St. Luke Orthodox Christian ChurchDiocese of the South, Orthodox Church in America

1415 Woodstock Ave. Anniston, AL 36207www.stlukeanniston.org

The Rev. Father Basil Henry, PriestContact: (256) 235-3893 or basilncana@yahoo.com

February 16, 2014Sunday of the Prodigal Son

St. Nicholas Equal-to-the-Apostles, Englightener of Japan (1916).Martyrs Pamphilus the presbyter, Valens the deacon, Paul, Seleucus, Porphyrius, Julian, Theodulus, Elias, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Samuel and Daniel, at Caesaria in Palestine; Saint Maruthas, Bishop of Martyropolis in

Mesopotamia, and the Persians martyred with him; Martyr Romanus of Mount Athos; New-Martyrs Priest Elias and Priest Peter Lagov; Saint Flavian the hermit; Saint Flavian, Archbishop of Antioch; Saint Flavian the Confessor, Patriarch of Constantinople; Saint Romanos the Younger; Virgin-Martyr Juliana of Naples. Other

events: repose of Metropolitan Macarius of Moscow, Apostle to the Altai

Announcements• HouseBlessingsSeason continues! Please contact Fr. Basil if you would like to have

your home blessed.• HappyNamesdaytoReaderNicholasashecelebrateshisnamesdaytoday.MayGod

granthimmanyyears!• Thisisthelastweektoeatmeat.NextSundayisMeatfare.

This Week’s Fasting, Service and Scripture ScheduleMon, 2/17 Tues, 2/18 Wed, 2/19 Thurs, 2/20 Fri, 2/21 saT, 2/22 sun, 2/23

Matins8 a.m.

Matins8 a.m.

Matins8 a.m. No ServiceS Matins

8 a.m.Great vespers,

4 p.m.Divine Liturgy

10 a.m.

1 John 2:18-3:10

1 John 3:11-20 1 John 3:21-4:6 1 John 4:20-5:21

2 John 1:1-13 1 corinthians 10:23-28

1 corinthians 6:12-20

Mark 11:1-11 Mark 14:10-42 Mark 14:43-15:1

Mark 15:1-15 Mark 15:22-25, 33-41

Luke 21:8-9, 25-27, 33-36

Matthew 25:31-46

1 Thess. 4:13-17

John 5:24-30

Service times are subject to change. Please check with Fr. Basil if in any doubt.

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Great Vespers“Lord,ICall”

v. (10) Lead forth my soul from prison, that I may confess Thy name!

Tone1 (for the Resurrection)Accept our evening prayers, O holy Lord!Grant us remission of sins,//for Thou alone hast manifested the Resurrection to the world.

v. (9) The righteous await me, till Thou shalt reward me.

Encircle Zionand surround her, O people!Give glory in her to the One Who rose from the dead!For He is our God,//Who has delivered us from our transgressions!

v. (8) Out of the depths I cry to Thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice!

Come, O people,let us hymn and fall down before Christ,glorifying His Resurrection from the dead!For He is our God,//Who has delivered the world from the Enemy’s deceit!

v. (7) Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications!

Be glad, O heavens!Sound trumpets, O foundations of the earth!Sing in gladness, O mountains!Behold Emmanuel has nailed our sins to the Cross!Granting life, He has slain death.//He has resurrected Adam as the Lover of man.

v. (6) If Thou, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with Thee.

Let us praise HimWho voluntarily was crucified in the flesh for our sake.He suffered, was buried, but rose from the dead.By orthodoxy confirm Thy Church, O Christ.Grant peace for our life//as the gracious Lover of man.

v. (5) For Thy name’s sake I have waited for Thee, O Lord, my soul has waited for Thy word; my soul has hoped on the Lord.

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We stand before Thy life-bearing tombunworthily, O Christ God,offering glory to Thine unspeakable compassion.Thou hast accepted the Cross and death, O sinless One//to grant Resurrection to the world as the Lover of man.

v. (4) From the morning watch until night, from the morning watch, let Israel hope on the Lord!

Tone1 (for the Lenten Triodion)Rich and fertile was the earth allotted to us,but all we planted were the seeds of sin.We reaped the sheaves of evil with the sickle of laziness;we failed to place them on the threshing floor of sorrow.Now we beg Thee, O Lord, eternal Master of the harvest:May Thy love become the breeze to winnow the straw of our worthless deeds!Make us like the precious wheat to be stored in heaven,//and save us all!

v. (3) For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all his transgression.

(Repeat:“Richandfertilewastheearth…”)v. (2) O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people.

Brothers, our purpose is to know the power of God’s goodness.For when the Prodigal Son abandoned his sin,he hastened to the refuge of his father.That good man embraced him and welcomed him;he killed the fatted calf and celebrated with heavenly joy.Let us learn from this example to offer thanksto the Father, Who loves all men,//and to the glorious Victim, the Savior of our souls!

v. (1) For His mercy hath been confirmed upon us, and the truth of the Lord remaineth forever.

(Repeat:“Brothers,ourpurpose…”)Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Tone8 (for the Lenten Triodion)What great blessings have I forsaken, wretch that I am?From what kingdom have I miserably fallen?I have squandered the riches that were given me;I have transgressed the commandments.Woe to me when I shall be condemned to eternal fire!Cry out to Christ, O my soul, before the end draws near://

“Receive me as the Prodigal, O God, and have mercy on me!”

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Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone1 (Dogmatikon)Let us praise the Virgin Mary!The gate of heaven, the glory of the world!The song of the angels, the beauty of the faithful!She was born of man, yet gave birth to God!She was revealed as the heaven,as the temple of the Godhead!She destroyed the wall of enmity!She commenced the peace; she opened the Kingdom!Since she is our foundation of faith,our defender is the Lord Whom she bore!Courage! Courage! O People of God!For Christ will destroy our enemies//since He is all powerful.

ApostichaTone1 (for the Resurrection)We have been freed from sufferingsby Thy suffering, O Christ.We have been delivered from corruptionby Thy Resurrection.//O Lord, glory to Thee!

v. The Lord hath become King; with beauty hath he clothed himself.

Let creation rejoice!Let the heavens be glad!Let the nations clap their hands with gladness,for Christ our Savior has nailed our sins to the Cross.Slaying death, He has given life.//He has resurrected fallen Adam as the Lover of man.

v. For He hath established the world, which shall not be moved.

As King of heaven and earth,Thou wast voluntarily crucified in Thy love for man.Hell was angered when it met Thee below.Adam rose seeing Thee, the Creator, under the earth.O Wonder!How has the Life of All tasted death?Thou didst enlighten the world which cries://“O Lord, Who didst rise from the dead, glory to Thee!”

v. Holiness belongeth to Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days!

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The myrrhbearing women came with haste to Thy tomb,bearing myrrh and lamentations.Not finding Thy most pure body,they learned from the angel of the new and glorious wonder.They told the Apostles://“The Lord is risen, granting the world great mercy.”

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

Tone6 (for the Lenten Triodion)I, a wretched man, hide my face in shame:I have squandered the riches my Father gave to me;I went to live with senseless beasts;I sought their food and hungered, for I had not enough to eat.I will arise, I will return to my compassionate Father;He will accept my tears, as I kneel before Him, crying://In Thy tender love for all men, receive me as one of Thy servants and save me!

Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Tone6 (Theotokion)Christ the Maker, Redeemer, and Lord proceeded from thy womb, O All-Pure Virgin.And putting on my nature, set man free from the ancestral curse.So we sing to thee without ceasing, O All-Pure Virgin, as Mother of God!With the salutation of the angel:“Rejoice, O Sovereign Lady,//Protection, Refuge, and Salvation of our souls!”

TropariaTroparionoftheResurrection(Tone 1)When the stone had been sealed by the Jews,while the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure body,Thou didst rise on the third day, O Savior,granting life to the world.The powers of heaven therefore cried to Thee, O Giver of Life:“Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ!Glory to Thy Kingdom!//Glory to Thy dispensation, O Thou Who lovest of mankind!”

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

ResurrectionalDismissalTheotokion(Tone 1)When Gabriel announced to thee, O Virgin, Rejoice,with that word the Master of all was incarnate in thee, O holy Ark.As the righteous David said,thy womb became more spacious than the heavens, bearing thy Creator.Glory to Him Who took abode in thee!Glory to Him Who came from thee!//Glory to Him Who freed us by being born of thee!

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DivineLiturgyTheBeatitudes

In Thy Kingdom remember us, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Through food, the enemy led Adam out of Paradise; and through the Cross Christ led the thief back into it crying: ‘Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.’Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

I venerate Thy sufferings and glorify Thy resurrection. With Adam and with the thief I raise a shining cry to Thee: ‘Remember me, O Lord, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.’Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.

Without sin, hast Thou been crucified, and of Thine own will hast Thou been laid in the tomb. But Thou as God hast risen raising Adam with Thyself, crying: ‘Remember me, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.’Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

On the third day, O Christ our God, Thou hast raised from the tomb the temple of Thy body raising with Thyself Adam and those descending from him, crying: ‘Remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.’Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.

The depth of sin and ever holds me fast, and the tempest of transgressions overwhelms me. Pilot me, O Christ my God, to the haven of life and save me, King of glory.Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in Heaven.

I have wasted in evil living the riches which the Father gave me, and now am brought to poverty. I am filled with shame and enslaved to fruitless thoughts. Therefore I cry to Thee Who lovest mankind: ‘Take pity on me and save me.’Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

I am wasted with hunger, deprived of every blessing, and I am an exile from Thy presence, O Christ supreme in loving-kindness. Take pity on me as I now return, and save me as I sing the praises of Thy love for mankind.Both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

O Maiden who hast conceived Christ the Savior and Master, though in my poverty I lack all good, count me worthy of salvation, O pure Virgin, that I may sing the praises of Thy majesty.

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Troparia/KontakiaTroparionoftheResurrection(Tone 1)

When the stone had been sealed by the Jews,while the soldiers were guarding Thy most pure body,Thou didst rise on the third day, O Savior,granting life to the world.The powers of heaven therefore cried to Thee, O Giver of Life:Glory to Thy Resurrection, O Christ!Glory to Thy Kingdom!//Glory to Thy dispensation, O Thou Who lovest of mankind!”TropariontoSt.LuketheEvangelist(Tone 5)

The Holy Apostle, the all-hymned Luke,who is acknowledged by the Church of Christas the recorder of the Acts of the Apostlesand the splendid author of the Gospel of Christ,let us praise with sacred hymnsas a Physician who healeth the infirmities of manand the ailments of nature,who cleanseth spiritual wounds//and prayeth unceasingly for our souls.TropariontoSt.NicholasofJapan(Tone 4)

O holy Saint Nicholas, the Enlightener of Japan,You share the dignity and the throne of the Apostles:You are a wise and faithful servant of Christ,A temple chosen by the Divine Spirit,A vessel overflowing with the love of Christ.O hierarch equal to the Apostles,Pray to the life-creating Trinity //For all your flock and for the whole world.KontakionfortheResurrection(Tone 1)

As God, Thou didst rise from the tomb in glory,raising the world with Thyself.Human nature praises Thee as God, for death has vanished.Adam exults, O Master!Eve rejoices, for she is freed from bondage and cries to Thee://Thou art the Giver of Resurrection to all, O Christ!”

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KontakiontoSt.LuketheEvangelist(Tone 4)

Thou becamest a disciple of God the Word,with Paul thou didst enlighten all the world,casting out its darkness//by composing the Holy Gospel of Christ.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit…

KontakiontoSt.NicholasofJapan(Tone 4)

As God, Thou hast rewardedthe steadfast and divinely eloquent preacher of Thy Gospel, O Lord;for Thou hast preferred his labors and pangsto all the sacrifices and whole-burnt offerings of the law.//Through his supplications preserve us from evil.

Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

KontakionoftheSundayoftheProdigalSon(Tone 3)

I have recklessly forgotten Thy glory, O Father;and among sinners I have scattered the riches which Thou hadst given me.Therefore I cry to Thee like the Prodigal:“I have sinned before Thee, O compassionate Father;//receive me a penitent, and make me as one of Thy hired servants!”

ProkeimenonTone1 (for the Resurrection)

Let Thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us as we have set our hope on Thee!

v: Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! Praise befits the just!

TheEpistleReading1Corinthians6:12-20 (for the Resurrection)

Brethren, all things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall detroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

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AlleluiaTone1 (for the Resurrection)

v: God gives vengeance unto me, and subdues people under me.

v: He magnifies the salvation of the King and deals mercifully with David, His anointed, and his seed forever.

TheGospelReadingLuke15:11-32 (for the Resurrection)

The Lord said this parable, Acertainmanhadtwosons:Andtheyoungerofthemsaidtohisfather,Father,givemetheportionofgoodsthatfallethtome.Andhedivideduntothemhisliving.Andnotmanydaysaftertheyoungersongatheredalltogether,andtookhisjourneyintoafarcountry,andtherewastedhissubstancewithriotousliving.Andwhenhehadspentall,therearoseamightyfamineinthatland;andhebegantobeinwant.Andhewentandjoinedhimselftoacitizenofthatcountry;andhesenthimintohisfieldstofeedswine.Andhewouldfainhavefilledhisbellywiththehusksthattheswinedideat:andnomangaveuntohim.Andwhenhecametohimself,hesaid,Howmanyhiredservantsofmyfather’shavebreadenoughandtospare,andIperishwithhunger!Iwillariseandgotomyfather,andwillsayuntohim,Father,Ihavesinnedagainstheaven,andbeforethee,Andamnomoreworthytobecalledthyson:makemeasoneofthyhiredservants.Andhearose,andcametohisfather.Butwhenhewasyetagreatwayoff,hisfathersawhim,andhadcompassion,andran,andfellonhisneck,andkissedhim.Andthesonsaiduntohim,Father,Ihavesinnedagainstheaven,andinthysight,andamnomoreworthytobecalledthyson.Butthefathersaidtohisservants,Bringforththebestrobe,andputitonhim;andputaringonhishand,andshoesonhisfeet:Andbringhitherthefattedcalf,andkillit;andletuseat,andbemerry:Forthismysonwasdead,andisaliveagain;hewaslost,andisfound.Andtheybegantobemerry.

Nowhiseldersonwasinthefield:andashecameanddrewnigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And hecalledoneoftheservants,andaskedwhatthesethingsmeant.Andhe saiduntohim,Thybrother is come; and thy fatherhathkilledthefattedcalf,becausehehathreceivedhimsafeandsound.Andhewasangry,andwouldnotgoin:thereforecame his father out, and intreated him.And he answeringsaidtohisfather,Lo,thesemanyyearsdoIservethee,neithertransgressedIatanytimethycommandment:andyetthounever gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with myfriends: But as soon as this thy sonwas come, which hathdevouredthylivingwithharlots,thouhastkilledforhimthefattedcalf.Andhesaiduntohim,Son,thouarteverwithme,andallthatIhaveisthine.Itwasmeetthatweshouldmakemerry,andbeglad:forthisthybrotherwasdead,andisaliveagain;andwaslost,andisfound.

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SundayoftheProdigalSonLuke15:11-32

From The Explanation of the Gospel of St. Matthew by Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Ochrid and Bulgaria

11-16.AndHesaid,Acertainmanhadtwosons:andtheyoungerofthemsaidtohisfather,Father,givemetheportionofthepropertythatfallethtome.Andhedivideduntothemhisliving.Andnotmanydaysaftertheyoungersongatheredalltogether,andtookhisjourneyintoafarcountry,andtheresquanderedhispropertywithprodigalliving.Andwhenhehadspentall,therearoseamightyfamineinthatland;andhebegantobeinwant.Andhewentandjoinedhimselftoacitizenofthatcountry;andhesenthimintohisfieldstofeedswine.Andhelongedtofillhisbellywiththepodsthattheswinedideat:andnomangaveuntohim.

This parable is like those which precede it. For it also presents a man, Who is in fact God, the Lover of man. The two sons represent the two kinds of men, righteous and sinners. The younger son said, Give me the portion of the property that falleth to me. Of old, from the beginning, righteousness belonged to human nature, which is why the older son (born at the beginning) does not become estranged from the father. But sin is an evil thing which was born later. This is why it is the younger son who alienates himself from the father, for the latter-born son grew up together with sin which had insinuated itself into man at a later time. The sinner is also called the younger son because the sinner is an innovator, a revolutionary, and a rebel, who defies his Father’s will.

Father, give me the portion of the property (ousia) that falleth to me. The essential property of man is his rational mind, his logos, always accompanied by his free will (autexousia), for all that is rational is inherently self-governing. The Lord gives us logos for us to use, according to our free will, as our own essential property. He gives to all alike, so that all alike are rational, and all alike are self-governing. But some of us use this generous gift rationally, in accordance with logos, while others of us squander the divine gift. Moreover, everything which the Lord has given us might be called our property, that is, the sky, the earth, the whole creation, the law and the prophets. But the later sinful generation, the younger son, saw the sky and made it a god, and saw the earth and worshipped it, and did not want to walk in the way of God’s law, and did evil to the prophets. On the other hand, the elder son, the righteous, used all these things for the glory of God. Therefore, having given all an equal share of logos and self-determination, God permits us to make our way according to our own will and compels no one to serve Him who is unwilling. If He had wanted to compel us, He would not have created us with logos and a free will. But the younger son completely spent this inheritance. Why? Because he had gone into a far country. When a man rebels against God and places himself far away from the fear of God, then he squanders all the divine gifts. But when we are near to God, we do not do such deeds that merit our destruction. As it is written, I beheld the Lord ever before me, for He is at my right hand, that I might not be shaken (Ps. 15:8). But when we are far from God and become rebellious, we both do, and suffer, the worst things, as it is written, Behold, they that remove themselves from Thee shall perish (Ps. 72:25).

The younger son indeed squandered and scattered his property. For every virtue is a simple and single entity, while its opposing vice is a many-branched complexity, creating numerous deceptions and errors. For example, the definition of bravery is simple, that is, when, how, and against whom, one ought to make use of one’s capacity to be stirred to action. But the vice of not being brave takes two forms, cowardice and

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recklessness. Do you see how logos can be scattered in every direction and the unity of virtue destroyed? When this essential property has been spent, and a man no longer walks in accordance with logos, by which I mean the natural law, nor proceeds according to the written law, nor listens to the prophets, then there arises a mighty famine—not a famine of bread, but a famine of hearing the word (logos) of the Lord (Amos 8:11). And he begins to be in want, because by not fearing the Lord he has departed far from Him. But there is no want to them that fear the Lord (Ps. 33:9). How is there no want to them that fear Him? Because blessed is the man that feareth the Lord; in His commandments shall he greatly delight. Therefore glory and riches shall be in his house, and far from being himself in want, he hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor (see Ps. 111). Therefore the man who makes a journey far from God, not keeping God’s dread face ever before his eyes, indeed is in want, having no divine logos at work in him.

And he went, that is, he proceeded and advanced in wickedness, and joined himself to a citizen of that country. He who is joined to the Lord becomes one Spirit with Him. But he who is joined to a harlot, that is, to the nature of the demons, becomes one body with her (I Cor. 6:16) and he makes himself all flesh, having no room in himself for the Spirit, as it was for those men at the time of the flood (Gen. 6:4). The citizens of that country far from God are none other than the demons. The man who joins himself to these citizens, having advanced and become powerful in wickedness, feeds the swine, that is, he teaches others evil and filthy deeds. For all those who take pleasure in the muck of shameful deeds and carnal passions are like swine. Pigs are never able to look upward because of the peculiar shape of their eyes. This is why, when a farmer grabs hold of a pig, he is not able to make it stop squealing until he turns it upside down on its back. This quiets the pig, as if, by looking upward, the pig can see things it had never seen before, and it is startled into silence. Such are they whose eyes are ever turned to filthy things, who never look upward. Therefore, a man who exceeds many others in wickedness can be said to feed swine. Such are the keepers of brothels, the captains of brigands, and the chief among publicans. All these may be said to feed swine. This wretched man desires to satisfy his sin and no one can give him this satisfaction. For he who is habitual in sinful passions receives no satisfaction from them. The pleasure does not endure, but is there one moment and gone the next, and the wretched man is again left empty. Sin is likened to the pods which the swine eat, because, like them, sin is sweet in taste yet rough and harsh in texture, giving momentary pleasure but causing ceaseless torments. Therefore, there is no man to provide satisfaction for him who takes pleasure in these wicked passions. Who can both satisfy him and quiet him? Cannot God? But God is not present, for the man who eats these things has traveled a far distance from God. Can the demons? They cannot, for they strive to accomplish just the opposite, namely, that wickedness never end or be satisfied.

17-21.Andwhenhecametohimself,hesaid,Howmanyhiredservantsofmyfather’shavebreadenoughandtospare,andIperishwithhunger!Iwillariseandgotomyfather,andwillsayuntohim,Father,Ihavesinnedagainstheaven,andbeforethee,andamnolongerworthytobecalledthyson:makemeasoneofthyhiredservants.Andhearose,andcametohisfather.Butwhenhewasyetagreatwayoff,hisfathersawhim,andhadcompassion,andran,andfellonhisneck,andkissedhim.Andthesonsaiduntohim,Father,Ihavesinnedagainstheaven,andinthysight,andamnolongerworthytobecalledthyson.

The man who until now had been prodigal came to himself. This is because he was “outside himself ” and had taken leave of his true self so long as he committed foul deeds. Rightly is it said that he wasted and spent his essential property. This is why he was outside himself. For he who is not governed by logos, but lives irrationally without logos, and teaches others to do the same, is outside of himself and has abandoned his reason, which is his very essence. But when a man regains his logos (analogizetai)

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so as to see who he is and into what a state of wretchedness he has fallen, then he becomes himself again, and using his reason, he comes to repent and returns from his wanderings outside reason. He says hired servants, signifying the catechumens, who have not yet become sons because they have not yet been illumined by Holy Baptism. Indeed the catechumens have an abundance of the rational bread, the sustenance of the Word (Logos), because they hear each day the readings of Scripture.

Listen, so that you may learn the difference between a hired servant and a son. There are three ranks of those who are being saved. The first kind are like slaves who do what is good because they fear the judgment. This is what David means when he says, Nail down my flesh with the fear of Thee, for of Thy judgments am I afraid (Ps. 118:120). The second kind, who are like hired servants, are those who are eager to serve God because of their desire for the reward of good things, as David again says, I have inclined my heart to perform Thy statutes for ever for a recompense (Ps. 118:112). But if they are of the third kind, that is, if they are sons, they keep His commandments out of love for God. This is what David means when he says, O how I have loved Thy law, O Lord! The whole day long it is my meditation (Ps. 118:97); and again, with no mention of fear, I lifted up my hands to Thy commandments which I have loved (Ps. 118:48), and again, Wonderful are Thy testimonies, and because they are wonderful, therefore hath my soul searched them out (Ps. 118:129). One must understand the hired servants to refer not only to the catechumens, but also to all those in the Church who obey God out of some lesser motive than love. Therefore when a man is among the ranks of those who are sons, and then is disowned because of his sin, and sees others enjoying the divine gifts, and communing of the Divine Mysteries and of the Divine Bread, such a man ought indeed to apply to himself these piteous words, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise, arise, that is, from my fall into sin, and go to my Father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before Thee. When I abandoned heavenly things, I sinned against heaven, preferring shameful pleasure to heavenly things, and choosing the land of hunger instead of my true fatherland, heaven. Just as we have a saying that the man who prefers lead to gold sins against the gold, so too the man who prefers earthly things to heaven, sins against heaven. Indeed he has gone astray from the road that leads to heaven. Understand that when he sinned, he behaved as if he were not acting in the sight of God, that is, in the presence of God; but once he confesses his sin, then he realizes that he has sinned in the sight of God.

And he arose, and came to his father, for we must not only desire the things that are dear to God but must get up and do them as well. You see the warm repentance—behold now the compassion of the father. He did not wait for his son to come to him, but he went and met him on the way and embraced him. God is called Father on account of His goodness and kindness, even though by nature He is God Who encompasses all things so that He could have restricted a man within His embrace, no matter which way the man might try to turn. As the prophet says, The glory of God shall compass thee (Is. 58:8). Before, when the son distanced himself, it was fitting that God, as Father, release him from His embrace. But when the son drew near through prayer and repentance, it was fitting that God again enclose him within His embrace. Therefore the Father falls on the neck of the one who before had rebelled and who now shows that he has become obedient. And the Father kisses him, as a sign of reconciliation, and by this kiss He

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first makes holy the defiled one’s mouth, which is as it were the doorway to the whole man, and through this doorway He sends sanctification into the innermost being.

22-24.Butthefathersaidtohisservants,Bringforththefirstrobe,andputitonhim;andputaringonhishand,andshoesonhisfeet:andbringhitherthegrain-fedbullock,andkillit;andletuseat,andbemerry:forthismysonwasdead,andisaliveagain;hewaslost,andisfound.Andtheybegantobemerry.

The servants you may understand to mean the angels, the ministering spirits who are sent to serve those who are counted worthy of salvation. For the angels clothe the man who has turned from wickedness with the first robe, that is, with the original garment which we wore before we sinned, the garment of incorruption; or, it means that garment which is honored above all others, the robe of Baptism. For the baptismal robe is the first to be placed around me, and from it I receive a covering of my former shame and indecency. Therefore you may understand the servants to mean the angels who carry out all those things that are done on our behalf, and by means of which we are sanctified. You may also understand the servants to mean the priests. For they clothe the repentant sinner with Baptism and the word of teaching, placing around him the first robe, which is Christ Himself (for all we that have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ, Gal. 3:18). And they put a ring on his hand, which ring is the seal of Christ given at Chrismation so that we might execute good deeds in His name. The hand is a symbol of action, and the ring is a symbol of a seal. Therefore he who has been baptized, and, in general, everyone who has turned from wickedness, ought to have on his hand, that is, on his entire faculty of action, the seal and the mark of Christ, which is placed on him to show that he has been made new in the image of his Creator. You may also understand the ring to signify the earnest of the Spirit (II Cor. 1:21-22). By that I mean that God will give us perfect and complete good things when it is time for them; but for now He gives us gifts as earnest, that is, as tokens of assurance of those good things to come. For example, to some He gives the power to work miracles, to others the gift of teaching, and to others still other gifts; having received these gifts, we have more confident hope in the perfect and complete good things to come.

And shoes are put on his feet to protect him from scorpions, that is, from the seemingly small and hidden sins described by David (Ps. 18:12), which are in fact deadly. And these shoes also protect him from serpents, that is, from those sins which can be seen by all. And, in another sense, shoes are given to him who has been counted worthy of the first robe: God makes such a man ready to preach the Gospel and to bring benefit to others. This is Christianity—to benefit one’s neighbor. We are not ignorant of what is meant by the grain-fed bullock (ton moschon ton siteuton) which is slain and eaten. It is none other than the very Son of God, Who as a Man took flesh which is irrational and animal by nature, although He filled it with His own glory. Thus Christ is symbolized by the bullock, the Youngling which has never been put under the yoke of the law of sin; and He is grain-fed in the sense that Christ was set apart and prepared for this mystery from before the foundation of the world. And though it may seem somewhat difficult to take in, nevertheless it shall be said: the Bread which we break in the Eucharist appears to our eyes to be made of wheat (sitos) and thus may be called of wheat (siteutos); but in reality it is Flesh, and thus may be called the Bullock. For Christ Himself is both Bullock and Wheat. Therefore every one who is baptized and becomes a son of God, or rather, is restored to the status of son, and in general, every one who is cleansed from sin, communes of this Bullock of Wheat. Then he becomes the cause of gladness to the Father, and also to His servants, namely, the angels and the priests, because he who was dead is alive again, and he who was lost is found. For whoever is dead from the abundance of his wickedness is without hope; but whoever is able, with his changeable human nature, to change from wickedness to virtue, is said to be merely lost. To be lost is less severe than to be dead.

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25-32.Nowhiseldersonwasinthefield:andashecameanddrewnightothehouse,heheardmusicanddancing.Andhecalledoneoftheservants,andaskedwhatthesethingsmeant.Andhesaiduntohim,Thybrotheriscome;andthyfatherhathkilledthegrain-fedbullock,becausehehathreceivedhimsafeandsound.Andhewasangry,andwouldnotgoin:thereforecamehisfatherout,andentreatedhim.Andheansweringsaidtohisfather,Lo,thesemanyyearsdoIservethee,neithertransgressedIatanytimethycommandment:andyetthounevergayestmeakid,thatImightmakemerrywithmyfriends:butassoonasthisthysonwascome,whohathdevouredthylivingwithharlots,thouhastkilledforhimthegrain-fedbullock.Andhesaiduntohim,Son,thouarteverwithme,andallthatIhaveisthine.Itwasmeetthatweshouldmakemerry,andbeglad:forthisthybrotherwasdead,andisaliveagain;andwaslost,andisfound.

Here is the celebrated question—how is it that the son who lived a God-pleasing life in all other respects, and who faithfully served his father, could display such envy? The question will be answered if one considers the reason why this parable was told. This parable and the ones preceding it were told because the Pharisees, who considered themselves pure and righteous, were grumbling at the Lord because He received harlots and publicans. The Pharisees murmured indignantly, believing themselves to be more righteous than the publicans, which is why the Lord presented this parable. Consider that the figure of the son who is seen to grumble is understood to refer to all those who are scandalized at the sudden good fortune and deliverance of sinners. Such men grumble, not because of envy, but because neither they nor we can understand the outpouring of God’s compassion for man. Does not David bring forward the figure of a man scandalized at the peace of sinners (Ps. 72:3)? And Jeremiah likewise, when he says, Why is it that the way of ungodly men prosper? Thou hast planted them, and they have taken root (Jer. 12:1-2). Such thoughts reflect man’s weak and poor understanding, which easily ignites with annoyance and questions the good fortune of the wicked, which seems undeserved.

In this parable, therefore, the Lord is saying to the Pharisees words like these: “Let us suppose that you are as righteous as that elder son and well-pleasing to the Father; I entreat you who are righteous and pure not to grumble, as this elder son did, against the gladness which we are showing over the salvation of the sinner, who is also a son.” Do you see that this parable is not about envy? Instead, by means of this parable, the Lord is instructing the minds of the Pharisees, so that they will not be vexed that the Lord receives sinners, even though they themselves are righteous and have fulfilled every commandment of God. It is no wonder that we too become vexed at those who appear undeserving. God’s compassion is so great, and He gives to us so abundantly of His own good things, that we may even grumble at His generosity. That criticism follows generosity is a fact to which we refer in everyday speech. If we do good to someone who fails to thank us, we often say to him, “Everyone says I am a fool for having been so good to you.” We use this expression, even if no one has actually criticized us, because extreme generosity is so often followed by criticism that to suggest the latter is to prove the former. But let us turn to the particulars of the parable, in brief.

The elder son was in the field, that is, in this world, working his own land, meaning his flesh, so that he might have his fill of bread, sowing with tears so that he might reap with rejoicing. When he learned what was being done, he did not want to enter into the common joy. But the compassionate father goes out and begs him to come in, and explains to him the reason for the joy, that a man who was dead has come back to life. Because as a man he did not understand, and because he was scandalized, the elder son accused the father of not giving him even a young goat, while for the prodigal son he slaughtered the fatted calf. What does the kid, the young goat, signify? You may learn here. Every young goat is considered to be of the portion of sinners who are placed on the left side. The righteous son is saying, then, “I have passed my life in toil and labor, I have been persecuted,

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suffered hardships, been oppressed by sinners, and on my behalf you have never slaughtered and killed a kid, that is, a sinner who afflicts me, so that I might have some small measure of rest.” For example, King Ahab was just such a goat to the Prophet Elijah. Ahab persecuted Elijah, but the Lord did not quickly give this goat over to the slaughter so that Elijah could have some small rest, and take his ease with his friends, the prophets. Therefore Elijah complained to God, Lord, they have digged down Thine altars, and have slain Thy prophets (III Kings 19:10) And Saul was a goat to David, as were also all those who slandered David. But the Lord allowed them to tempt him, and did not slay them to give David some rest. Therefore David said, How long shall sinners, O Lord, how long shall sinners boast (Ps. 93:3)? The elder son in the parable is saying these things: “You did not count me worthy of any consolation in all my toils; you never handed over to me for slaughter any of these who were afflicting me. But now you save the prodigal son who never had to toil.”

This is the entire purpose of the parable—to correct the Pharisees who were grumbling that He had accepted sinners. The parable also instructs us that no matter how righteous we may be, we ought not to rebuff sinners, nor to grumble when God accepts them. The younger son, therefore, represents the harlots and the publicans; the elder son represents those Pharisees and scribes who consider themselves righteous. It is as if God were saying, “Let us suppose that you are indeed righteous and have not transgressed any commandments; if some others have turned away from wickedness, why do you not accept them as your brothers and fellow laborers?” I am not unaware that some have interpreted the elder son to signify the angels, and the younger son, the latter-born nature of men which rebelled against the commandment it was given and went astray. Still others have said that the two sons represent the Israelites and the Gentiles who later believed. But the simple truth is this: the person of the elder son signifies the righteous, and the person of the younger son signifies sinners who have repented and returned. The entirety of the parable is given for the sake of the Pharisees, to teach them not to be vexed that sinners are received, even if they themselves are righteous. Let no one be vexed at the judgments of God—let him be patient with those apparent sinners who prosper, and are saved. How do you know whether a man whom you think is a sinner has not repented, and on this account has been accepted? Or that he has secret virtues on account of which God looks favorably upon him?

Saint Nicholas of Japan and His Legacy

At the end of his time on earth, our Lord Jesus Christ Commanded his Apostles and disciples, saying, Go ye therefore, and teach all nations (Mt. 28:19). At the feast of Pentecost this preaching to all peoples was manifest in the spiritual gift of

“tongues,” when the Apostles’ words were miraculously heard by their listeners in their own languages. Since that time the “gift of tongues” has been extremely rare, but has been replaced by the efforts of Orthodox missionaries to study the language and culture of the people they preach to, presenting the Gospel to them in their native tongue and in a cultural context, yet without compromising the Faith.Such missionaries have often been called “equals-to-the-apostles” by the Orthodox Church, that is, those who labored with the zeal and in the manner of the first Apostles. Well known among such saints are Sts. Cyril and Methodius, the ninth-century evangelizers of the Slavic peoples. A more recent example of this type of saint is St. Nicholas (Kasatkin), who brought the light of Orthodoxy to the people of Japan.

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St. Nicholas’ Early Years (1836–1860)

Ivan Dmitrievich Kasatkin was born on August 1, 1836, in the village of Beryozha of the Belsk district in the Smolensk region of Russia. His father, Deacon Dmitry Kasatkin, had four children: Gabriel (who died in early childhood), Olga, Ivan, and Basil. When Ivan was five, his mother reposed and his older sister Olga, whose husband served as a deacon in a rural church, began taking care of the children. The future archbishop and saint studied in the Belsk Ecclesiastical Primary School, then in the Smolensk Seminary. After graduating at the top of his class, he received a state scholarship to enter the St. Petersburg Theological Academy in 1856.

In the spring of 1860, an announcement inviting a graduate to serve as chief priest of the Russian Embassy church in Japan was posted at the academy. Having calmly read the announcement, the young man went to the evening service, where he experienced a sudden desire to go to Japan. He completed the application with the intent of serving as a monk rather than as a married priest, and easily gained the position.

On June 21, 1860, Ivan Kasatkin was tonsured a monk with the name Nicholas. He was ordained a hierodeacon on June 29, and a hieromonk on the following day. He then set out on the long journey to Japan. Hieromonk Nicholas spent the winter of 1860–61 in Nikolaevsk on the river Amur, where Bishop Innocent (Veniaminov) of Kamchatka, the future saint, enlightener of Siberia and Alaska, and Metropolitan of Moscow, instructed the young missionary. St. Nicholas remembered these talks with Bishop Innocent for the rest of his life. It was St. Innocent who kindled the young missionary’s inspiration to study the language and culture of Japan.

Preparing to Spread the Gospel (1861–1873)

After a year’s journey, in June 1861 Hieromonk Nicholas arrived at the port of Hakodate. At the time of his arrival the medieval charter of 1614, which entirely prohibited Christianity, was still in force. Although later, in 1873, a civil law would allow freedom of religion, obstacles to the propagation of the Faith continued to exist, and persecutions, especially in rural areas, continued for a longtime.

St. Nicholas began his earnest study of the country’s language, culture and history. “He sometimes strolled around the streets of Hakodate, listening to the ordinary people and professional storytellers. He made the acquaintance of leading Buddhist priests and listened to their sermons…. Hieromonk Nicholas spent four-teen hours a day over the course of seven years studying every aspect of Japan…. As a result of his relentless study of the Japanese language, Hieromonk Nicholas eventually acquired the knowledge of several thousand Chinese characters, giving him access to materials printed by the Orthodox mission in Peking, where Joseph Goshkevich had spent almost ten years. This allowed Nicholas to study Chinese texts of the Old and New Testaments, as well as some of the liturgical books.” Bishop Seraphim (Sigrist) of Sendai and the East (now retired) further describes St. Nicholas’ zeal in preparing for his missionary labors: “The story is told that in his early days of studying Japanese, Fr. Nicholas (then a priest in Hakodate) would go with the Japanese chil-dren to school and sit in the back and learn as best he could with them. Indeed, atone point the perplexed teachers put up a sign at the door: ‘The bearded foreigner is not allowed.’”

While still in Hakodate St. Nicholas was well aware of the massive tasks that lay before him. In 1869 he wrote: “One can draw the conclusion that at least the harvest truly is bountiful in Japan in the near future, but there are no laborers on our side, not even one, if not counting my own personal activity…. Just trans-lating the New Testament … will take at least two years of dedicated work. Then, the translation of the Old

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Testament is necessary too. Even in the smallest [Orthodox] congregation the services will have to be held in Japanese. What about the other books, such as sacred history, Church history, liturgics, and theology? All of those are necessities as well, and must be translated into Japanese. And no one knows if a foreigner could master Japanese sufficiently to write it at least half as easily as he normally writes in his own language.”

After a few years of intense study, Fr. Nicholas converted a samurai, the son-in-law of a Shinto priest, along with two others. (This samurai was the future Orthodox priest Paul Sawabe. The saint did not attempt to convert large numbers of people, but strove instead to make sure that those he did convert were strong in the Faith. These first converts then assisted him, and he soon had a group of fifteen Christians.

In late 1869 Hieromonk Nicholas came to St. Petersburg to report on his work to the Synod. A decision was made “to setup a special Russian Ecclesiastical Mission to preach God’s word among pagans.” Fr Nicholas was promoted to the rank of archimandrite and appointed head of the Mission.

Beginning Labors in Tokyo (1873–1885)

In 1873, after St. Nicholas had been laboring for twelve years, conditions began to improve. Thanks to the forward-looking policies of Emperor Meiji, the Japanese government issued a new civil law granting reli-gious tolerance. The Mission was then moved from Hakodate to Tokyo, the new imperial capital, where the number of Orthodox faithful soon reached a thousand.

St. Nicholas held the work of translation to be one of the most important activities he could accomplish in helping to lay the foundations of the Orthodox Mission in Japan. He once said: “Translation is the core of missionary work. Nowadays the work of a mission in general,in any country, cannot be limited to oral preaching alone…. In Japan, where people like reading and respect the printed word so much, we must first of all provide the faithful and those who are about to be baptized with books printed in their mother tongue, by all means well-written and neatly and cheaply published…. The printed word must be the soul of the mission.”

In spreading Orthodoxy to the Japanese, St. Nicholas knew it would be especially effec-tive for the new Japanese Christians to bring the Faith to their own people themselves. Thus, during the 1870s he began to encourage those who had been members of the Church for some time, and who had received lengthy instruction, to travel throughout Japan and introduce the Faith to their countrymen. These catechists, like new apostles, would preach and then, if new believers were willing, would hold services in their homes and even use those homes as “stations” from which to teach the Faith. Ordained priests or even St. Nicholas himself would visit these missions when possible, to serve the sacraments and further strengthen the faithful. Over 250 missions were founded in this manner during St. Nicholas’ lifetime.

From the time of his arrival St. Nicholas lived nearly all his life in Japan, briefly returning to Russia only twice: from 1869 to 1870 to request the establishment of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Japan, and from 1879 to 1880 to be consecrated bishop of the growing mission and to collect funds for its needs. Each time he was particularly eager to go back home to Japan, to continue his work.

Labors as a Bishop (1885–1912)

In 1875 the first Japanese Orthodox priest, Fr. Paul Sawabe, was ordained. St. Nicholas founded schools for the instruction of catechumens and the faithful, and in 1878 he opened a theological college for the

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training of the Japanese clergy. Besides theological courses, Japanese, Chinese and Russian were taught there to prepare for the eventual translation of all the Holy Scriptures as well as other essential texts. In 1880 St. Nicholas was consecrated as the first bishop of Japan, and by 1884 he had begun the construction of a beautiful cathedral in Tokyo. It was com-pleted and consecrated in 1891, and dedicated to Christ’s Holy Resurrection. However, it soon became known among the people as “Nikolai-do” (“Nicholas’ house”), a name it bears to this day. While St. Nicholas handed down the traditions and liturgical customs of the Russian Church to his flock, he nevertheless strove to form a truly Japanese Church, in both language and identity.

St. Nicholas’ personal example of love and respect for the Japanese people and their history, language,and customs left a good impression on the Japanese authorities and helped contribute to the growth of the Orthodox mission. St. Nicholas’ fluency in Japanese led to his being occasionally called upon to be present during official government meetings between Japanese and Russian representatives.

The Russo-Japanese War of 1904–5 tested St. Nicholas and the Orthodox Christians in Japan. Using great discernment, he allowed his clergy to hold services of supplication for a Japanese victory, while not taking part in such services himself. Although he was offered protection by the Russians, he declined this, preferring to remain with his flock.

In 1906 Bishop Nicholas was raised to the rank of archbishop, and the faithful in Japan celebrated his twenty-fifth anniversary as their bishop.

In 1908 St. Nicholas’ future successor, Bishop Sergius (Tikhomirov), arrived in Tokyo. Bishop Sergius head-ed the Japanese Orthodox church from 1912 to 1940. In 1912,the last year of St. Nicholas’ life, there were 33,000 faithful in 266 congregations in Japan. There were 175 churches and eight cathedrals, served by forty Japanese priests and deacons.

The Repose of St. Nicholas

Archbishop Nicholas began to suffer from heart disease in 1910. His illness increased to the point that in January 1912 he was hospitalized. One evening Bishop Sergius entered the hospital to see his teacher. Later, he described what he saw: “A low table stands by the window of the room. Japanese manuscripts, an ink-bottle, and a brush are laid upon it,and before [his Eminence] is a Slavonic Triodion. [Paul] Nakai reads a Japanese translation [and] the archbishop follows his reading, looking into another notebook. At times they stop and insert a comma…. Could one have said that this was an old man, sentenced to inevitable death?”

Gifted with an energetic and driven disposition, St. Nicholas always retained a humble perspective on his labors to the end of his days, once saying, “I am nothing more than a matchstick with which a candle is lit. Afterwards, the match goes out and is thrown on the ground as good for nothing.

On February 3/16,at 7:15 pm, His Eminence Nicholas, the Archbishop of Japan, reposed. The next day all Japan knew of his death.

Bishop Sergius wrote: “Tokyo Christians started making their way, one after another, to the Mission; Christians of other confessions expressed their condolences.… Those who had not yet accepted Christ’s teaching hurried to the Mission to bow or to leave a visiting card. They were not

only ordinary citizens, but princes, counts, viscounts, barons, ministers and non-civil servants as well….

“But the highest honor rendered by Japan to Archbishop Nicholas was the fact that the Emperor of Japan [Meiji] himself … sent a magnificent and colossal wreath of natural flowers for the archbishop’s coffin, and he did not do this in secret!... Accepting the wreath and replying with words of gratitude, we placed the wreath at St. Nicholas’ head.… The Emperor of Japan himself crowned the head of God’s hierarch with flowers of victory!... There were two characters inside the wreath: ‘On-Shi,’ i.e., ‘the Highest Gift’… All the Japanese saw these two characters, read them, and reverently bowed their heads before the wreath!…

“Having started with a tremendous risk to his life, Archbishop Nicholas completed his activity in Japan with approval from the high Throne.”

From 1912 to the Present Day

The years that followed St. Nicholas’ repose were marked by great difficulties and trials for the Japanese Orthodox Church. It not only had to face the challenges of being cut off from the Church in Russia due to the Bolshevik Revolution, which led to financial hardships, but also had to deal with the difficult years culminating in the Second World War and its aftermath. From 1945 to 1970 the Japa-nese Church was under the administration of the Ameri-can Metropolia of the Russian Church (now the Ortho-dox Church in America). On April 10, 1970, the Japanese Church was granted autonomy by the Russian Orthodox Church, and Archbishop Nicholas was glorified as a saint.

Throughout its almost hundred-year history since the saint’s death, the Japanese Church has kept the can-ons and traditions of Orthodox celebration that were established by St. Nicholas. The 266 parishes of the time of St. Nicholas have united to form the current 69 congregations of Japanese Orthodox Church. As in apostolic times, the Church in Japan finds itself a tiny minority in a society which has not yet received the light of Christ, a little flock (Luke 12:32) in the midst of one of the most materially prosperous nations on earth. But that small seed may yet grow into a great tree (cf. Mt. 13:31), for as St. Nicholas proclaimed, the harvest is truly bountiful (Luke 10:2).

From the St. Herman Calendar, 2011, St. Herman Press.