain and not desiring their salvation. It is not wrong to notice the sins of others. Only by doing so, can we find ways to bring back people to correct living and to pray for God to give them eyes to see their sin. Saint John the Baptist called many of the Jews sons of vipers, intent on their conversion, not on lifting up his ego.

Also, “The circumstances of our lives are directed by a higher providence and often, with little or no effort on our part, by God’s help we have stayed out of reach of many great passions, delivered by His sympathy for our weakness. We should acknowledge the gift and humble ourselves before the giver, not be conceited.” - St. Gregory Palamas

Even if we lead an excellent and elect life, we shouldn’t “exact wages from the Lord; but rather ask of Him a gift.” - St. Cyril of Alexandria

If we pray with pride and arrogance, our “labor will be unrewarded; for we have mingled dung with our perfume. Even according to the law of Moses a sacrifice that had a blemish was not capable of being offered to God.” -St. Cyril of Alexandria

Then we hear how “the publican standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.”

“The Publican stood afar off; and yet he was in deed near to God.” - St. Augustine

“He did not dare to look upwards, his conscience pressed him down: but hope lifted him up.” - St. Augustine

“He was ashamed to lift up his eyes to heaven, for he considered his eyes unworthy of heavenly vision because they had desired to see and to enjoy the good things of earth. And he smote himself upon the breast, striking his heart, as it were, because of its evil designs, and awakening it because it had been sleeping.” - St. Theophylact

It is not a coincidence that only in the Orthodox Church do we apply both teachings of our Lord in our Liturgy, to pray constantly, and to humbly ask God to have mercy on us sinners. The Jesus prayer also applies the two teachings of our Lord.

St. Caesarius of Arles explains the lessons learned in this parable nicely saying: “Men who think more attentively about the salvation of their souls throw the good which they do behind their back, and place before their eyes the evil which has overtaken them. In the present life they blush over their sins, striving with all the devotion of faith to heal what was wounded, to revive what was dead, and to cleanse what was defiled.”

As we prepare to enter into lent, let us learn from our loving Lord’s parables on how to pray. Then we will be able ascend to the heavens in prayer, to share in Christ’s resurrection, to whom be the glory, honor, and worship, with the Father and Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

Gregory the Theologian on Pascha

I thought I would reflect a little on some of St. Gregory the Theologian's words on Pascha since it was his feast day yesterday.  St. Gregory is one of the most important fathers of the Church, and I am honored to be named after him, even if unknowingly by my own parents.  His understanding of the Holy Incarnation and Death and Resurrection of our Lord and God, Jesus Christ are still the standard by which we test all man's words to this day.  He was inspired by God to see through the veil into the Heavenly realities and describe in coarse words, things unspeakable because of their brilliance.  But as a great teacher, he brought things down to the level of sinful man in order to inspire us and raise us up to his level of holiness.  A few thoughts that struck me when I first encountered them years ago and still inspire me today are as follows:

When speaking about the fall and its consequences, he has this to say about death:

"Yet here too he makes a gain, namely death and the cutting off of sin, in order that evil may not be immortal. Thus, his punishment is changed into a mercy, for it is in mercy, I am persuaded, that God inflicts punishment."  

Here a great dogma is stated and many misunderstandings are made clear.  There is nothing that happens that doesn't in a way benefit mankind.  No punishments are inflicted out of justice to God, because God has no need of anything creaturely.  We can then look into how seemingly dire realities are in a way a sign of God's mercy.  Physical death becomes a way to destroy sin and to teach man to not take for granted the gift of being made in the image of God.  Only with our Salvation and betterment in mind did God allow man to fall into sin and undergo death and all that has happened.  We in fact deserve all that we have fallen into because  we have turned away from Life and Light itself toward the absence of both, namely death and darkness.

Later on St. Gregory goes on to say:

"Let us sacrifice ourselves to God; or rather let us go on sacrificing throughout every day and at every moment. Let us accept anything for the Word's sake. By sufferings let us imitate His Passion: by our blood let us reverence His Blood: let us gladly mount upon the Cross. Sweet are the nails, though they be very painful. For to suffer with Christ and for Christ is better than a life of ease with others."

St. Gregory was well aware that our Lord and God did not come to rescue us in a purely legalistic manner that sadly has become a very popular way of thinking about His Holy Passion.  Rather, St. Gregory knew that Christ came to reveal the real meaning hidden in the old Law regarding sacrifice.  God allowed man to continue to offer sacrifices under the old covenant, just as long as it was only to God that they offered sacrifices, not idols.  It was a step forward, but still was incomplete.  Christ when He came showed us that the real sacrifice is to die to this world and it's pleasures that run contrary to God's will.  He used the occasion to show us the way, being humiliated and tortured for refusing to conform to the world and its evil ways, but rather reproving the world and exposing its dark and deadly traps that have been imprisoning man since the days of Adam.

And finally, a third point that was made by our Holy Father Gregory speaking about the events that occurred at the moment of our Lord's death:

"Many indeed are the miracles of that time: God crucified; the sun darkened and again rekindled; for it was fitting that the creatures should suffer with their Creator; the veil rent; the Blood and Water shed from His Side; the one as from a man, the other as above man; the rocks rent for the Rock's sake; the dead raised for a pledge of the final Resurrection of all men; the Signs at the Sepulchre and after the Sepulchre, which none can worthily celebrate; and yet none of these equal to the Miracle of my salvation. A few drops of Blood recreate the whole world, and become to all men what rennet is to milk, drawing us together and compressing us into unity."

Here again He makes clear that it was not without the creation that Christ suffered in the flesh.  He who is likened to the sun makes the sun to darken for us to see that the very creation that He entered into can now share in all of the events of Christ's life on Earth, and even in those that are in Heaven, symbolized by the rekindling of the Sun.  All of mankind has been given the opportunity to enter into the Body of Christ by Baptism, but only those willing to take up the Holy and Life-giving Cross of the Lord truly enter into the life of Christ.  We suffer temporarily with Christ, to enjoy freedom for eternity.  Our shed blood becomes one with Christ's blood.  His blood conquered death because He had no sin, but we can share in his blood by becoming part of His Holy Body.  He dripped his Holy Blood on creation and those willing to be united to it are allowed to by His great Love.  We must partake of the Holy Blood that is offered by joining ourselves to His Bride, the Holy Orthodox Church and partaking of Her Holy Mysteries.

A few thoughts on St. Cyril of Alexandria's comments on death

I have just begun reading St. Cyril of Alexandria's "Glaphyra on the Pentateuch, Volume 1 Genesis", and am already immediately excited about learning from this great teacher of the Church by reading some of his thoughts on the Fall and on Christ's restoration or recreation.  He like St. Gregory of Nyssa clearly explains the purpose of God allowing sinful man to die physically.  The physical death of the man that had become inclined to base acts allows for the deliverance from those things improper and the removal of corruption, as well as the return to a better state and the restoration of those good things that were there in the beginning.  He likens it to the refashioning of a vessel that had been smashed and later was made whole.  St. Gregory uses a very similar image of a vessel that had been contaminated and that by dissolving back into dust is able to part with the contamination and by the Resurrection being reformed anew after the original pattern if in this life he has preserved the image.

We can feel confident that death is more of a cleansing and that if we preserve the image of God that is hidden in us, we will be refashioned in the Resurrection because Christ has destroyed death and death has no more dominion over us.  Our Baptism can take on a greater meaning knowing that death of the old man and death to the world is our way of preserving the image and being ready for our physical death, knowing that we will finally be cleansed of all impurities and base desires.  We can see that when God tested Abraham by commanding him to sacrifice his son, He wanted to demonstrate Abraham's understanding of all of this for all that would later hear and read about his actions.  Abraham was God's friend and was enlightened to know that physical death is nothing but a cleansing of the corruption that we have developed, and that God will resurrect us allowing these impurities to be removed.  That is why St. Paul commends Abraham saying that he reckoned "that God was able to raise even from the dead" because Abraham "was waiting for the city which hath the foundations of which the artificer and maker is God" a "fatherland, that is, a heavenly one."  (Hebrews 11:10,16-19)  He knew that Christ would restore and refashion man one day, even though the Incarnation had not happened in time.  He was enlightened to know that from the beginning, in God's foreknowledge, the resurrection and conquering of death was already a reality to have faith in.  How much more should we living in the time of Grace, where death has already been conquered and Christ and the Saints are already ruling in the Kingdom of Heaven, should have the faith that Abraham had, and that Holy Cyril and Gregory had.  May we remember our death and also Christ's victory.