Fathers, Brothers & Sisters in Christ,
There is a particular opening sentence, which is pronounced by the Officiant of Evensong, which goes as follows:" I shall arise and go to my Father,and will say unto him: Father I have sinned against heaven ,and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. "Not only is this a sentence for us to prepare to confess our sins to Allmighty God and declare unto Him our unworthiness, but the sentence also takes us back to the Holy Gospel of Saint Luke, chapter 15, beginning at verse 11, which is set for this particular Sunday. It covers the parable of the prodigal son, which is to me a well-know story, because I have been a Christian all my life and this story was explained to me at Church School. I learned that this parable shows us the mercy, the infinite mercy of our Heavenly Father, if one of his children, after a life of seperation from Him, marked by sin and despair, wants to return " home" and ask to be forgiven and requests to return to the family fold. There is no rejection, but a total acception and forgiveness. There is a time of absolute joy!
In this world we live in, we constantly hear about people, who are being rejected by their families, who wonder around our streets in dispair, without shelter and food. Even our television companies treat us with family drama, which does portray these situations. The psychiatric hospitals of our nation are full of people , who have been rejected. On Dr.Phil on channel 3 there was a program about an American woman of 40, who had a drink problem and offered herself for prostitution in order to pay for her habit, her family did not want to have anything to do with her.She wondered the streets without having a proper shelter. And so it goes on...
What does this parable teach us ? It does teach us that we as parents must always welcome our children home, if they have left and hurt us, but return and ask for forgiveness. But the story does not only relate to our children, but also to ourselves. We can turn away from Christ and live a life of sin. In God's eyes we are lost or dead.And yet.. if we return home to our Father and confess our sins, He makes the pronouncement that we were dead, but are now alive , that we were lost and now we have been found.
Do you have a child, who has left you and you have rejected him or her? Now is the time to welcome them back home and forgive them. Do you go through life feeling dispair and lack of purpose or are you caught in the trap of sin ? It is not to late to return to Jesus Christ. Indeed if you are prepared to say these words:" I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am no longer be worthy to be called thy son, then all shall be well.
Have a blessed weekend, you and yours!
With every good wish in Christ,
Ed Bakker
Postulant - TAC New Zealand
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