Today on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son the Gospel lesson comes to us from Luke 15:11-32. This parable is presented to us as an important example of repentance, as it narrates for us a story about a father and his two sons, both of whom sin against him in different ways. The sins of the younger are well known, but the older brother’s sins of anger and jealousy are the focus of Father Paul’s sermon. These sins if not rooted out can lead to tremendous sadness and spiritual death, which is synonymous with despondency and depression. Depression is a major problem in the United States despite all the comforts and material goods we possess. The antidote to sadness and despondency is finding peace through a relationship with God, who is the source of peace. Father Paul shares with us three Christian disciplines we must engage in to have a relationship with God; read Holy Scripture, pray and abide in God’s Commandments, all of which express our love for Him. The fundamental lesson in today’s parable is that each of us finds ourselves in spiritual exile and must return to the Father in repentance, which is a change of mind about our sinfulness leading to change in conduct. As Orthodox Christians we must come to our senses, make a decision to return home to Our Father and confess our sins finding peace in a relationship with Him.
