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The third Sunday of the period of Great Lent is called the Sunday of the Lost Son according to the Parable of the Lost Son told in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 15:15-32), the content of which is the following. There was once a man who had two sons. Upon the request of the younger one he divided his property between his two sons. After a few days the younger son sold his part of the property and left home with the money. He went to a country far away, where he wasted his money in reckless living. He spent everything he had. Then a severe famine spread over that country and he was left without a thing. In that time of trouble he remembered his father’s house, regretted for his reckless living and returned to his father’s home. Seeing that his younger son has regretted, the father received him joyfully. Whereas the elder son complained, saying that during all those years he had worked for his father like a slave and had never disobeyed his orders, and however, he had never deserved such honor. His father answered him: “My son, you are always here with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and to be happy, because your brother was dead, but now he is alive; he was lost, but now he has been found.” The elder and the younger sons are the righteous and the sinful souls, and father’s receiving his lost son means that in the same way God receives the regretting sinner. The allegoric meaning of the parable is in the elder son symbolizing all those who are righteous or think that there are righteous. The parable admonishes all of them not to be self-conceited. Անառակի կիրակի Հայաստանյայց Առաքելական Սուրբ Եկեղեցին ապաշխարության և պահքի մի գեղեցիկ շրջան է սահմանել հավատացյալների համար, որի կիրակիներից յուրաքանչյուրն իր անվանումն ունի Աստվածաշնչի որևէ պատմությանը համապատասխան: Մեծ Պահքի երրորդ կիրակին կոչվում է Անառակի, ըստ Ղուկասի Ավետարանում հիշատակվող անառակ որդու մասին պատմող առակի` (տես Ղուկ. 15:11-32) մի մարդ իր կրտսեր որդու խնդրանքով ունեցվածքը բաժանում է երկու որդիների միջեւ: Կրտսեր որդին իր բաժինը վերցնելով գնում է հեռու երկիր, ապրում ցոփ ու շվայտ կյանքով, վատնում ամբողջ ունեցածը: Այս դժվար դրության մեջ նա հիշում է հայրական տունը, զղջում կատարածի համար և վերադառնում: Հայրը, տեսնելով որդու զղջումը, ուրախությամբ ընդունում է նրան: Ավագ որդին դժգոհում է, որ ինքը միշտ հոր կողքին է եղել, սակայն նման պատվի երբեք չի արժանացել: Հայրը պատասխանում է, որ պետք է ուրախ լինել, քանի որ` ով մեռած էր, կենդանացավ: Ավագ, կրտսեր որդիներն արդար և մեղավոր հոգիներն են, և ինչպես հայրն է անառակ որդուն ընդունում, նույն կերպ էլ Աստված է իր գիրկն առնում զղջացող մեղավորին: Առակը նաեւ հետեւյալ խրատն ունի, որ բացահայտվում է ավագ որդու կերպարում: Ովքեր կարծում են, թե արդար են, պետք է խուսափեն սեփական անձի մասին չափազանց բարձր կարծիք ունենալուց: http://www.qahana.am/en/holidays/2018-02-25/1
Sunday of Steward The fourth Sunday of the period of Great Lent is called the Sunday of the Steward, and the message of the day teaches us with the parable of the unjust steward. This parable is mentioned only in the Gospel of St. Luke (Luke 16:1-13). In the parable, a wealthy man learns that the steward of his house (the supervisor of his holdings) is squandering his possessions. The rich man calls the steward, asking for an accounting, having decided to release him from employment. The steward, realizing that he may soon be without work, begins to act accordingly so that in the near future, others may accept him into their homes. The steward calls those men who have debts to his employer, and he relieves them of a portion of their debts. Following this act, the wealthy man praises the steward for his contrivance. At first glance, it seems as though there is a great contradiction in this commendation. But the unjust steward grants back to the debtors, only that which he had added to the debt originally for his own gain. Thus, the wealthy man is not injured by the actions of his steward. The master praises the steward for resigning himself from the gains that the steward would have realized in these transactions. Thus, high praise is given to resignation, or abstinence, which is one of the foundations of Great Lent. Lent teaches mankind about the ability we each have to resign ourselves from all forms of temptation, the beginning of which is self-control and self-denial. Christ says, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). This parable admonishes every one of us that the journey towards salvation must include self-control and resignation. The allegorical meaning of the parable is in the wealthy man symbolizing God, and the unjust steward symbolizing the sinner. For an extended period of time, the sinner carelessly wastes the graces granted by God, until God calls him for an accounting of his life. The unjust steward symbolizes all who, upon regretting their actions, forgive those who have sinned against them, and become seekers of righteousness and the just.