Almighty God,
whose glory it is always to have mercy: be gracious to all who have gone astray from your
ways, and bring them with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the
unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son, who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
SCRIPTURE:
Luke 15:11-32
And he said, “There was a man who had
two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of
property that falls to me.’ And he divided his living between them. Not many days
later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and
there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a
great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined
himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed
swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him
anything. But when he came to himself he said, ‘How many of my father's hired
servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and
go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and
before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired
servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a
distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.
And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am
no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants,
‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and
shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry;
for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they
began to make merry. “Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew
near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked
what this meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has
killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.’ But he was angry
and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father,
‘Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you
never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours
came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!’
And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It
was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he
was lost, and is found.’”
