Comprehension of the meaning of Christ's parable of the prodigal son. The Parable of the Prodigal Son: Interpretation

Forgiveness as a manifestation true love»

according to "The Parable of prodigal son»

Lesson Objectives:

Equipment:

Epigraph: . (Hans - Joachim Haan)

. (J. Kennedy Schultz).

FOPD: frontal, steam room

MO: explanatory-illustrative, reproductive, problematic.

During the classes

1. Organizational moment

2. Conversation.

Introductory conversation.

Teacher:

(Answers are heard). 2 minutes .

Teacher:

1-2min

Epigraph: Forgiveness brings hope to life. (Hans - Joachim Haan)

The easier we forgive, the easier we live. (J. Kennedy Schultz).

Students: About forgiveness.

Students:

3 min

In the Gospel, parables are a kind of illustrations of the teachings of Jesus Christ, with their help he teaches people, they are intended to restore their special sight and hearing - spiritual ones. Let's try and get them.

Teacher:

Students: 1 min

Historical reference.

Teacher: Right. Now, in order to better understand the meaning of the parable, I want to give you some information about family life Israelis. In the Jewish family, parents have always been honored, so children had the right to live the way they wanted, only if they left their family (married) or when their parents died. Leaving home without the knowledge of parents was considered a great curse of disobedience, such a young man was considered dead to his family. And to demand or take a share of one's inheritance with living parents was a deadly insult. Let's now read the parable aloud. 1 min)

(Reading a parable).5 minutes

4. Work on the topic of the lesson.

Teacher:

3 minutes.

(Answers are heard).Generally5 minutes

Did the father forgive his son?

5. Work on the picture -3min

Students:

Teacher:

Students:

Teacher: And what do you think he is?

Students:

V1 . Conversation on questions2 minutes

VI1

(Student reads, music sounds) 3 min

Evil conquer with a ray of good,

Forgiveness is born of love
In the struggle of prayer nights.

Notebook entry:

8. Main conclusions.(2 minutes)

9 . Lesson results.(2 minutes)

Teacher:

Students: Yes.

Teacher: How many times?

Students: Always.

Open lesson in Russian literature in the 6th grade

on the topic "The Parable of the Prodigal Son"

Forgiveness as a manifestation of true love

Lesson Objectives: develop an interest in the Bible as a source of wisdom and a model moral behavior; discuss the phenomenon of forgiveness as a manifestation of true love; show the embodiment of the Christian story in painting; to instill in children a sense of forgiveness, love for their neighbor, to comprehend their actions.

Equipment: reproduction of Rembrandt van Rijn's painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son", fragments of the movie "Solaris", cartoon "The Parable of the Prodigal Son".

SLIDE #1

Epigraph: Forgiveness brings hope to life. (Hans - Joachim Haan)

The easier we forgive, the easier we live. (J. Kennedy Schultz).

During the classes

1. Organizational moment

2. Conversation.

Introductory conversation.

Before I name the topic of today's lesson, I will ask you to mentally answer a few of my questions. I ask you to be honest with yourself, because no one will hear the answers.

Have you ever slammed the door loudly and left the house, leaving behind the boring lectures of your parents, their unnecessary, empty moralizing?

Perhaps, rustling under the feet of autumn foliage, you walked along the cold streets, holding a grudge against the whole adult world in your soul? You were in a hurry not to go home, but to where absolute freedom awaits you, and there are no obligations.

Has it ever happened that “lost” in yourself, in your thoughts, desires, hopes, mistakes, you could not find a way out of difficult life problems, and, bending under their weight, at least mentally asked for the help of those whom you left behind, repenting for your carelessness?

If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, then the topic of today's lesson is most relevant to you.

Teacher: Right. Recall an episode from your life when a friend or one of your relatives forgave you an offense. What feeling did you experience then? What was your reaction?

(Answers are heard). 2 minutes .

Teacher:

Write the epigraphs for our lesson on the board. Read them, think and say, what do you think we will talk about today? 1-2min

SLIDE #2

Epigraph: Forgiveness brings hope to life. (Hans - Joachim Haan)

The easier we forgive, the easier we live. (J. Kennedy Schultz).

Students: About forgiveness.

Today we will get acquainted with the parable. It's called "The Parable of the Prodigal Son". How do you understand the word "prodigal"?

Students: Wandering. One who wanders around without a purpose. Who does not know why and where he is going.

SLIDE #3

Prodigal - erring, making a mistake, falling into error. This means that the prodigal son is a young man who has strayed from the true path. About him and will be discussed in this parable.

A parable is a small moralizing story like a fable, but without morality and direct teaching. Morality must be drawn from it by everyone. This genre arose in the East, in antiquity, where they liked to speak in allegories. (WRITING IN A NOTEBOOK) 3 min

For several lessons we go through biblical mythology. Let's remember the birth of Jesus.

So, back to the Bible. When Jesus grew up, he began to preach his doctrine to people. He chose 12 disciples (apostles) for himself and began to walk with them from city to city. Jesus told people parables. He told them in such a way that everyone could understand them. The word “son” sounds in the title of our parable, therefore, the idea of ​​kinship with which every person on earth is connected is important in the parable: after all, we are all someone’s children ... Let’s think about what role parents play in our life? What are they trying to teach children? Why are relationships between parents and children often difficult?

Teacher: Remind me what the commandment says about parents?

Students: Honor your father and mother and you will live long. 1 min

Historical reference.

SLIDE #4

Teacher: Right. Now, in order to better understand the meaning of the parable, I want to give you some information about the family structure of the Israelites. In the Jewish family, parents have always been honored, so children had the right to live the way they wanted, only if they left their family (married) or when their parents died. Leaving home without the knowledge of parents was considered a great curse of disobedience, such a young man was considered dead to his family. And to demand or take a share of one's inheritance with living parents was a deadly insult. Let's now read the parable aloud. (1 min)

(Reading a parable).5min (in computer)

4. Work on the topic of the lesson.

Teacher: Let's divide into groups for discussion. (Guys are divided into 3 groups).

Read the parable again carefully and list the actions of the father, in which his forgiveness to his son was expressed. Write the answer down in your notebook, share your thoughts as a group, and be ready to share them with the whole class. For preparation 3 minutes.

(Answers are heard).Generally5 minutes

1. What is the reason for the son's departure from his father's home? What does a father do for his son? What does the son strive for, what does he want from life, in what does he see his happiness?

2. How does the father behave, does he prevent his son from leaving home?

What events led to the feast?

Why did the father react so “unusually” to the return of his son?

What did the son do to get his father's forgiveness and blessing?

How did others perceive the decision of the father to accept the son back into the family?

What happened to the father when younger son left with his part of the inheritance?

What did the son think about when he came to his senses?

What did the son feel when he saw his father run out to meet him?

How did the father feel when he saw his son returning?

What prompted the father to accept his son with honors after he disgraced him?

What the son experienced in foreign countries. What happened to his "estate"?

When and why did the son "come to his senses"?

How did the youngest son behave and what did he deserve for his behavior?

How did the father react to the return of his son and why?

What specifically expressed the decision of the father to forgive the rebellious son?

How should the lifestyle and behavior of the son change after the father has forgiven him?

Did the son hope for the forgiveness of his father?

How did the father meet the prodigal son?

Did the father forgive his son?

V1 . Conversation on questions2 minutes

Why did the father forgive the youngest son?

(The father forgave the youngest son because he repented and admitted his mistakes. The father thought that his son could die, that he had become the ultimate sinner. And a sinful person is like a dead person. But the son repented, that is, as if he came to life.)

What does this parable teach? Should a person forgive?

5. Work on the picture -3min

The theme of the prodigal son is widely disclosed not only in the bible, but also in painting, music, and cinema.

SLIDE #5

And now let's look at Rembrandt's painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son". How did the artist depict this moment?

Students:- In the parable, the father threw himself on his son's neck, and in the picture the son kneels before his father.

The paints used by Rembrandt, in my opinion, are a bit dark. They do not so much convey joy as emphasize the solemnity of what is happening.

The face of the father is concentrated and, it seems to me, sad, but in the parable the father is joyful.

Teacher: Tell me, why did the artist see this meeting in this way?

Students:- Maybe because the act of forgiveness is very important in a person's life.

It seems to me that the artist did not quite understand the true meaning of the parable.

Teacher: And what do you think he is?

Students: The true meaning, in my opinion, is that the forgiver experiences joy and the forgiven also experiences joy, because the lost relationship is restored between them.

SLIDE #6

Guys, we read the parable, saw the theme of forgiveness in painting. Now let's see how it is revealed this topic in a cartoon. (7min)

SLIDE №7

VI1 . Expressive reading poems by B. Pasternak "Learn to forgive."

Now it would be appropriate to recall B. Pasternak's poem "Learn to forgive."

(Student reads, music sounds) 3 min

Learn to forgive, pray for those who offend,
Evil conquer with a ray of good,
Go without hesitation to the camp of the forgiving,
While the Golgotha ​​Star burns.

Learn to forgive when the soul is offended
And the heart, like a cup of bitter tears,
And it seems that kindness is all burned out,
Remember how Christ forgave!

Learn to forgive, forgive not only with a word,
But with all your soul, with all your essence.
Forgiveness is born of love
In the struggle of prayer nights.

Learn to forgive, in forgiveness the joy is hidden,
Generosity heals like a balm
The blood on the cross was shed for all,
Learn to forgive so that you yourself can be forgiven.

Notebook entry:

Faith and obedience are dear, but repentance and forgiveness are even more precious. Every person should be able to forgive and have hope for forgiveness.

8. Main conclusions.(2 minutes)

We said that the parable - instructive story. What has this parable taught you? What is the main idea of ​​the parable?

It is never too late to admit your mistakes, repent of your sins, return to the true path and receive forgiveness.

A person is worthy of forgiveness if he sincerely repents and regrets his deed.

Of course, parents can always understand and forgive their children, but we must try not to upset them. After all, these are the people we love the most.

SLIDE#8

Insert (viewing a fragment from the film "Solaris") - 4 min

9 . Lesson results.(2 minutes)

Teacher: Guys, you noticed that love is inextricably linked with forgiveness. To forgive a person is to stop blaming him and being angry with him. When we forgive others, our happiness multiplies, our relationships with people become harmonious. Let's get back to our epigraphs. Do you need to forgive?

Students: Yes.

Teacher: How many times?

Students: Always.

Teacher: What does forgiveness bring?

Students: Joy, freedom in communication ...

Teacher: Are there grievances for which you can not forgive a person?

Students: No. Here in the parable, the son inflicted a mortal insult on his father, and he forgave.

Teacher: That's right, you need to forgive any offense. Now write down your homework.

May this lesson remain in your memory for a long time and help you to follow the true path.

The parable of the prodigal son is told by Jesus Christ to his disciples. It is given in the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke. The plot of the parable is used in many works of world art.

Below will be told summary parables of the prodigal son. It is the most popular among Christians, regardless of their denomination, as it teaches forgiveness.

The Bible Parable of the Prodigal Son: A Summary

The father had two sons. One took his part of the property and squandered everything away from his family. When the need arose, he was starving and decided to return to his father to become his mercenary, as he felt guilty. But his father was happy that his son returned unharmed, and arranged a feast on this occasion. The older brother was unhappy that the father had received the dissolute younger brother so well. But the father said that he did not infringe on him in any way, because he was always there in contentment and owns everything together with his father; the younger son was as if dead, who knows where, and now we must rejoice at his return.

The plot of the parable, a detailed retelling

One man had two sons. The younger asked to give him the due inheritance, and the father yielded to his son, dividing the property between the brothers. After some time, the younger took his and went to a distant country, where he drank and debauched.

Having spent everything he had, he became poor. He was employed in the service, began to herd pigs. And he would be glad to eat at least what the pigs ate, but they did not give him. And then he remembered his father, what a rich estate he had and how many servants were not in need, and thought: why die of hunger, I will return to my father and ask him to accept me as a mercenary, because he is no longer worthy to be called his son.

And he went to his father. And the father saw him from afar and took pity on his son, ran to meet him, hugged and kissed him. The younger son said: "Father, I have sin against heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy to be your son." And the father ordered the slaves to bring him the best clothes, shoes and a ring on his hand and kill the well-fed calf to eat and celebrate. Because his youngest son was dead, but became alive, was missing, but was found. And everyone started having fun.

The eldest son, meanwhile, was in the field, when he returned, he heard songs and jubilant exclamations from the house. Calling a servant, he asked what had happened. They answered him that his brother and father had returned, out of joy that his son was unharmed, and had slaughtered a whole calf. The eldest son became angry and did not want to enter the celebrants, and the father went out to call him. But the eldest son said: “I have been with you for so many years, I work, I always obey you, but you didn’t even give me a goat to feast with friends; and this son, who squandered all your property with harlots, returned, and you immediately stabbed for him well-fed calf." The father answered this: "Son, you have always been there and all mine belongs to you, and you need to rejoice because your younger brother was dead and became alive, was missing and was found."

The Parable of the Prodigal Son: What's the point?

A person familiar with Christianity, who believes in God, who is the Father of all living things, can depart from the faith, tempted by earthly entertainment and fuss. Take your property and go to a distant country - move far from God, lose all connection with him. He will have some reserve of grace and spiritual strength, just as the prodigal (or erring) younger son had money at first. But over time, the forces will run out, the soul will become empty and sad. Hunger will come, as he came to the youngest son, only not physical, but spiritual. After all, people Christian teaching created by God for communion and unity with Him and with each other.

And if a person then, in despair, remembers his Heavenly Father, he will want to return. But he will feel repentance and unworthiness to be the Son of God, just as the younger son in the parable felt that he was not worthy to be called a son. Then we return to God with repentance, begging him to help, console our devastated soul, fill it with the light of faith at least a little - no longer as children of God, but at least as his mercenaries (not in vain in Orthodox prayers says "servants of God").

But God is Love, as the Gospel of John says. And He, in His love, is not angry with us and does not remember our sins - after all, we remembered Him, desired His goodness, returned to Him. Therefore, He rejoices in our insight and return to the truth. We were dead in sin, but we are made alive. And the Lord gives a lot to repentant people who have returned to faith, often happily arranging fates, and always sending peace and grace to tormented souls. Just like the father in the parable gave his returning son all the best he had.

The image of the elder brother here is people who formally did not depart from the faith, did not commit serious sins, but forgot the main commandment - about love. The older brother, with resentment and jealousy, tells his father that he tried to do everything right, but the younger son did not. Why is he honored? This is also the case with believers who condemn "sinners" and may in church discuss other people's outfits that are inappropriate for the occasion, or incorrect behavior. And they forget at the same time that if a person came to church, turned to faith, one should rejoice for him, because all people are our brothers and sisters, also created by the Lord, who is infinitely glad for their return from darkness.

Another meaning of the parable

The parable of the prodigal son, the summary in particular, can be considered more straightforward. It applies not only to God's relationship to people, but also to those who love each other. We can say that this is a parable about love.

Any close person can leave us - a husband or wife, a child, a friend, even parents sometimes leave their children. But if our hearts are pure and there is love in our souls, then we will become like the father from the parable and will be able to forgive betrayal. And then, meeting a dissolute son who cheated on her husband, a father who disappeared, a friend who forgot about us, it would not even occur to him to blame them or listen to unkind people who do not understand Christian forgiveness - it will be enough for us that they are nearby, found, returned, alive.

Extracurricular reading lesson

Theme: "The world through a parable."

Lesson Objectives: convey the moral ideas of parables through a literary text.

Lesson equipment:multimedia software, reproduction of Rembrandt's painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son", genre photos, texts of parables.

Lesson plan:

1. Word to the teacher.
2. Reproduction of Rembrandt's The Return of the Prodigal Son.
3. Brief retelling parables of the prodigal son.
4. Comments on words and expressions incomprehensible to children.
5. Questions session.
6. An expressive reading of B. Pasternak's poem "Learn to forgive."
7. Quote work.
8. Teacher's word about duty.
9. Commented reading.

1. Expressive reading of the Arabic parable "Duty".

2. Conversation according to the parable.

X. Commented reading.

1. Expressive reading of the parable "Everything is in your hands".

2. Conversation on the parable, work with genre photographs.

XI. Lesson results.

During the classes

1. teacher's word

Today in the lesson we will remember what a parable is. Let's get acquainted with the texts of some parables and try to see how the world in which we live looks like, if we look at it through a parable. Guys, think about how negative moral qualities prevail in our world?

Each of us at least once in his life asked himself questions: did I do the right thing in this or that situation? What should have been done in order not to regret what they did later? Parables will help us answer these questions.

Parables have always played important role in the history of mankind, and to this day they remain for us beautiful and effective tool development, learning and communication. Parables combine wisdom and simplicity, teach us to think, find solutions to problems, develop thinking, intuition and imagination. Some of them bring inspiration, others make you laugh, others make you think. The beauty of the parable is that it doesn't divide the human mind into question and answer, it just gives people a hint of how things should be. Unlike a fable, a parable does not contain direct instruction or morality. It enables people to independently understand and interpret the meaning contained in it. Therefore, Christ usually ended his parables with the exclamation: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Think and try to answer the question: what is a parable? (children's answers)

There are several definitions of "parable", let's focus on one of them and write it down in a notebook. A parable is an allegory, a figurative story, often used in the Bible to present doctrinal truths.

II. Working with reproductionRembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son"

And now pay attention to the reproduction of Rembrandt's painting "The Return of the Prodigal Son", which captures the moment of the meeting between father and son.

How does the artist depict father and son?

(A pre-prepared student describes the picture:

The shame-stricken son fell on his knees before his father. His clothes are torn, his legs are wounded. His shaved head looks small and pitiful. As if seeking refuge, he hides his face in the folds of his father's clothes. The old father bowed to his son. Putting his hands on his shoulders, he presses him to himself, strokes and feels - his father is half-blind, and now touch, more than sight, convinces him that in front of him is a truly long-awaited, mourned son. The tender, almost blessing touch of these feeble hands makes the son close his eyes in bliss. Father and son have not yet spoken to each other, but they will no longer need words to reconcile. The joy of these two is miraculous. Her reflection illuminates the face of an old man standing on the right, other people are drawn to the light born by her. Various feelings are read on their faces - tenderness, emotion, curiosity).

The picture was painted according to the plot of the parable of the prodigal son. Let's remember what this story is about...

III. Brief retelling of the parable "The Prodigal Son"

(The gospel parable of the prodigal son tells how a frivolous young man, having taken his share of his father's property, left his home in search of entertainment. Ruined, abandoned by his unfaithful friends, having spent a life full of ordeals and shame, he finally decides to return to his father's home, where he finds forgiveness, love, food and rest).

IV. Comments on words and expressions incomprehensible to children

What do you understand by the term "prodigal son"? (The prodigal son is not just a person who has lost his family, faith, traditions, homeland. The prodigal son is a person. Lost on the path of life).

The heroes of the parable are placed in a situation of choice. What choice do they make?

(The youngest son chooses his path, who wants to escape from parental care, but does not know how to build life in his own way. In difficult circumstances, he decides to return to his father and obey him. The father also chooses: he could hold a grudge against his son, could turn away from his son, could at least reproach him, but the father forgives his son).

V. Conversation on questions

Why did the father forgive the youngest son?

(The father forgave the youngest son because he repented and admitted his mistakes. The father thought that his son could die, that he had become the ultimate sinner. And a sinful person is like a dead person. But the son repented, that is, as if he came to life.)

What does this parable teach? Should a person forgive?

VI. An expressive reading of B. Pasternak's poem "Learn to forgive."

Now it would be appropriate to recall B. Pasternak's poem "Learn to forgive."

(Student reads)

Learn to forgive, pray for those who offend,
Evil conquer with a ray of good,
Go without hesitation to the camp of the forgiving,
While the Golgotha ​​Star burns.

Learn to forgive when the soul is offended
And the heart, like a cup of bitter tears,
And it seems that kindness is all burned out,
Remember how Christ forgave!

Learn to forgive, forgive not only with a word,
But with all your soul, with all your essence.
Forgiveness is born of love
In the struggle of prayer nights.

Learn to forgive, in forgiveness the joy is hidden,
Generosity heals like a balm
The blood on the cross was shed for all,
Learn to forgive so that you yourself can be forgiven.

Notebook entry:

Faith and obedience are dear, but repentance and forgiveness are even more precious. Every person should be able to forgive and have hope for forgiveness.

VII. Quote work

And now turn your attention to the statement of one of the presidents of America, Roosevelt.

Recording on the slide: “We have been given much, and much is expected of us. We have obligations to other people and to ourselves; and we have no right to neglect any of these duties.” T. Roosevelt.

What do you think we will discuss in the next part of the lesson? (Discussing the sense of duty).

VIII. Teacher's word on duty

Imagine for a moment what could happen if people suddenly began to do only what they are interested in? For example, a surgeon would refuse to perform an operation, because at that time his favorite movie was shown on TV. Or the dispatcher at the airport would like to read a book or go for a walk during his duty. And the pilot, instead of the indicated route, would have gone to Mexico, since he had long dreamed of visiting there.

There are words "want" and "need". “Need” is our idea of ​​duty.

Define the term debt. (Duty is an obligation to someone or something).

IX. Commented reading

1. Expressive reading of the Arabic parable "Debt".

Before you is an Arabic parable "Duty". (The parable is read by the student).

Arabic parable "Duty".

One carpenter, no matter how much he earned, was content with little and made few expenses. A neighbor once asked him:

You earn a lot, but where do you put your wealth? You don't see anything special.

I pay off my debts with one part of my earnings, and I lend the other part at interest, - the master answered.

It can't be that you have debts, and I haven't heard that you gave someone a loan, - objected the neighbor.

If I give money to my parents, I consider that I am paying off my debts, and I consider that I am lending money at interest on the money that I spend on the education and maintenance of my children. When the children grow up, and my wife and I grow old, will they not return our debt? the master said.

2. Parable talk

Do you agree that children owe their parents a debt? (children's answers)

If a person does not take care of his parents, does this have any effect on his own children? (children's answers)

What did the parable of debt teach you?

From our parents we received the greatest and priceless gift - life. They nurtured and raised us, sparing neither strength nor love. And now that they are old and sick, it is our duty to cure and bring them out.

and Rembrandt's masterpiece "The Return of the Prodigal Son"

Beautiful far away, don't be cruel to me,

Don't be cruel to me, don't be cruel.

From the pure Source to the Beautiful Far,

Into the Beautiful Far Away we begin the Path.

song "Beautiful Far Away"

Krylatov, lyrics by Entin

The masterpiece of the great Master and thinker is dedicated to the most important issue of Being - the problem of the relationship between the Creator and His creation, God and man, endowed with free will and, because of this, constantly facing the problem of choice, starting with Adam, who tasted the forbidden fruit, and as a result of such amateur activity lost connection with the Primary Source (Paradise), and ending with a future person who will overcome fornication and return to the Father's House along the path indicated by Christ, because there is simply no other way. Non-return leads inevitably to absolute non-existence.

The picture is, as it were, an illustration of the parable from the New Testament about the prodigal son. The parable of Christ about the prodigal son occupies a special place in His Teachings and is, perhaps, the most voluminous indivisible allegory of the New Testament. It stands, as it were, apart and is presented only in one of the four canonical Gospels - the Gospel of Luke, in chapter 15, together with the parables of the lost sheep and the lost drachma. Since it tells about each of us and humanity as a whole, about our confessed path, and I am not sure that the Bible is a reference book for every reader, I consider it necessary to quote it in its entirety.

11. He also said, A certain man had two sons; 12. And the younger one said to his father: Father! give me the next one to me part of the estate. AND father divided the property between them. 13. After a few days, the youngest son, having collected everything, went to a far country and there he squandered his property, living dissolutely. 14. And when he had lived all, there came a great famine in that country, and he began to be in need; 15. And he went and attached himself to one of the inhabitants of that country, and he sent into his fields to feed swine; 16. And he was glad to fill his belly with horns that swine ate, but no one gave him. 17. When he came to his senses, he said: How many hirelings from my father have plenty of bread, and I am dying of hunger! 18. I will get up and go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19. And I am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired hands. 20. He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion; and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21. The son said to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 22 And the father said unto his servants, Bring forth the best garment, and clothe him, and put a ring on his hand, and sandals on his feet; 23. And bring the fattened calf and slaughter it; let us eat and be merry, 24. For this son of mine was dead, and is alive again; And they started having fun. 25 And his elder son was in the field; and returning, when he approached the house, he heard singing and rejoicing; 26. And calling one of the servants, he asked: what is this? 27 He said to him, Your brother has come, and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he received it. healthy. 28. He got angry and did not want to enter. His father came out and called him. 29. But he said in answer to his father: Behold, I have served you for so many years and have never transgressed your command; but you never gave me a goat to have fun with my friends; 30. And when this son of yours, who had squandered his possessions with harlots, came, you slaughtered a fattened calf for him. 31. And he said to him: My son! you are always with me, and all mine is yours; 32 And you must rejoice and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.

From the point of view of the earthly, human concept, the logic of bodily consciousness and the literal interpretation of the text, the behavior of the father is extremely unfair. But after all, Christ spoke in parables, requiring deciphering the symbols used, allowing one to perceive the New Testament texts in unity and without contradictions.

And the first thing to do is to decide on the main character - the father, who cannot be understood otherwise than as God the Father, the Almighty and Creator of Heaven and earth, visible and invisible, and therefore it is necessary to write it without fail with capital letter. Everything He created belongs to Him, and the main component of what He has, i.e., His possessions, is the incorruptible world of infinity, which does not decrease at all from separation, in contrast to the material world. He has everything and, most importantly, absolute knowledge, which includes material, perishable, material knowledge and those that are associated with the immaterial beginnings of the world - spiritual knowledge. However, this does not exhaust the content of the Father's estate. A person is not only woven from such principles, which can be divided into material and spiritual, he potentially possesses that which is difficult to attribute to one of the mentioned knowledge, i.e., natural knowledge that birds, animals, insects possess. In Proverbs of Solomon 30:24-28 it says: “These are four small people on the earth, but they are wiser than the wise: ants are not a strong people, but prepare their food in the summer, mountain mice are a weak people, but they build their houses on a rock, locusts have no king , but she performs harmoniously; The spider clings with its paws, but it happens in the royal halls.

Man, in his arrogant delusion, casually calls natural knowledge instinct and unconditioned reflex, but in relation to a person it is difficult to compare them with anything other than talent, sometimes rightly called the Gift of God. Understanding the true role of natural knowledge, talent reveals to us the secret of the ancients, who possessed such profound knowledge and skills that they baffle modern positivist science, which deals only with the material principles of this world and helplessly stands before the Sphinx as an eternal riddle, and as evidenced by Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, buildings of Easter Island, in Peru and other monuments ancient culture. All these abilities are initially endowed with a person as a potential incarnation of God in all His fullness, created in the image of God. However, after the separation of the Father’s estate and departure to a far side, i.e., the loss of a person’s connection with the Creator, the squandering of the estate (what a person has, having received from the Father) inevitably occurs in a dissolute life, i.e. deprived of ethical guidance in deciding choice problems.

The word "fornication" does not mean at all what is commonly understood by it. This is not some kind of sexual adventures, but something else. The New Testament deals with fornication in detail. But what is written in it cannot be taken literally. There the husband is the Spirit, the inner man, and the wife is the Soul, the outer man. The spirit is, in fact, man himself, created in the image and likeness of God. The Soul is a vessel of the Spirit that stores its experience accumulated in the process of multiple incarnations into matter. This experience is recorded in the Soul in the form of models (programs) of various sectors of the surrounding world. Models are not adequate real world. Therefore, in order to replace them with more adequate ones, a person, in addition to the Soul, has a Mind, which is an analyzer of the event flows of the surrounding world. Spirit is the main one. The soul must be an obedient instrument in the hands of the Spirit for the manifestation of God through man in the material world. And therefore, the main task of our next coming to earth is to change the programs of the Soul with the help of the Mind in the direction of their adequacy to the real world for the greatest possible incarnation of the Spirit. However, due to the frailty of Reason, the majority modern people they live not by the Mind, but by the Soul, that is, by illusory models from past incarnations, which themselves, without the participation of the Mind, cannot change. And since there is no movement up, there is a movement down. Spiritual concerns are being replaced by material ones. The human soul (wife) plunges into the vanity of the material world, betraying the Spirit (husband). This is fornication. Some people engage in fornication in violent professional activities, others perform external rites in the church and worship idols (icons of saints), etc. fornication.

As a result of separation, the spiritual principle first of all dries up, and disbelief in Truth, Good, Love, as the Divine Primary Elements of Being, sets in, and this is moral death. The faith of a person in himself, as the primary source of Truth, Goodness and Love, is madness. They can be obtained only by purification by opening oneself to the Infinity of the Source. Deprived of spiritual nourishment, natural knowledge and skills are squandered, and the material part of the estate falls under the power of all-destroying entropy, which is the prince of this world. A person begins to need, which happens to everyone who lives in self-detachment from the Creator. Deprived of nourishment by the purest cosmic energies of the Father's house, in order not to die of hunger, a person is happy to fill his womb with horns, i.e. pig food, and is ready to feed pigs as a mercenary for material food, which symbolizes any work done not for glory. God's, but for need, whether it be the work of a scientist, actor, writer or janitor. And if access to Divine contentment is open to everyone and it is given to everyone, then non-payments are common in this world, and every employer seeks to appropriate the results of the work of mercenaries.

For a deeper understanding of the parable of the prodigal son, you can use the analogy method. Let's imagine such a situation. Suppose someone sends a brigade of people to the taiga to restore order in it. For example, to clear it from fallen trees. After all, trees, unlike people, cannot bury their fallen comrades. The brigade is allocated travel allowances, is given the necessary equipment and food supplies. Arriving in the taiga and seeing how many berries and mushrooms grow there, one of the people suggests: “Work can wait. Let’s better pick berries and mushrooms.” Everyone agrees. Then another proposal comes in: "Let's kill some game in the forest, light a fire and fry a barbecue." After a while, people completely forget why they were sent to the taiga. They begin to cut down trees and build luxurious houses from them for themselves, to kill animals not only for food, but also for fun. And if suddenly there is someone brave who reminds them why they were sent here, then at first they simply won’t listen to him, then they can threaten him, and then even kill him, so as not to spoil the life of others with reminders of duties. Isn't the same thing happening in humanity, which has turned its back on God, who sent man into the material world to create beauty, that is, to spiritualize matter by incarnating the Spirit into it. The main slogan of godless mankind has become: “Take everything from life!”, And those who recall that it is necessary not only to take, but also to give, that a person, in addition to rights, also has duties, was quickly dealt with in all ages: Archimedes with a butt blow on head was killed, Pythagoras with his entire school was burned, Socrates was sentenced by a "democratic" court of 501 jurors to accept a bowl of hemlock, Plato was sold into slavery, Christ was crucified, Pushkin and Lermontov were brought to a duel, etc. However, the desire to only take, nothing without giving in return, it costs the person himself dearly: this leads him to gradual degradation and death. After all, just like people from the brigade through certain time squandered the entire advance given to them, so a person who ignores his duties as an assistant to the Creator spends the energy received in advance in advance and fades prematurely due to self-disconnection from the regular Divine allowance, the purest energies, which in India are called prana, in China - chi-energy, in Holland - Reika, and in Rus' it has long been called the Holy Spirit.

It is symbolic that only once in a situation similar to the one that developed in modern Russia with her criminal employers and takers, the prodigal son came to his senses, that is, he realized his inner self, which prompted him to return to the Father. Prior to that, he was beside himself, in a state of separation, and his inner higher self was in a pen and did not manifest itself in any way. Only an act of deep sincere repentance can awaken his dormant inner man, to restore the true hierarchy of values ​​and the connection of a person with the Primary Source.

And for the Father, the matter will not rise. He will see everyone and will meet him with joy and forgiveness even when he is still far away, like you and me, dear viewers and readers. Just enough sincere desire and determination to part with their lecherous past, unrighteous life and start moving towards the Creator. And the results will come inevitably. The wasted health and abilities are also returned, providing freedom from this world, in particular, to take any food. Recalling the above analogy, we can conclude that the owner, who sent a brigade to the taiga with the aim of ennobling it, will immediately send a new advance payment to those people who decide to take on the work for which they were sent. At the same time, during breaks in work, they may well pick berries and mushrooms, the main thing is not to forget about the work itself, it should come first.

In the parable of the prodigal son, everything is symbolic and filled with deep allegorical meaning. And the best clothes, symbolizing a high consciousness, and a ring, as a symbol of eternity (ring), with a seal, meaning power as a zealous possession of the world, power capable of sacrificing itself in the name of the unshakable world as the Creator's tread. He who returns to God receives reliable shoes that protect his feet. The feet symbolize the path to be traveled, and the shoes received from the Father represent the help needed to successfully overcome the path. The healing action of the Divine energies will not keep you waiting until tangible results are obtained, which are still absent from the returned son. With sincere repentance, results are guaranteed and therefore Divine satisfaction is assured.

Through repentance and awareness of his fornication (delusion), the son gains a connection with heaven and, as a result, health. The father slaughtered the fattened calf because he found his son healthy. In the Bible, meat is considered a difficult food that only people who have contact with the Divine, that is, spiritually healthy, can eat without harm to themselves. The younger son, who went through the temptations and temptations of the world below and found the strength in himself to return to the Father, became able to digest difficult food. Therefore, the Father ordered the fattened calf to be slaughtered.

The picture shows the central moment of Genesis: repentance and return. They are inseparable neither in time nor in space - this was perfectly understood by the unsurpassed master of light and shadow by the time of creating his masterpiece (1668-1669) at the finish of the next incarnation. The unfading light of the Divine chela fills with its vibrations the entire being of the penitent son and heals him. It is open to anyone capable of understanding it. Other characters of the picture speak about this, where there is no eldest son, who became jealous and refused to enter Father's house, thus showing that unsophisticated holiness and righteousness are worth little. Two female figures in the dark depths of the picture are full of "righteous emotions" about the "unfair" behavior of the Father in relation to his sons. They are dominated by purely human criteria, which are fundamentally different from the Divine ones. Haven't we heard, "What is God doing and where is He looking?" from people who, by virtue of their deepness, seem to themselves “holier than the Pope” and always “know” what and how to do. The women in the picture symbolize the earthly body consciousness, which is inaccessible to Divine motivation and decision. The other two figures depict Rembrandt himself with a significant difference in age, about 20-30 years, which the artist needed to mature the idea and execute it. The seated man is Rembrandt at a relatively young age, when he was rich materially and had a high social status, as symbolized by the black rich headdress of the seated man, but he was still poor spiritually, as evidenced by his nondescript gray clothes. But a standing man with a bright brow is Rembrandt in last years of his life, spiritually enlightened, but, as you know, ended his life in extremely cramped material conditions. Therefore clothes standing man, unlike the one sitting, although with a poor headdress, are very similar to the clothes of the Father. By the way, it is no coincidence that a spiritually unenlightened person sits, while an enlightened person stands. By the difference in poses, the artist probably wanted to emphasize the inevitable difference in the space occupied by these two people. life position. A sitting posture means passivity, contemplation, and a standing posture means activity associated with actions aimed at conscious Service for the glory of God. The relatively young author sitting in a tense pose, deprived of the bright Divine seal, is still only staring at the majestic phenomenon and trying to understand it. These efforts will eventually bear fruit in the form of a reflection of the light of the Father's love, illuminating the contemplative face of the artist at the time of work on the masterpiece. It eloquently says that the meaning of human life is only to be in Love and God, because there is nothing else to be and there is no need.

Bibliography

A. S. Pushkin, a prophet, an artistic genius, a scientist who created the law-cognitive mathematics of cycles and was elected an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1832, was well aware of this.

For example, a modern person uses only a few (no more than 5) percent of the capabilities of his brain in his entire life.

This is not necessary, if only because modern man in Everyday life uses no more than 5% of the resources of the brain, which he possesses at the current stage of evolution.

Ecology (from the Greek oikos - home, dwelling, residence) is the science of the relationship of plant and animal organisms and the communities they form between themselves and the environment.

Shadanakar - the multi-layered world of our planet

Enrof - a physical layer equivalent to the modern astronomical Universe

In my opinion, it is obvious that the arrogant callousness of a person in relation to animals and senseless cruelty towards each other, which is now especially manifested in local wars with "point" strikes with volumetric bombs, are two sides of the same coin, indicating moral degradation mad humanity, unable to raise the voice of conscience against the atrocities of the main terrorist of the XXI century - the United States, cold-bloodedly and with impunity, with sadistic methodicality, killing the innocent children and women of Afghanistan by bombing under the guise of combating terrorism. It is very unfortunate that our authorities have not yet realized the planetary role of Russia, which seems obvious to me and is set out in the already mentioned article in the Sovremennik newspaper.

It turns out that there is no need for this either, which follows from the presented theory and practice of Zinaida Baranova. Thought forms have enormous structure-forming properties to create a substance out of "nothing", including proteins, fats, carbohydrates and vitamins. It's all about the degree of embodiment in the consciousness of the Divine Mind with its hidden order and creative abilities. And this depends on its littering with information in the form of "immutable" truths.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son.

“A certain man had two sons; and the youngest of them said to his father, Father! give me the part of the estate next to me. And the father divided the estate between them. After a few days, the youngest son, having collected everything, went to a far country and there he squandered his property, living dissolutely. When he had lived all, there came a great famine in that country, and he began to be in need; and he went and attached himself to one of the inhabitants of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine; and he was glad to fill his belly with horns that swine ate, but no one gave him. When he came to his senses, he said: how many hirelings from my father have plenty of bread, and I am dying of hunger; I will get up and go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired hands.

He got up and went to his father. And while he was still far away, his father saw him and had compassion; and, running, fell on his neck and kissed him. The son said to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. And the father said to his servants: Bring the best clothes and dress him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; and bring a fattened calf, and kill it; Let's eat and be merry! for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they started having fun.

His eldest son was in the field; and returning, when he approached the house, he heard singing and rejoicing; and calling one of the servants, he asked: what is this? He said to him: Your brother has come, and your father killed the fatted calf, because he received him healthy. He got angry and didn't want to come in. His father went out and called him. But he said in response to his father: behold, I have served you for so many years and have never transgressed your orders, but you have never given me even a kid to have fun with my friends; and when this son of yours, who had squandered his possessions with harlots, came, you slaughtered a fattened calf for him. He said to him: My son! you are always with me, and all mine is yours, but it was necessary to rejoice and rejoice that this brother of yours was dead and is alive again, was lost and was found (Luke 15:11-32).

The main meaning of the parable of the prodigal son

On the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, the Church shows us an example of God's inexhaustible mercy towards all sinners, who turn to God with sincere repentance. The true fullness and joy of life lies in the energy-heart union with God and constant communion with Him. On the contrary, moving away from this communion “to a country far away” serves as a source of all kinds of disasters and humiliations. Thus, not a single sinner, in the days when the time of repentance of Great Lent is approaching, should despair of the grace-filled help and mercy of God.

Lenten edification

In the parable of the prodigal son, the Lord likens the joy of God at the repentance of the sinner to the joy of the father, to whom his younger son, lost in the elements of life, deeply loved by him, returned. Of all the parables told by the Savior, it is the most significant and detailed, for it does not describe one side of the relationship with God, but touches the very core of the synergistic-graceful communication of the sons of men with their Heavenly Father.

And the youngest of them said to his father: Father! give me the part of the estate next to me. And the father divided the estate between them. Remarkable detail! IN ancient Israel parents treated their children with great care and love. They carefully and tenderly followed the development of the child, noting in this development of children's life no less than eight ages. Where is now in our modern society will we find a similar periodization of childhood growth stages? For their part, the children owed obedience and reverence to their parents. The Old Testament Jewish sage says: “He who honors his father is cleansed of sins, he who respects his mother is like one who acquires treasures; he who leaves his father is the same as a blasphemer, and cursed from the Lord is he who provokes his mother.(Sir. 30. 3-4,). Harsh warning words! The disobedience of children to their parents was strictly punished by law: “If anyone has a son who is violent and rebellious, disobeying the voice of his father and the voice of his mother, and they punished him, but he does not listen to them, then his father and his mother let them take him and bring him to to the elders of his city and to the gates of his place of residence, ... then all the inhabitants of his city shall stone him to death.” (Deut. 21:18-19, 21). “The eye that mocks the father and neglects the obedience to the mother, the ravens of the valley will peck out and the eagles will devour” (Prov. 30:17).

Based on the foregoing, it is clear that the request of the youngest son for the division of the inheritance was not an expression of love and humility. He frivolously wishes to personally enjoy the fruits of his father's labors "here and now", completely without thinking about how his father acquired them and what will happen to him when he thoughtlessly squanders part of his inheritance with crafty friends? Imaginary freedom attracts him! In his father's house, it seems to him that it is impossible to show the fullness of his personality, to flourish in perfection with all his natural talents, only by going as far as possible from his native borders, "to a country far away", he will find the desired foothold, "find himself" and become fully armed their valiant talents to receive from the world legitimate human recognition and glory. The vain hope of an inexperienced youth! Each of us has gravitated towards this unblessed outcome since the time of Adam. He was the first of the people to wish “the next part of the estate”, “to be like the gods” and cordially “departed” from God the Father within the boundaries of paradise. He received his "inheritance" and a logical addition to it: illness, suffering and death. Adam's experience is a spiritually representative experience for all people. That is why, on the eve of Great Lent, the Church reminds us of this archetypal disastrous, extremely tempting for every soul, false free path.

In his interpretation of the parable of the prodigal son, Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh tragic family situation, exaggerates too much: “ Simple words: Father, give me ... means: "Father, give me now what will still get me after your death. I want to live my life, and you are standing in my way. I can not wait for you to die: to then I shall no longer be able to enjoy what wealth and freedom can give. Die! You no longer exist for me. I am already an adult, I do not need a father. I need freedom and all the fruits of your life and labors; die and let me live !" Beautiful deep words, but having little basis in the hereditary institution of the Old Testament Jews. In ancient Israel, the possibility of dividing the estate during the life of the father was one of the original characteristics of the inheritance system. IN bible stories about the daughters of Laban and Job, about the son of Abraham Isaac, the inheritance property was received by the children before the death of their father. Modern Bible scholars, based on the facts of studying numerous documents of the Old Testament era, note that in eastern countries, inheritance was often given to children during the life of their father.

During the time of the New Testament (second half of the 1st century), the rules for receiving an inheritance changed. Sons and daughters received it only with the death of the head of the family. In the letter to the Hebrews, the apostle Paul instructs: “For where there is a testament, there it is necessary that the death of the testator should follow. Because a testament is valid after the dead: it has no effect when the testator is alive ”(Heb. 9, 16-17). Thus, in the words of the youngest son to receive his smaller share of the inheritance, a selfish desire to free himself from his father's guardianship, from his all-embracing loving look, sounded more than a wish for his father to die. The younger son did not think of “burying” his father during his lifetime, he only wanted to receive “his own”, because he knew that, as an heir, he had the legal right to ask him earlier. Do not rudely demand, putting a knife to his father's throat, but ask, hoping for a successful outcome for himself, knowing the softness of his parent's heart. In the immediate consent of the father from the Gospel tale, "to divide the estate" is an amazing correspondence with divine pedagogy. The father does not persuade the "youngest" to wait, gain experience, does not frighten him with the horrors of fatherlessness, he calmly agrees with his son and allocates him the required part of the estate. Similarly, the Lord acts in relation to each person. He “allocates” to him the due “part of the estate”: life, personal self-consciousness, freedom, talents and other existential gifts. A person is free to dispose of this wealth at his own discretion, he can grow rich in “God”, or he can squander his “inheritance” in a senseless attempt at personal earthly autonomy. The outcome is known. A man, after a little illusory experience of selfhood, finds himself among the pigs at the trough with mugs! "Soul, rest, eat, drink and be merry" (Luke 12:16-21). Here is the end of the fairy tale human dignity and freedom without God!

Why did the youngest son go to herd pigs? Why didn't he find a job, at least as a port loader or a fisherman? For a Jew, there was no more shameful work than herding pigs, for the Law of Moses forbids the use of pork and, consequently, the breeding of swine herds. With such an extreme depiction of the disastrous state of the prodigal son, traversed through alien lands, Christ gives us a symbolic clue. Man is expelled from Paradise. There is no other work outside the Father's House, other than "herding pigs" on earth. Man is not provided with heavenly work! Any work outside the sphere of divine will and grace, outside a loving relationship with God is defined in the language of the Gospel as "pig shepherding" for pig inhuman food. Without Christ and perspective eternal life any earthly activity is "herding pigs"! And that's exactly what it says!

“Coming to his senses (the prodigal son), he said: how many hirelings from my father are abundant in bread, and I am dying of hunger; I will get up and go to my father and say to him: Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son.” What does "come to your senses" mean? This means that the prodigal son was "not in himself", his personal self-consciousness in the face of eternity was almost at zero. Among the grunting pig snouts, he "came to his senses", came to life from a mortal spiritual swoon. The words "came to his senses" are nothing else like a tracing-paper from the Socratic expression “know thyself.” Of course, Christ's parable does not copy the postulate ancient Greek philosopher. Spiritual life at any time proceeds according to the same laws. Therefore, it is described by similar verbal formulas. Hieromartyr Sergei (Mechev) talked about self-knowledge in the following way: “One holy father says that the beginning of our salvation is the knowledge of oneself. But after all, knowing oneself is the work of all life, this is what a person has been striving for throughout his entire existence. The Holy Fathers reveal the meaning of this saying, saying that until you know who you are, until you yourself feel the image of God in yourself, until you, living among earthly citizens, feel that you are a citizen of heaven, and become enslaved " alien citizens”, until you, living among the dirt of your own soul, did not know the image of God in yourself, - until then you did not enter the path of salvation, did not yet begin your salvation. It begins from the moment when I knew my Divine nature. "Citizen of heaven" and felt like a prodigal son. Clearly earned consciousness immediately showed him the proper path: "He got up and went to his father." Where else to “go” from a country far away, if all radial paths lead to the Father’s House, to the center of moral rebirth?

In the famous Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son" in a gloomy medieval setting on the threshold of a house, a decrepit father, with great quiet tenderness, embraces his emaciated, emaciated son, who is kneeling before him. The father, leaning towards his son, holds both hands with open palms on his back, as if protecting him from the calamitous sinful world. The figures of relatives are static. "Everything is over! You are at home, my son! - says the father's look. Words are not needed. Love proclaims salvation. In its own way, a deep pictorial reading of the Gospel parable.

In Orthodoxy, the meeting of the prodigal son with his father is interpreted in a completely different way. It is full of dynamics, joyful movement of legs and hearts. Father and son in icon-paintings are depicted running towards each other. Their souls seethe with exciting victorious jubilation: an all-forgiving father and a humble son. Hoping to be only a "mercenary" in parental home Seeing his aged father hurrying towards him, the prodigal son cannot but understand that he is forgiven, that he has always been and will be his son and only his son! But didn’t all this dream, a youngster who recently pastured pigs? Sweeping away the last barriers of selfhood on the way to the son’s heart, confirming his forgiveness with life’s deeds, the father commands to arrange a feast, to bring the best, “first” clothes, “the imperishable clothes of the future age”, to the returned son “from oblivion”, and most importantly, to bring the family ring with the legitimate seal as a sign of final parental trust. He proclaims to everyone, calls everyone: “Let's eat and be merry! for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

It is not difficult to see in the image of a father's feast with a well-fed calf slaughtered an analogy with the Eucharist, with the Lord's Meal, and with a forgiven prodigal son, a correlation with every person who has come to the Church with repentance and hope for God's mercy. The time of Great Lent, just for such an occasion, is to throw away the “pig faces” left for a “rainy day” in the bins, “come to your senses”, return to your Father’s House and never leave it again, affirming the Liturgical order with the whole system of the soul earthly existence.

Attention should be paid to one of the liturgical features of the resurrection of the Prodigal Son. At Matins, after the joyful and solemn psalms of the Polyeleos, the Church sings Psalm 136 full of repentant sorrow, we give it in Russian translation: “On the rivers of Babylon, we sat there and wept when we remembered Zion. How can we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, forget me, my right hand. Let my tongue cling to my throat, if I do not remember you, if I do not put Jerusalem at the head of my joy.”

This is a psalm of exile. It was sung by the Jews in the Babylonian captivity, remembering their holy city of Jerusalem. He became forever the song of a man who realized himself exiled from God, but realizing exile, he again becomes a man striving, like a son, to the House of the Heavenly Father. Psalm 136 is sung twice more, on the last two Sundays before Great Lent.

Explanations for the Parable of the Prodigal Son

About birthright

On the pages Holy Scripture the concept of primogeniture is repeatedly mentioned, in particular in relation to inheritance. Among the advantages of the firstborn son over his brothers was the right to a double share of the father's property. The book of Genesis tells of Esau selling his birthright to his brother Jacob. Esau's sale of his birthright (Gen. 25:27-34) deprived him of this additional share, and not of the entire inheritance.

About Rozhtsy

Hornets: the fruits of a single tree, like oak acorns, growing in Syria and some parts of Asia Minor, which were fed to pigs. Sometimes they were eaten, for lack of another, by extremely poor people.

About finger-print

In ancient times, when people could not write, any document was certified with a ring with a seal. To give someone your ring meant to give your life, your estate, family and honor into his hands. To the prophet Daniel in Babylon, to Joseph in Egypt: by giving a ring from their hand, the king and pharaoh transferred the power to govern the state on their behalf. Among the Old Testament Jews, rings also served as seals and were evidence of belonging to one or another tribe (genus).