Tirana, February 9, 2026
Photo: orthodoxianewsagency.gr
The story of the Prodigal Son is the story of every human being illustrating the journey from sin to repentance and the boundless mercy of God, His Eminence Archbishop John of Albania said Sunday.
Speaking at the Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana during the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, the Archbishop said leaving the Father’s house represents drifting away from spiritual life and communion with God. “The ‘far country’ is the state of life enslaved by sin and passions, cut off from one’s true nature,” he said, reports the Orthodoxia News Agency.
Abp. John stressed that freedom without responsibility leads not to true liberation but to slavery. “True freedom exists only in living according to the truth of God,” he said, highlighting the parable’s key phrase, “he came to himself,” as the starting point of genuine repentance.
He emphasized the mercy of God, comparing it to the Father in the parable, who runs to embrace his son even from a distance. “When God sees even a small step toward Him, He responds with forgiveness and spiritual gifts,” the Albanian primate said.
The Archbishop also said God’s justice is inseparable from love and compassion. “Without love and compassion, no ascetic practice or rule has value. The goal of spiritual life is to become like God, Who is merciful,” he said.
Concluding his homily, Abp. John called the period of the Triodion and Great Lent a time for hope, repentance, and return. “No one should fall into despair, because God awaits all with love, ready to heal, purify, and sanctify,” he said.
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