Sunday of the Prodigal Son; Our Venerable Father Martinian
1 Corinthians 6:12-20; Luke 15:11-32
Read Luke 15:11-32
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
In preparing us for the Great Fast, part of today’s Gospel is giving us a very interesting message. When you fast (eat less) and become hungry, you may want to try to look into yourself in that state.
“He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said …” (15:16-17) RSVCE
When the prodigal son became hungry (v.16), he came to himself (v.17). So fasting can help us to better look into ourselves. The New King James Version has the exact same translation. The Douay Rheims Version reads: “And returning to himself…” In all these versions there is a strong emphasis on the prodigal son’s spiritual movement into himself. The NIV and the New American Bible both have the following translation: “When he came to his senses…” In these translations one totally disregards the introspective, spiritual movement of the prodigal son and therefore one would never make the connection between fasting and looking into oneself.