SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON Fourth Sunday of Lent Ramsho

SUNDAY OF THE PRODIGAL SON Fourth Sunday of Lent Ramsho

INTRODUCTION

DOXOLOGY

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever. Amen.

OPENING PRAYER
God of mercy and forgiveness,
this evening may we recall your mercy and love for us, shown through the parable of the lost son who repented and whose repentance you accepted.
Open your fatherly arms to us
and press us to your all-loving bosom.
Then we shall forget our unhappiness and the ordeals of this world,
and hasten to encounter you in the life to come,
you who reign with the Son and the Holy Spirit,
for ever. Amen.

GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.

PRAISE OF THE ANGELS

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.

Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples!

For steadfast is his mercy towards us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

PSALMODY
FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O divine Physician,
in your mercy you came among us and in your goodness
healed our wounds.
You are the One who was sent to let us know of the
goodness of the Father
and his love for sinners.
May we meditate on your gospel teachings,
thank you for coming among us,
and praise you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon:
In you, O LORD, I take refuge,
let me never be put to shame.

Psalm 31
In you, O LORD, I take refuge,
let me never be put to shame.

In your justice rescue me,
incline your ear to me, make haste to deliver me!

Be my rock of refuge,
a stronghold to give me safety.

You are my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake you will lead and guide me,

You will free me from the snare they set for me,
for you are my refuge.

Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.

You hate those who worship vain idols,
but my trust is in the LORD.

I will rejoice and be glad of your kindness,
when you have seen my affliction and watched over
me in my distress.

Not shutting me up in the grip of the enemy
but enabling me to move about at large.

Have pity on me, O LORD, for I am in distress;
with sorrow my eye is consumed; my soul
also, and my body.

For my life is spent with grief
and my years with sighing;

My strength has failed through affliction,
and my bones are consumed.

For all my foes I am an object of reproach,
a laughingstock to my neighbors, and a dread to my friends; they who see me abroad flee from me.

I am forgotten like the unremembered dead;
I am like a dish that is broken.

I hear the whispers of the crowd that frighten me from every side, as they consult together against me, plotting to take my life.

But my trust is in you, O LORD:
I say, “You are my God.”

In your hands is my destiny;
rescue me from the clutches of my enemies and my persecutors.

Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your kindness.

O LORD, let me not be put to shame, for I call upon you; let the wicked be put to shame; let them be reduced to silence in the nether world.

Let dumbness strike their lying lips
that speak insolence against the just in pride and scorn.

How great is the goodness, O LORD,
which you have in store for those who fear you,

And which, toward those who take refuge in you,
you show in the sight of men.

You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plotting of men;

You screen them within your abode
from the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the LORD whose wondrous kindness
he has shown me in a fortified city.

Once I said in my anguish,
“I am cut off from your sight”;

Yet you heard the sound of my pleading
when I cried out to you.

Love the LORD, all you his faithful ones!
The LORD keeps those who are constant,
but more than requites those who act proudly.

Take courage and be stouthearted,
all you who hope in the LORD.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon:
In you, O LORD, I take refuge,
let me never be put to shame.

SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Good Master,
you led us on the way of truth and life
and gave us the parable of the lost son
to show us the love of the Father for sinners.
Guide us now by your light and teach us by your wisdom, that our attention may never wander from your
wonderful splendor.
Implant your teachings in our hearts,
that we may never turn aside from your great truth.
Praise be to you, your Father, and your Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

EVENING PSALMS
Psalm 141: 1-4
O LORD, to you I call; hasten to me;
hearken to my voice when I call upon you;

Let my prayer come like incense before you;
the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice.

O LORD, set a watch before my mouth,
a guard at the door of my lips.

Let not my heart incline to the evil
of engaging in deeds of wickedness

With men who are evildoers;
and let me not partake of their dainties.

Psalm 142
With a loud voice I cry out to the LORD;
with a loud voice I beseech the LORD.

My complaint I pour out before him;
before him I lay bare my distress.

When my spirit is faint within me,
you know my path.

In the way along which I walk
they have hid a trap for me.

I look to the right to see,
but there is no one who pays me heed.

I have lost all means of escape;
there is no one who cares for my life.

I cry out to you, O LORD:
I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land
of the living.”

Attend to my cry,
for I am brought low indeed.

Rescue me from my persecutors,
for they are too strong for me.

Lead me forth from prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.

The just shall gather around me
when you have been good to me.

Psalm 119: 105-112
A lamp to my feet is your word,
a light to my path.

I resolve and swear
to keep your just ordinances.

I am very much afflicted;
O LORD, give me life according to your word.

Accept, O LORD, the free homage of my mouth,
and teach me your decrees.

Though constantly I take my life in my hands,
yet I forget not your law.

The wicked have laid a snare for me,
but from your precepts I have not strayed.

Your decrees are my inheritance forever;
the joy of my heart they are.

I intend in my heart to fulfill your statutes
always to the letter.

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!

For steadfast is his mercy towards us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to
the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the merciful Father who loves us and accepts our repentance;
to the incarnate Son, who taught and instructed us;
to the Holy Spirit, who enlightens hearts and consciences.
To the Good One is due glory and honor this evening,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.

SEDRO
O Christ our God,
true Light come to the world,
you are the Way which leads to the Father;
no one comes to the Father except through you.
You walked among us and revealed your love for us.
You satisfied the hungry and healed those who were wounded; you cured the sick and forgave sinners.
You spoke of repentance, of mercy, and of living water.
You desire that today we meditate on the parable of the lost son, who, trusting his father, returned from his corruption and repented of his sin.
You turned toward sinners, ate and spoke with them
and made yourself like them in all things but sin.
Therefore, grant us this evening to humble ourselves in your presence,
and to show sorrow for our faults and our sins.
Enlighten us with your knowledge and make us strong with your power,
that the shadows of sin may not surround us.
O Lord, send your Spirit to sinners during this blessed Lent, and to those who beg your pardon.
Open your arms of blessing to them and draw them to your bosom, that they may rejoice in meeting you and be full of joy in knowing you.
We beg you to make us apostles of your gospel message, by our example and our lives,
bearing your word to our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the Father of heaven,
and redeemed by your pure blood.
May your Spirit strengthen and help us,
to praise you throughout our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.

QOLO
The younger son dares to ask for his inheritance and leaves for a distant country, far away from his father. The world and its illusions seduce him and he wanders away from the right path.

The Father of heaven receives the repentant sinner; with kindness he opens his arms to him and embraces him.

Happy the one who repents of his sins; blessed be the name of the merciful One who forgives sins.
ETRO
O God,
accept our incense and our prayers for the pardon of our sins and those of all your people.
Grant those who are far from your paternal home to return as penitents asking pardon.
Strengthen the resolution of your poor servants,
that we may remain with you,
now and for ever. Amen.

READINGS
MAZMOORO
Glory to the Good One who pardons the repentant and opens his arms to those who return.

Praise the Lord, all you peoples, for he pardons the repentant.

Glorify him, all you nations, for he opens his arms to those who return.
May God who accepted the prayer of our ancestors and the just, receive our prayers and have mercy on us.

SYNAXARION
During Lent, we constantly reflect upon the theme of our sinfulness and the mercy of God. During the Divine Mysteries, we pray: “Many are my sins, but greater is your mercy. When placed on a scale your mercy prevails over the weight of the mountains known only to you. Consider the sin and consider the atonement. The atonement is greater and exceeds the sins.” Our sins have been atoned for because of the infinite compassion and mercy of God.
The gospel of Luke provides us with three parables which speak about the mercy of God: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. THe sheep became lost because of its own ignorance. Many times we think of ourselves as intelligent, but out of foolishness we wander away from the sheepfold, the Church. Of course, the coin was lost through no fault of it own. Many people become lost through no fault of their own, but are misled and taught to do wrong. This is especially true of the young. The son, however, deliberately left the house of his father. This parable is most rich in explaining the concern of God for our well-being and Jesus himself provides all the details of the story.
Jesus tells of how the son boldly goes to the father and asks for “his portion.” Actually, all of the property belongs to the father and the son has no rights to any of it. How often do we treat all of the gifts of God as if they were our rightful portion rather than gifts of God. Seeking freedom and pleasure, with money in hand, the son does not concern himself about anybody or anything, he goes far from home so that no one knows what he is doing. He ran off to live among the non-believers where more pleasures could be offered to him, but he soon went through all of his money. A famine struck the land and he was forced to seek work in tending for pigs. The Jews considered pigs as unclean and the one who cared for pigs as cursed. In the face of physical and moral degradation, he was forced to come to his senses. “How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough to spare, but I perish with hunger, I will arise and go to my father. . . .”
The father must have been awaiting for the son daily, because he saw him at a distance and ran out to meet him. He embraced and kissed him. He gave him a robe (a sign of honor), a ring (a sign of authority) and shoes (unlike slaves who did not have shoes.) The son was treated as if he had never been away.
The son showed courage and humility in his return. It took courage to examine his life and ascertain his pitiful condition. It took humility to admit his mistakes to his father.
The older son represents those who prefer to see a sinner destroyed rather than saved. He is jealous and self-righteous, considering only the sins of his brother and not of his repentance. He even tries to incite the father against his brother. However, the father encouraged him to be happy because his brother who had been lost has been found. How joyful is heaven on the occasion of the return of a sinner to the Father.
On some occasions we are able to identify with the prodigal son who has gone astray.
Let us imitate his courage and humility and seek the forgiveness of the Father. At other times, we are able to see ourselves as the older son, righteous and unwilling to forgive the mistakes of another. At times like this, let us listen to the wisdom of the Father and be joyful at the conversion of the sinner.

SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the Book of Exodus
Exodus 32: 1-4
When the people became aware of Moses’ delay in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, “Come, make us a god who will be our leader; as for the man Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.” Aaron replied, “Have your wives and sons and daughters take off the golden earrings they are wearing, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron, who accepted their offering, and fashioning this gold with a graving tool, made a molten calf. Then they cried out, “This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.”
A Reading from the Prophet Ezekiel
Ezekiel 33: 1-15
As for you, son of man, speak to the house of Israel: You people say, “Our crimes and our sins weigh us down; we are rotting away because of them. How can we survive?”
Answer them: As I live, says the Lord GOD, I swear I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked man, but rather in the wicked man’s conversion, that he may live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! Why should you die, O house of Israel? As for you, son of man, tell your countrymen: The virtue which a man has practiced will not save him on the day that he sins; neither will the wickedness that a man has done bring about his downfall on the day that he turns from his wickedness nor can the virtuous man, when he sins, remain alive.
Though I say to the virtuous man that he shall surely live, if he then presumes on his virtue and does wrong, none of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered; because of the wrong he has done, he shall die. And though I say to the wicked man that he shall surely die, if he turns away from his sin and does what is right and just, giving back pledges, restoring stolen goods, living by the statutes that bring life, and doing no wrong, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

SUPPLICATION
O Son, by your resurrection you saved your Church from error; hear our supplications and have mercy on us.

You reconciled heaven and earth, grant peace to your Church and keep her children in the light of the cross.

Father, I am not worthy to be called your child, but accept me according to your mercy; Father we ask pardon and beg forgiveness. Let us go brothers and sisters, let us repent and beseech God.

Glory to the Father, who sent his Son to redeem our sins; adoration to the Son, who pardoned us and gave the Church power over sins;
thanksgiving to the Spirit, who has made us holy
and strengthened us at all times.

May Christ who accepted the fasting of our ancestors, accept our fasting and our prayers and have mercy on us.

Exalt, O Lord, the memory of your Mother and your saints; through their prayers grant pardon to us and to our deceased.
Through the prayers of your Mother, the prophets, apostles and martyrs, watch over the living, and in your mercy, forgive those who have died.

HOOTOMO
Let us confess, adore, and praise the holy and glorious Trinity: Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit.

TRISAGION

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Holy are you, O God;
Holy are you, O Strong One;
Holy are you, O Immortal One;
have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.
Lord, forgive us and have mercy on us.
Lord, hear us and have mercy on us.
Lord, accept our worship and our prayers.
Lord, come to our assistance and have mercy on us.

LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who are in heaven,
hallowed be your name;
your kingdom come;
your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.

O Lord
the night and the day are yours;
you uphold the light and the sun.
Through your power you direct the sequence of the seasons.
O Lord,
you have brought the day to its close and called forth the night.
Be for us that great Day that never ends.
In the evening let your light shine in our hearts,
and in the darkness of the night,
enlighten us with the knowledge of your truth.
And so, through all the days of our lives,
we shall praise you, Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Amen.

EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE
Let us thank God for all the graces he has bestowed on us this day which has passed in calm and peace.
Let us recall our failings against the commandments of God and the Church in thought, word, deed, or omission.

We ask for God’s pardon as we pray.

“Forgive us, Jesus!”

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.
Glory be to you, O Lord.

God,
Father in heaven,
by your living and holy name,
keep us from evil and lead us not into temptation:
for we call upon you, O Lord, our God, our constant hope, glory to you for ever.
O Lord, our Lord,
may our humble worship be pleasing to you;
may our prayers come before you and our actions give
you honor.
Let your mercy, kindness, help, grace and divine love be poured abundantly upon us poor sinners,
both in heaven and on the earth
which you have created in your goodness.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever.
Amen.

DISMISSAL
Peace be with you.
And also with you.

O God,
through the prayers of your Mother and the saints who have believed in you;
through the prayers of the prophets, apostles, martyrs and confessors;
through the prayers of the just, the priests, the holy fathers, the pastors and doctors of true faith;
through the prayers of N., Pope of Rome, N., our Patriarch, and N., our Bishop,
forgive your people and have mercy on your flock.
May God bless, forgive, sanctify, purify, and keep each of the faithful united with us in this spiritual office.
May mercy and compassion be upon us and all the faithful who dwell here.
May peaceful rest be granted to those who have died in the faith.
May the faithful who live here experience the protection of his victorious cross.

May we and all his servants who adore him with bowed head, receive the mercy of the holy and glorious Trinity:
Father, Son, + and Holy Spirit,
to whom be glory now and for ever.
Amen.

May God forgive your sins,
pardon your failings,
and deliver you from the power of the enemy.
May he grant you the remission of your offenses.
Go in peace, and pray to Christ for me.