In one of the preparatory weeks for Holy Lent, the Orthodox Church recalls the gospel parable told by Christ about the prodigal son. In this gospel narrative, one can find meaning for every person who aspires to God.
The Evangelist Luke tells of the parable of Jesus Christ, in which the Savior talks about the prodigal son. One rich man had two sons. Once, one of them decided to leave his father’s house, asking his father for a part of his material assets as an inheritance for his existence. A loving father did not interfere with his son in his pursuit, although the parent's heart felt a sense of sorrow. The ungrateful son raised funds and left home.
In distant lands, the wicked son was booing, but the time came when the money ran out. The gospel character had nothing to eat, he had no shelter. And then the son remembered his father. He decided to return, repent and ask for forgiveness, hoping that his father would take him as one of his employees.
When the son was approaching his father's house, his father saw him and went out to meet him. The ungrateful son began to pray for forgiveness, saying that he was no longer worthy to be called a son. A loving parent hugged his child, ordered the servants to prepare a feast, to slaughter the best calf, to dress the young man in rich clothes. The father was glad that he regained his lost son.
The second son of his father at this time came home and saw glee, which could not but cause bewilderment. He asked his parent about the occasion of such an event. After hearing the explanation, the son became indignant. He complained to his father that he was so kind to his wicked brother. However, the father reassured his child, explaining that the great joy was that the prodigal son had returned.
This parable is explained by the fact that God never rejects sinners. Christ elsewhere in the gospel says that joy in heaven happens more about a single sinner repenting than about 99 righteous people. Those people who try to live with God have the opportunity of continuous improvement. They can be with their heavenly Creator, which in itself is a blessing to man. But the sinner who has turned away from God does not have such an opportunity. Therefore, when a person regains his path to his heavenly Father through repentance and the desire to correct life, God accepts the sinner. God wants a person to abandon his sinful life and return to his heavenly homeland, because this shows the free will of man in the pursuit of good.
Orthodoxy sees in the prodigal son of almost every person, because there are no people without sin. That is why the repentance of any person, according to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, causes joy in heaven.
