Post by Angela on Jun 27, 2007 21:36:21 GMT -5
Danil sat in church at St. Nicholas's Orthodox Church, enjoying the mass. Occasionally during mass he would look across the room at his father and stepmother, whom he had left the day he turned 18. As hard as it was for him, he felt that he was being suffocated at home, because of his father's constant supervision and restrictions on his time with Parker, with whom Danil was extremely close.
Danil had spent a few weeks before his birthday fixing up his new apartment, so that it would be ready on the day he turned 18. His father wasn't at all happy when he announced he was leaving after his birthday dinner, the police were even called to see if this was legal. Thankfully it was, and Danil moved out that day. He did not give his father any contact information because he knew he would not leave him alone and try to convince him to come home. Danil did feel guilty about that though, but wwith his relationship with Zhenya, he could siimply tell his father through Zhenya that he was doing well, and they did see each other in church every Sunday, though Danil always left before Andrei could speak to him. But that was mostly due to the fact that Danil felt so guilty, he couldn't really face his father after he betrayed him like that.
Perhaps it was the fact that the holidays were coming that caused Danil to really want to see Andrei and Lily again. He had taken note of Lily gaining weight over the past few months, and was told by Zhenya that she was pregnant. Danil smiled towards Lily, though being across the room, it probably went unnoticed.
"A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke," the priest read.
"Glory to you, Lord," Danil responded along with the rest of the standing congregation, crossing himself.
"Jesus continued: 'There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
'Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
'When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.
'But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
'The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
'But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
'Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
'The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'' The word of the Lord."
"Thanks be to God," Danil responded along with the rest of the congregation. Though the younger son's life was nothing like his own life, Danil did feel its relevance just the same. As the priest gave a sermon relating to this Gospel, he pondered over it, all the while looking in his father's direction, and he knew that his father was looking towards him.
"What does this mean?" the priest asked rhetorically. "God is our father, and when one of us leaves Him, He's saddened, but if that lost soul returns to Him, he's overjoyed, and feels the need to celebrate. He doesn't like to lose any of us. Yet sometimes, we stray, we turn to sin for enjoyment. Sex, drugs, violence, et cetera. But what this Gospel tells us is that no matter what mistakes we make, we can always come back and be welcomed with all the love that we had before. You know there are some that say you can never go home again. Well this proves them wrong. Parents love their children unconditionally, just as God does. So even if we offend our Lord, He'll still love us. And likewise, if we do something to hurt our own parents, they'll still love us. Many of those prisoners in jail, they'll often ask for their mother or their father to come see them, and their parents will come, because they still love them. First and foremost, they'll always be their children. But let's not forget the older son here. He never left his father, but yet he wasn't treated the same. Why? Well, I think that just because we're good Christians, that doesn't mean we can slack off." The priest chuckled. "We have to work for Our Father. We have to show Him that we deserve the love he's giving us. The father says to the older son, 'All that I have is yours.' That basically means, 'I love you too, just as much as I love the son that left and has returned.' Basically the older son says, 'What am I, chopped liver?'" He chuckled. "No, he was still his son. And nothing was taken away from him. He treated the younger boy with a celebration to show that he still loved him."
As Danil listened to the sermon, he found himself tearing up, and still looking towards his father. It really was selfish of him to not at least let him call him these past few months. He bowed his head, listening to the priest continue his sermon.
After the usual prayers, Danil got up and left with his row to leave the church. Shaking his hand with the priest and embracing him, he asked gently, "Thank you, for the Gospel today."
The priest smiled. "I'm glad you were able to take so much from it, Danil Andreievich. Have a good day."
"You too, Father."
Danil went downstairs. He hadn't been there in a while. Every Sunday after mass there were refreshments for anyone who wanted them. Andrei and Lily always went down, along with Zhenya and all of his friends that attended this church. No one noticed him coming down though, as he patiently stood in line to get some tea and sweets. Once he got what he wanted, he went over to where his father was sitting, along with Lily. They were sitting. He stood apprehensively looking at his father, and stepped closer to him.
"Hello, Papa."
Andrei Anatolyevich stared at him, and stood up.
"Danilka..."
Lily was shocked, and stood up, shaking.
"Danil..."
"Oh, baby!" Andrei exclaimed, throwing his arms around him, kissing him. Teary-eyed, Danil couldn't help chuckling.
Just like the Prodigal Son, he tthought.
"Papa, I'm sorry that I left in such a huff," Danil said as he pulled away for a moment. "It was wrong of me. I should have at least warned you and given you contact information for me." He sighed, drying his tears. "I'm just so sorry..."
"Danilka, you know you are forgiven... I drove you away... I intended to bring you closer to me and ended up pushing you away. I am the one who is truly sorry. If I had it to do over again, you know I wouldn't."
Danil smiled. "Thanks, Papa."
"So you'll be coming home then?" Andrei asked.
Danil paused. "Papa... I'm sorry, I have a great life at home, but you can visit anytime you want, and I would love to visit your place to. Lily, I hear you and Papa are going to have a baby?"
"Yes," Lily replied, and embraced him. "You're going to have a half-sister."
"Sister. There's no 'half' where I'm concerned," Danil said with a grin, and kissed her cheeks. "Congratulations to you both! I am very happy for you. I love you both so much, I never stopped loving you, I want you to know that."
Lily was crying and nodded. "Thank you, Danilka... We're so glad to have you back in our lives, honey. Your father has missed you so much."
"I missed you both too, very much," Danil replied. "I have so much to tell you!" Danil invited himself to sit down, and began talking excitedly about all that had happened from May until the present.
Danil had spent a few weeks before his birthday fixing up his new apartment, so that it would be ready on the day he turned 18. His father wasn't at all happy when he announced he was leaving after his birthday dinner, the police were even called to see if this was legal. Thankfully it was, and Danil moved out that day. He did not give his father any contact information because he knew he would not leave him alone and try to convince him to come home. Danil did feel guilty about that though, but wwith his relationship with Zhenya, he could siimply tell his father through Zhenya that he was doing well, and they did see each other in church every Sunday, though Danil always left before Andrei could speak to him. But that was mostly due to the fact that Danil felt so guilty, he couldn't really face his father after he betrayed him like that.
Perhaps it was the fact that the holidays were coming that caused Danil to really want to see Andrei and Lily again. He had taken note of Lily gaining weight over the past few months, and was told by Zhenya that she was pregnant. Danil smiled towards Lily, though being across the room, it probably went unnoticed.
"A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke," the priest read.
"Glory to you, Lord," Danil responded along with the rest of the standing congregation, crossing himself.
"Jesus continued: 'There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
'Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
'When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father.
'But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
'The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
'But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
'Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
'The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.'' The word of the Lord."
"Thanks be to God," Danil responded along with the rest of the congregation. Though the younger son's life was nothing like his own life, Danil did feel its relevance just the same. As the priest gave a sermon relating to this Gospel, he pondered over it, all the while looking in his father's direction, and he knew that his father was looking towards him.
"What does this mean?" the priest asked rhetorically. "God is our father, and when one of us leaves Him, He's saddened, but if that lost soul returns to Him, he's overjoyed, and feels the need to celebrate. He doesn't like to lose any of us. Yet sometimes, we stray, we turn to sin for enjoyment. Sex, drugs, violence, et cetera. But what this Gospel tells us is that no matter what mistakes we make, we can always come back and be welcomed with all the love that we had before. You know there are some that say you can never go home again. Well this proves them wrong. Parents love their children unconditionally, just as God does. So even if we offend our Lord, He'll still love us. And likewise, if we do something to hurt our own parents, they'll still love us. Many of those prisoners in jail, they'll often ask for their mother or their father to come see them, and their parents will come, because they still love them. First and foremost, they'll always be their children. But let's not forget the older son here. He never left his father, but yet he wasn't treated the same. Why? Well, I think that just because we're good Christians, that doesn't mean we can slack off." The priest chuckled. "We have to work for Our Father. We have to show Him that we deserve the love he's giving us. The father says to the older son, 'All that I have is yours.' That basically means, 'I love you too, just as much as I love the son that left and has returned.' Basically the older son says, 'What am I, chopped liver?'" He chuckled. "No, he was still his son. And nothing was taken away from him. He treated the younger boy with a celebration to show that he still loved him."
As Danil listened to the sermon, he found himself tearing up, and still looking towards his father. It really was selfish of him to not at least let him call him these past few months. He bowed his head, listening to the priest continue his sermon.
After the usual prayers, Danil got up and left with his row to leave the church. Shaking his hand with the priest and embracing him, he asked gently, "Thank you, for the Gospel today."
The priest smiled. "I'm glad you were able to take so much from it, Danil Andreievich. Have a good day."
"You too, Father."
Danil went downstairs. He hadn't been there in a while. Every Sunday after mass there were refreshments for anyone who wanted them. Andrei and Lily always went down, along with Zhenya and all of his friends that attended this church. No one noticed him coming down though, as he patiently stood in line to get some tea and sweets. Once he got what he wanted, he went over to where his father was sitting, along with Lily. They were sitting. He stood apprehensively looking at his father, and stepped closer to him.
"Hello, Papa."
Andrei Anatolyevich stared at him, and stood up.
"Danilka..."
Lily was shocked, and stood up, shaking.
"Danil..."
"Oh, baby!" Andrei exclaimed, throwing his arms around him, kissing him. Teary-eyed, Danil couldn't help chuckling.
Just like the Prodigal Son, he tthought.
"Papa, I'm sorry that I left in such a huff," Danil said as he pulled away for a moment. "It was wrong of me. I should have at least warned you and given you contact information for me." He sighed, drying his tears. "I'm just so sorry..."
"Danilka, you know you are forgiven... I drove you away... I intended to bring you closer to me and ended up pushing you away. I am the one who is truly sorry. If I had it to do over again, you know I wouldn't."
Danil smiled. "Thanks, Papa."
"So you'll be coming home then?" Andrei asked.
Danil paused. "Papa... I'm sorry, I have a great life at home, but you can visit anytime you want, and I would love to visit your place to. Lily, I hear you and Papa are going to have a baby?"
"Yes," Lily replied, and embraced him. "You're going to have a half-sister."
"Sister. There's no 'half' where I'm concerned," Danil said with a grin, and kissed her cheeks. "Congratulations to you both! I am very happy for you. I love you both so much, I never stopped loving you, I want you to know that."
Lily was crying and nodded. "Thank you, Danilka... We're so glad to have you back in our lives, honey. Your father has missed you so much."
"I missed you both too, very much," Danil replied. "I have so much to tell you!" Danil invited himself to sit down, and began talking excitedly about all that had happened from May until the present.
