Apostasies will be numerous, and courage will become rare. It is written that the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and the stars of the firmament will fall. In other words, the leaders of peoples will be seen to bend the knee before the reigning idol, and, what is still more lamentable, among the dispensers of science, the luminaries of theology, and the golden tongues of sacred eloquence, a large number will abandon the truth and let themselves be carried along with the current of depravity. – Father Charles Arminjon, The End of the Present World

And so he goes on to describe the apostates as those who “will enjoy the advantages of fortune in abundance; they will have the high salaries, the public offices, and a multiplicity of pleasures and of all desirable possessions; but those who refuse to clothe themselves with this abominable seal will be outlawed.”

Good morning Dear Friend and welcome to the High Noon of our lifetime! No matter who you are; whatever your background, religion or occupation…if you are alive (and especially if you are over 50), your body is sensing a shift. There is something taking place in our world that is seismic on the grandest scale, affecting the physical and spiritual dimensions…and it is beyond the capacity of Richter scales or gauges of any sort!! In these dark and dangerous times, the stage is set for the greatest homecoming of all time!

                                                    The Prodigal Son

                                  I was born in the land of my father’s home…

…in this world of illusion, I thought I owned! The birthright of Freedom! I was the oldest son; but in this time of the world’s greatest act in the most critically important passion play of the ages, we Americans are the Youngest Son. America is the Prodigal Son returning home to the father after having squandered our inheritance!

This is the very reason we bothered to clean our windshields in the first place. This is the one act in the one play that we must be fully awake to appreciate in every sense of the word! This is the Mother Lode…the Carpe Diem of all Carpe Diems!!! Snooze and we Lose…BIG! But there I go…assuming everyone knows the story! In a nutshell…

One of the many great Bible stories, The Prodigal Son or Parable of the Lost Son as told by Jesus, is the story of a wealthy man who had two sons. The youngest and most headstrong asks for his share of the inheritance while his father is alive and then, abandoning his obligations to the estate and his father, he takes off to see the world. Imagine It’s a Wonderful Life if George Bailey had actually left home and pursued his life-long dream! The older and more dutiful son takes the George Bailey route and actually stays home to roll up his sleeves and help his aging father manage the demanding affairs of a going concern!

When the youngest son wises up and realizes his foolhardy nature after squandering his inheritance, he returns home…returns to the father, literally hat in hand. And, to the great amazement and displeasure of the older son, the father rolls out the red carpet, throws a great celebratory feast and welcomes the returning vagabond with open arms…in every sense of the expression!

I’ve left out a bunch, but this is the treetop, reader’s digest gist of it! Like for instance (and remember this is a story from the perspective of Jewish traditions), the youngest son had become so destitute he found himself selling and even longing for “the food of pigs”!

There are so very many wonderful kernels of wealth and wisdom to harvest from this story…forgiveness, humility and redemption just to name a few. Jesus actually told this story in response to a Pharisees’ complaint: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

But the message I am asked to leave you with is from the Lost & Found-Amazing Grace Department. In the context of our present day, the condition of our estate (earthly and otherwise), the very destitute nature of our true selves and perhaps the greatest symbolic metaphor of all…the Father, Son & Holy Ghost is as desperate in heart for our return as we are in need of returning!

No matter who you are; whatever your background, religion or occupation. Drop what you are doing and listen. Pay attention Dear Friend to the window of your lifetime…it will not come again.