Kontakion - Tone 3

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

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! ‘I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.’ And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. ‘And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.

Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’ But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. ‘But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. ‘It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ” Luke 15:11-32

The One Who Loves Mankind

The man who is introduced here is God, verily the One Who loves mankind. The two sons portray the two ranks of men, righteous ones and sinners.

~ Blessed Theophylact, PG 123:405C (Holy Apostles Convent, Gospels, p. 357)

Christ Falls On Your Neck

Christ falls on your neck to free your nape from the yoke of slavery and hang His sweet yoke upon your shoulders.

~ St. Ambrose (HAC p. 359)

A Robe, a Ring, and a Sandal

The robe is the garment of wisdom with which the apostles cover the body’s nakedness… Thus, they receive the robe, so that they may clothe the weakness of the body with the virtue of spiritual wisdom… The robe is a spiritual covering and a wedding garment.

What is a ring, if not a token of sincere faith and an expression of truth? …Whosoever has the ring has the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, because God has sealed it. … “After ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.” (Eph 1:13)

The ring is the seal of Christianity given at Chrismation.

Then the sandal is the preaching of the Gospel. (Eph 6:15).

~ St. Ambrose and Blessed Theophylact (HAC p. 359-60)

Note: A signet ring, in the ancient world, was used to seal letters. The seal caused the letter to bear the identity of the sender and to authenticate it.

Let No One Be Annoyed

The whole of the parable is given for the sake of the Pharisees, to instruct them not to be disgusted at the reception of sinners [see Luke 15:1-10 immediately preceding the parable of the Prodigal Son], even if they themselves are righteous. Let no one be annoyed at the judgments of God, but let him be patient with apparent sinners who prosper, and are being saved. For how dost thou know if the one thou thinkest a sinner has not repented, and on this account was received? And what if he has hidden virtues on which account God is well-disposed to see him kindly?

~ Blessed Theophylact, PG 123:411D (HAC p. 360-61)