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The First Tuesday of Great Lent: Lent—the Tithe of the Year (Maxims 1-9)

By Father Thomas Hopko, March 13, 2008 In Orthodox Church tradition, the season of Great Lent is called, in the liturgical books, the “tithe of the year.” We know that in the Bible the believers were obliged to give ten percent of their possessions, their time, their crop, their money to the Lord, to the temple. And the rule of the tithe wasn’t at all because ninety percent of our possessions are our own and

The First Thursday of Great: Lent—the Tithe of the Year (Maxims 34-49)

By Father Thomas Hopko, March 13, 2008 34. Be awake, and be attentive. Be fully present where you are—wakefulness, watchfulness, attentiveness. 35. Think and talk about things no more than necessary. We should speak only when it’s necessary to speak. In fact the Scripture says: “We should speak only when spoken to.” The Fathers say: “We often repent of idle talk but very seldom have to repent of maintaining silence. Sometimes we do, because we

The First Tuesday of Great Lent: Lent—the Tithe of the Year (Maxims 1-9)

By Father Thomas Hopko, March 13, 2008 In Orthodox Church tradition, the season of Great Lent is called, in the liturgical books, the “tithe of the year.” We know that in the Bible the believers were obliged to give ten percent of their possessions, their time, their crop, their money to the Lord, to the temple. And the rule of the tithe wasn’t at all because ninety percent of our possessions are our own and