Teacher: Teacher Ophelius

“I am not worthy of salvation, for I have lived a life that is less than holy, and I cannot stand in the presence of my maker with a past like this.” “I have failed so many times; hurt so many with my selfish pride; spoken so harshly with my sharp tongue; looked away from those in need; and never set foot in a house of prayer.” How can anyone so wretched possibly deserve to live eternally in service to God?” “Wherefore shall I abide when my days here on this world are over?”

There are many on your world who have now, or at some time in the past, said these very words and felt that they are not worthy of God’s love and mercy, but I tell you there could be no such thing further from the truth, my dear friends. These are the very thoughts of the “Prodigal Son” who after squandering his Father’s inheritance, and living a wonton life, found himself starving in a pigpen in a faraway land—longing for the days when he was in his father’s house. After much lamenting, he decided that he would return home and ask for forgiveness and work as a servant in his father’s house where he would humbly abide and eat bread with the other servants. What did this young man find upon his return?

“…This father loved this son and was always on the lookout for his return, so that on the day he approached his home, even while he was yet afar off, the father saw him and, being moved with loving compassion, ran out to meet him, and with affectionate greeting he embraced and kissed him. And after they had thus met, the son looked up into his father’s tearful face and said: ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no more worthy to be called a son’ — but the lad did not find opportunity to complete his confession because the overjoyed father said to the servants who had by this time come running up: ‘Bring quickly his best robe, the one I have saved, and put it on him and put the son’s ring on his hand and fetch sandals for his feet.’

“And then, after the happy father had led the footsore and weary lad into the house, he called to his servants: ‘Bring on 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 all gathered about the father to rejoice with him over the restoration of his son.”

You see, dear friends, this is the story of us all, for we were not created to be perfect in this life, yet when we come to this place where we can see this imperfection in ourselves, and acknowledge our failures, we stand at the door of great opportunity—to live in the awareness of the Father’s love and mercy where He sees us as yet far off, but waiting with open arms for us to return to Him. We only need to choose to accept His love and mercy and live eternally as His ascending sons and daughters. Once we become aware and choose this path, we live each day with the blessed assurance of knowing our place in the universe as His experiential children who are loved unconditionally. This, my friends, is the beginning of a life of service—one of the Parts contributing to the Whole of creation, where each day we become more like Him, and being more like him, we learn to love and be compassionate toward others who are yet unaware of His great unconditional love and mercy.

Peace to you,

The Circle of Seven