Great Lent Archives - Page 22 of 31

The Fifth Day of Great Lent. The Icon of Music

03/15/2019

By Fr. Stephen Freeman, February 28, 2015 This Sunday, the First Sunday of Great Lent, marks the return of the holy icons to the Churches in 843 A.D. It is celebrated as the “Sunday of Orthodoxy.” This article offers a reflection on a different form of the icon – of equal importance – and equally worth protection and care. Orthodox theology is a “seamless garment”: no part of Orthodox doctrine, worship, prayer or life stands

The Fourth Day of Great Lent. Bright Sadness.

03/14/2019

For many, if not for the majority of Orthodox Christians, Lent consists of a limited number of formal, predominantly negative, rules and prescriptions: abstention from certain food, dancing, perhaps movies. Such is the degree of our alienation from the real spirit of the Church that it is almost impossible for us to understand that there is “something else” in Lent—something without which all these prescriptions lose much of their meaning. This “something else” can best

The Third Day of Great Lent. The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts.

03/13/2019

The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts has a distinct character and order. It is comprised of three major parts or components: a) the service of Great Vespers peculiar to this Liturgy; b) the solemn transfer of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts to-the holy Table; and c) the preparation for and the distribution of holy Communion. The Liturgy does not contain the Anaphora, the Gifts of the bread and wine having been consecrated at the Divine Liturgy on

The Second Day of Great Lent. “When You Fast…”

03/12/2019

What appears to happen in the Passion of Christ and what actually happens are not at all the same. What appears to happen is not that extraordinary. The Romans crucified a Jewish man in order to keep public order. During their long rule over Judea, the Romans had killed many Jews, making the death of Jesus one among these many. But, only in appearance. The reality was very different. The Paschal homily attributed to St.

The First Day (Pure Monday) of Great Lent: The Journey to Pascha

03/11/2019

By Alexander Schmemann When a man leaves on a journey, he must know where he is going. Thus with Lent. Above all, Lent is a spiritual journey and its destination is Pascha, “the Feast of Feasts.” It is the preparation for the “fulfillment of Pascha, the true Revelation.” We must begin, therefore, by trying to understand this connection between Lent and Pascha, for it reveals something very essential, very crucial about our Christian faith and

Forgiveness – Do We Know What We’re Doing?

03/08/2019

By Fr Stephen Freeman, March 13, 2016 The first service of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church is “Forgiveness Vespers,” served on the eve of Monday of the First Week. There is nothing unusual about the service itself – other than the “rite of forgiveness” appended to it. In this, the priest and the faithful ask forgiveness of one another. Often this is done with mutual prostrations. Each asks the forgiveness of the other. The

The Eighth Day of Christmas. Feast of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia

01/01/2019

Saint Basil the Great (329-379) The Archbishop of Caesarea, Saint Basil is revered—together with Saints John Chrysostom and Gregory Nazianzos—as one of the “Three Holy Hierarchs” of the Church. Together with that same Nazianzos and Saint Gregory of Nyssa, Saint Basil is revered as one the “Cappadocian Fathers,” whose homiletical and mystical writings helped establish what is now considered the heart of Orthodox theology and spirituality. As Saint Benedict is honored for founding monasticism in

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Thursday of the Fourth Week of Pascha. Man is an Idolater of Himself.

05/03/2018

From our own experience and from our observation of others we are aware that human nature is damaged. Damaged, first of all, within each one of us; the ‘self is a shadow theatre of neurotic characters, and it is they who are pulling our strings instead of the other way about. Our faculties are disunited and out of order. While the rational intelligence is busy making distinctions, the ‘heart’, in obedience to dark subconscious forces,

Friday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent: The Ruler’s Responsibility. The Most Efficient Ruler is the One Who Serves with Love.

03/30/2018

The Ruler’s Responsibility The Superior who has the task of looking after everyone must act as if he had to give an account of each individual. He must realize that he will answer personally for a brother who has fallen into sin, because he has not shown him the Law of God. He will also have to answer for the brother who remains still in his sin, because he has not pointed out to him

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent: A Chatterer is like an Old Boot. The Powerful have a Thousand Masters.

03/29/2018

A Chatterer is like an Old Boot If two people are engaged in conversation they should speak in measured tones. Yelling and shouting is what idiots do. Talking in a whisper so that the person cannot hear is the mark of a fool. In conversation we must not let ourselves be seized with the desire always to interrupt in order to show off our fatuous superiority. Everything ought to lead to tranquility, as in the

Archive

The Fifth Day of Great Lent. The Icon of Music

The Fourth Day of Great Lent. Bright Sadness.

The Third Day of Great Lent. The Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts.

The Second Day of Great Lent. “When You Fast…”

The First Day (Pure Monday) of Great Lent: The Journey to Pascha

Forgiveness – Do We Know What We’re Doing?

The Eighth Day of Christmas. Feast of Saint Basil the Great, Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia

Christos Anesti! Christ is Risen! Thursday of the Fourth Week of Pascha. Man is an Idolater of Himself.

Friday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent: The Ruler’s Responsibility. The Most Efficient Ruler is the One Who Serves with Love.

Thursday of the Sixth Week of Great Lent: A Chatterer is like an Old Boot. The Powerful have a Thousand Masters.

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