Hymns and Readings - Sunday of the Prodigal Son

20 January 2008
Sunday of the Prodigal Son
Commemoration of St Euthymios the Great

Tone One - Eothinon Three

Troparia and Kontakion
(Theme hymns of the day and concluding seasonal hymns)

Troparion of the Resurrection in Tone One

While the stone was sealed by the Jews and the soldiers were watching your sacred body, You rose, O Savior, on the third day, giving life to the world. Wherefore, O Giver of life, the Powers of heaven cried out: Glory to your Resurrection, O Christ, glory to your Kingdom, glory to your Plan of Redemption, O, You who alone are the Lover of mankind.

Troparion of Euthymios the Great in Tone Four

Joy to you, barren wilderness, rejoice, sterile desert that never have known the travail of birth, for the man of desires has multiplied your children; he has planted them in devotion and piety and made them grow in detachment for the sake of perfect virtue. Through his supplications, Christ God, give peace to our lives!

Kontakion of the Prodigal Son in Tone Three

When in my wretchedness I ran away from your fatherly love, I squandered in wickedness the riches You had given me. And so now, like the Prodigal Son, I cry out to you: I have sinned in your sight, O Merciful Father: receive me now that I repent and make me as one of your hired servants.

Kontakion of the Presentation of Christ in Tone One

O Christ our God who through your birth have sanctified the virginal womb and have now blessed the arms of Simeon, today You have come to save us. O Lord, when wars prevail, keep your people in peace and strengthen our Public Authorities in every good deed, for You alone are the Lover of Mankind.

Liturgy of the Word

Prokimenon
(Responsory from the Psalter)

Let them praise the name of the LORD!
For he commanded and they were created.

Alleluia! Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights!

The Reading from the Second Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians

Brethren: It is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believed, and so I spoke," we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.

Alleluia

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commandments!

Wealth and riches are in his house;
and his righteousness endures forever.

The Reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Luke

The Lord spoke this parable: There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.” And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on 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, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants.’” And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” But the father said to his servants, “Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.” And they began to make merry. Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, “Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.” But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, “Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!” And he said to him, “Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”


Hirmos in Tone Five
(A “Megalynarion” — Hymn to the Virgin — sung after the Consecration)

It is truly meet to bless you, O Theotokos, who are ever-blessed and all-blameless and the Mother of our God; more honored than the Cherubim and more glorious beyond compare than the Seraphim: You who without stain did bear God the Word and are truly Theotokos: we magnify you.

Communion Hymn

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens,
Praise him in the heights!