It’s every parent’s nightmare: you are at the mall or a store and suddenly your child is gone. You look everywhere and in an instant your heart jumps and your mind begins to think the unthinkable.

You remember telling your child to stay close, not to talk to strangers, and to always listen to you. But now ... Where is he? Where did she go? You call out to your child. Your heart jumps and beats faster until ... you see the child only a few feet away.

In the Garden of Paradise we too were to told listen, we too were told to stay close, and we too became lost. It was our Father in the Heavens who spoke to us and we His children who did not heed His Word. The stranger by the tree spoke lies to us and it was his word that we heeded. We became lost through the serpent’s words and our own selfishness and arrogance. God, however, has never ceased to chase after us—He has never abandoned us and continually seeks our return to the Garden.

All of history has been the pursuit of the Father for His children. He searches for us collectively and individually. Throughout the ages, following those fateful events in the Garden, God searched for His children. His Word cried out for them to come home. Some heard that cry and answered the call. Noah listened when no else would. Abraham heard His voice and in doing so became the father of many nations. Jacob became and begot Israel, a nation dedicated to a life of listening to God. For such children, God never hesitated to extend His hand and lead them back to the Garden. Even in bondage His Word would go forth and act as beacon, drawing His children back to Paradise.

In the fullness of time, God’s Word would call out to the four corners of the earth. His Word would take flesh and walk among us—first to His chosen children who listened best so that they could carry His message to all of His children. His message was the message of a loving parent telling His child who has strayed, “Fear not! Return and all will be forgiven! Worry not about past transgressions, only listen now. Hear My voice and return to the Garden!”

The period of Triodion and the Great Forty Days is a time when the Word of God cries out to us most intensely. This is the time when the Father searches the horizon for His prodigal sons and daughters and runs to them and embraces them when he catches but a glimpse of His children who were once lost and are now found. This is a time when disciples flee their Master and are scattered but are gathered together again in three days when the voice calls out to them even from death.

During this Triodion and Lent we must hear the voice of our Father calling out to all who have become lost. We must not heed the voice of strangers who seek to deceive us and keep us from returning home to our Father. We must not stray lest we become separated even further from the Garden. No matter how long we have been gone there is still time to come home to Paradise.

On March 9th we will assemble once again at the setting of the sun and listen for the voice calling us back. We will cry out to our Father, “Do not turn your face away from me!” We will tell Him and each other, “Forgive me a sinner.” In doing so, we will once again begin the long journey home to the Father who longs to see His children. In doing so, each of us will begin our return to the Garden.

Rev. Fr. Demetrios E. Tonias is the pastor of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Concord, NH, one of many "Share the Light Parishes" around the country that partner with the Orthodox Christian Network in a cooperative effort to build an effective media outreach for Orthodoxy. Fr. Demetrios, whose articles and sermons regularly appear on MyOCN.net, holds an M.Div. and Th.M. from Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology and is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in historical theology at Boston College. You can read more written by Fr. Demetrios and listen to his parish's OCN-produced Internet radio station, by visiting Holy Trinity's Web site.

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