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|  Abp Kallistos Ware | |
| Updated March 12, 2012
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|  "Open to me the doors of repentance..." | "Open to me the doors of repentance..." |
GREAT LENT
~ The School of Watchfulness ~
The Pre-Lenten Period - A rich collection of articles, icons, videos and other helps to "warm us up" for the Lenten effort. Covers the period from the Sunday of Zacchaeus, up through the Sunday of Forgiveness, on which we celebrate the wonderful Forgiveness Vespers, which marks the liturgical beginning of Great Lent.
Great Lent - Remain on this page, and scroll down for key articles and features on Great Lent. Read an article a day as part of your Lenten effort! Updated throughout the course of the Fast.
Great Lent ~ Resources for the Journey - This unique blog of Christ the Savior~Holy Spirit features special selections of books, recordings, audio podcasts, videos, cookbooks, and much, much more. Updated during the course of the Fast. Subscription enabled.
Lenten Worship - The whole tone, length and feel of the divine services change dramatically during Great Lent. Learn about the significance of the unique weekday services, as well as the importance of the Sundays of Lent in this special sectionOn Fasting - Clear instruction on how we fast during the Great Fast, with spiritual insights as to why.On Confession - A special collection of aids to preparing for the Sacrament of Repentance, distilled from the writings of St Theophan the Recluse. Holy Week Resources are now featured in a new section. Here you will find a very helpful article tracing the Timing of the Passion and Holy Week, and a special series of articles highlighting each day's events, and explaining the special services, hymns, scripture passages and major themes for each day.
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Great Lent Pop-Up Calendar 2012
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|  Visit our Special Great Lent Resource Blog! | |
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Updated February 27, 2012
~ The Great Fast ~
'Let Us Rouse Ourselves to Spiritual Efforts!'
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PARISH RESOURCES
- Lenten Meditations from Fr. Steven - We strive to post these immediately as they appear, though certainly on a weekly basis.
- Special Articles from Fr. Steven - Brief, topical helps for the Fast, in printable PDF format:
- Stand Fast and Watch! ~ A Sermon by St John the Wonderworker of Shanghai and San Francisco
- Great Lent ~ Resources for the Journey - Our Special Parish Blog devoted to strengthening us all for the Fast, featuring articles on Lent, suggested books, recordings, cookbooks, and online stores and resources to help you immerse yourself in the beautiful "bright sadness" of this holy season leading us to our Lord's Pascha and eternal joy in the Kingdom of God!
- 2012 Great Lent, Holy Week and Pascha Services - posted on our Worship Schedule page on a convenient pop-up and printable calendar!
- NEW! Great Lent Brochure for 2012 - Complete with our full Lenten Schedule, fasting info, Holy Week Services, and edifying articles and quotes. (Approx 1MB printable PDF file each.)
- Outside: featuring special Lenten article 'Stand Fast and Watch!'
- Inside: Full Schedule for Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha
- Copies available in church.
May Christ our True God richly bless your Lenten Journey!
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|  The Jordanville Prayer Book | |
New for 2012
One of the many fruitful ways to enter into the lenten spirit, is to incorporate into our daily prayers some of the hymns and prayers of the Lenten Triodion, the Book of Great Lent. First among these is the Lenten Prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian, which is said in the Church during the weekday services of Lent. Here is Fr Steven's article on this profound prayer:
On the Lenten Prayer of St Ephraim the SyrianAnother powerful way to "make Lent real" in our lives, is to include in our prayers these penitential troparia, which in Church are offered after the reading of the Sunday Matins Gospel, beginning with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, and continuing through to the Fifth Sunday (St Mary of Egypt). Many Orthodox amend their morning prayer rule during Great Lent by replacing the usual Morning Hymns to the Trinity ("Having arisen from sleep..., etc.") with these Lenten hymns:
The Triodion Morning Hymns*
Open to me the doors of repentance, O Life-giver. For my spirit rises early to pray towards Thy holy temple, bearing the temple of my body all defiled. But in Thy compassion, purify me by the loving kindness of Thy mercy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit...Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy; and according to
the multitude of Thy compassions, blot out my transgression. When I
think of the multitude of ghastly things I have done, wretch that I am, I
tremble at the fearful day of Judgment. But trusting in the mercy of
Thy loving kindness; like David I cry to Thee: Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Thy great mercy.
Both now and ever, and unto ages of ages, Amen.Theotokion: Make straight for me the paths of salvation, O Mother of God. For I have profaned my soul with shameful sins, and have wasted my whole life in easy-going indifference. But by thy intercessions deliver me from all uncleanness.
Lord have mercy (12 times)Followed by the Lenten Kontakion for the preceding Sunday.
(e.g. Publican and the Pharisee, Prodigal Son, etc.)Including in our prayers the various Triodion Sunday kontakia during the following week, helps keep us synchronized with the spiritual pulse of the Church. By beginning this practice with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee, we will find we are better prepared for the beginning of Lent three weeks later. These hymns can be found on our various special pages for the Pre-Lenten Sundays, and the Sundays of Great Lent, and are published weekly in our parish church bulletin. May your journey be blessed!* Taken from the Jordanville Prayer book. Order online here.
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The "Wonder" blog is a publication of the Department of Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministries of the Orthodox Church in America. “Wonder” is published monthly on a particular theme and presents four or five articles from a variety of perspectives. This blog is particularly geared for young adults and college students, and those who minister to them. It is our hope that this blog will help provide a “good defense” for our faith, hope and love...The 2011 edition published for Great Lent — Life In The 'Fast' Lane — looks especially interesting, and features several great articles by a variety of writers, as well as a thoughtful review of the movie 'Chocolat' (starring Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche), perhaps an ideal film to watch as we prepare for the Great Fast. The themes in 'Chocolat' are the very ones we have been exploring through our meditations on the Parable of the Publican and the Pharisee.
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