THE SUNDAY MESSENGER
March 16, 2025

Sunday of the Prodigal Son 

Scripture notes for today’s readings

2Corinthians 6:1-7:1 – Living up to God’s grace: The passage urges readers not to “receive the grace of God in vain”. This means living a life worthy of God’s undeserved favor, characterized by patience, purity, and perseverance through hardship.

Luke 15:1-32 – These passages remind us that sinners are welcome and celebrated by God who actively seeks the lost and rejoices when they return. Repentance brings forgiveness and restoration to relationship with God.

Isaiah 54:11-55:13 – These passages offer a message of hope for those facing suffering or hardship. It emphasizes God’s faithfulness, forgiveness, and power to restore and redeem.

Christianity is a Celebration
We can learn from the prodigal son. Out of a desire to be independent or autonomous, what happens when we depart from who and what we were created to be, i.e. children of our Father in communion with him? Sin is not merely a transgression of rules, but a condition, a disease in which symptoms include preferring things to ultimately fulfill us other than God, thus alienating us from him, whatever those distractions may be. We leave God’s care in all kinds of ways, finding whatever cheap substitute. We can all create our own list. But there is hope. The beginning of the victory over sin, the victory over death, is Christ’s death. At the Cross, Jesus “trampled down death by death,” and Badarak is a proclamation of this victory.

Christianity is proclamation and a celebration, a confluence of penance and thanksgiving. Salvation has been accomplished, and Christ restored us back to what he originally created us to be – in loving communion with him. So how do we respond? We give thanks and celebrate. He led us back to the Garden to feed from the Tree of Life – his own Body and Blood, not as a magic pill that cleanses us from our bad deeds, but for healing and restoration of our diseased condition of sin, that which draws us away from the eternal life and bliss we enjoy as children of “Our Father.”

In Badarak, the people of God recall, proclaim for themselves, celebrate, and give thanks for the mystery of our salvation already accomplished by Christ. Like the father in the parable, our Father has gifted us with a ring, the symbol of family identity and adoption:

On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, O Zerub′babel my servant, the son of She-al′ti-el, says the Lord, and make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you, says the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:23)

And a robe, a symbol of righteousness granted by baptism:

For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (Galatians 3:27)

Is that reason enough to celebrate and eat at the Table provided by the Father who sent his only Son to heal the world of sin and lead us back to the Garden? So, arrive on time! Don’t be late for the party! Let’s celebrate what’s been done for us out of the Father’s inexhaustible love. We have been lost and now we are found! We were dead and have been made alive!

The parable leaves us with a question that forces us to look at ourselves, individually and as a parish community. The older brother in the parable refused to celebrate, refused the invitation of his father, claiming his father never threw this kind of celebration for him. The father simply tells the son that everything he owns is also his, but there is a time to celebrate: when someone who has been lost is found, when someone who was dead is now alive. The younger, prodigal son wasn’t living his faith the way he should, but eventually returned home. All of us, of course, are like him. But in what ways are we like the older son? What does it say about us if we are not celebrating the way we should?

By Dn. Eric Vozzy

Requiem Services – Hokehankist Today Will Be For

Kima Avakyan on the 40^th day of his eternal rest requested in loving memory by the Avakyan family.
Mardiros Ergenian and Yester Ergenian requested by Markrid and Nazareth Keshishian; Arous Keshishian and Family.

Fellowship Today – Coffee hour is sponsored by the Avakyan family in loving memory of their beloved father and grandfather, Kima.

Madonna and Child Paintings: Meaning and Message – Join us on Friday evening, MARCH 21 at 7:00pm for an informative and interactive ZOOM program led by Dn. Albert Keshgegian as we explore paintings of St. Mary and the baby Jesus. What forms do these paintings take and what message do they convey about the divinity and humanity of our Lord and the relationship between mother and child? Parishioners will automatically receive the Zoom link. We hope you will join!

Church School Cathedral Renovation Collection: Between Poon Paregentan and Easter, the Church School students across the Eastern Diocese have been asked to help raise money toward renovating our Cathedral in NYC that has fallen into disrepair. The Cathedral was a fulfillment of a dream to build a beautiful “national home” uniting all our parishes and faithful in the USA. It began with the generation that survived the Armenian Genocide and found refuge in America. They built our Cathedral out of gratitude to our Lord Jesus Christ, for the blessings He gave them. In the early 1950s, faithful of all ages gave their support to the project—often collecting nickels and dimes in a “Cathedral Fundraising Box” that could be seen in every Armenian home. Like our ancestors, we are being asked to continue this tradition and give our support to ensure that the Cathedral will be strong and sturdy for each of us and many generations to come. Please help our students with collection in your homes or by putting collection in the plate marked Cathedral Fundraising in our Narthex. Thank you!

AYO – Did you know that public transportation runs only sporadically in certain parts of Armenia’s Syuniq region? A medical clinic in Darbas serves patients from seven surrounding rural villages, but transportation is a huge issue, especially for socioeconomically disadvantaged and elderly patients. Going to the clinic can be a full-day endeavor or simply impossible. Fund for Armenian Relief’s Ayo! platform is working to support the Darbas clinic, and its sole physician Dr. Anush, by  purchasing an all-terrain vehicle for them. They will use it to reach elderly and hard-to-reach patients, pick up medicine and handle emergency cases should the roads be closed due to severe weather conditions. Join 20 other donors from around the Eastern Diocese and make your contribution at https://www.weareayo.org (the project is still only 59% funded).

Seeking Part-time Organists – The Choir of Holy Trinity continues to seek multiple talented musicians who would be seriously interested in playing the organ for the Sunday morning Divine Liturgy (Badarak) on a rotating schedule. Organ lessons will be provided for the interested candidates, along with one-on-one direction from a senior choir person.  You know you’ve been pondering volunteering for this rewarding role. Make this the week that you reach out for further information (we double dare you), by contacting Karinne Andonian at karinne.hov@gmail.com.

Mar 19       Weekly Bible Study
Mar 20       Zoom Book Club
Mar 21       Madonna and Child Zoom program
Mar 30       Saintly Women’s Day
Apr 13        Palm Sunday
Apr 17        Holy Thursday
Apr 18        Holy Friday
Apr 19        Easter Eve and Fellowship
Apr 20        Easter
Apr 26        Armenian Heritage Walk 2025 – Meher Statue, adjacent to the Philadelphia Museum of Art