Armodoxy for Today: The Turning Point

The Prodigal Son, is a parable offered to us by Jesus and recorded in the Gospel of St. Luke, chapter 15. We continue this dive into the story today by looking at the sin of the Prodigal son.

Today we look at turning points. As the parable is presented, the younger son takes his inheritance and travels to a far off land. There he squanders his money in reckless living. When his money runs out, so do his friends, and the lifestyle he was living. He comes to his senses and decides to return home. We will call this the turning point. It’s the point at which he realized there is something better for him elsewhere. Some may call this the “wake up” moment, when all along you knew what you were doing was not reality – maybe even a dream – and then the alarm clock rings and you wake to real life. The Prodigal Son woke up and turned back home.

Like the Prodigal, we come to our turning points when we realize that staying on the current path might have dire consequences. Repentance is the call of the Church to turn back. John the Baptist called out in the wilderness, “Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand.” Today, the word repent means to feel remorse or regret. These feelings are the wake-up moment, while repent literally means to turn around.

Look within. Do you have wake up alarms? Do they guide you toward repentance?

We prayer from St. Nersess Shnorhali’s 3^rd hour, Heavenly Father, true God, who sent Your beloved Son to seek the wandering sheep. I have sinned against heaven and before you. Receive me like Prodigal Son and clothe me with the garment of innocence, of which I was deprived by with sin. Have mercy upon your creatures and upon me a sinner. Amen