‘Why do I need Great Lent?’
“The primary aim of fasting is to make us conscious of our dependence upon God.”
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
The most basic things in life are our relationships; and the most fundamental and crucial one is our relationship with God. Indeed, Christ says: “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). Likewise, He says: “I am the way, the truth and the life. (John 14:6).
Just as there is no other way to the Heavenly Father except through the Son, and no other salvation and eternal Life except in the Resurrection of Christ, so too, there is no truth in our life if we live it without God or in a broken, infirmed, unfulfilled, stale relationship with Him.
But who has time to go to extra (some might even say unnecessary) church services?
I got too many other things to worry about... my kids' activities keep me busy every day of the week… I don’t get home from work until late and I’m tired… my house is a mess, I have no time to clean it…I just can’t make ends meet... etc. etc. Yes, indeed we have many worries and cares.
However, can we really deal with crises, uncertainty, illness, stress, loss, discord – things that can shake our lives – without a firm foundation – without God? Furthermore, wouldn’t we like to find the strength to overcome our temptations and weaknesses? Let us ask ourselves:
- Am I quick to anger and slow to forgive?
- Do I have control of my appetite for food and drink or does it control me?
- Am I quick to judge others and slow to acknowledge my own faults?
- Do I pray at home…do I follow God's commandments…do I keep the Sabbath day holy by attending Church every Sunday…do I trust in God's Providence?
- ‘I am in a rut’ – is my faith the same as it was last year…and the year before that?
- Stress – I can’t keep up…things just get harder…I have no time for my family, for God?
Great Lent helps us to set aright, once again, our relationship with God. But, there is no success without sincere effort. St. John Chrysostom says: “If with worldly things one cannot achieve anything worthwhile if he does it with little attention or effort, then even more so, this is true with spiritual work, because it demands even more attentiveness and care.”
The Holy Orthodox Church sets before all of us the opportunity to increase our prayers, fasting and almsgiving during the Great Lent, helping us to set aright our relationship with God and to find the strength to overcome our temptations and weaknesses. May God bless you.
With Love in Christ, Fr. John
First Week of Lent |
Time |
Service |
Location |
Monday, March 2nd |
7:00 PM |
Great Compline – Canon of St. Andrew of Crete |
Church |
Tuesday, March 3rd |
7:00 PM |
Great Compline – Canon of St. Andrew of Crete |
Chapel |
Wednesday, March 4th |
7:00 PM |
Great Compline – Canon of St. Andrew of Crete |
Church |
Thursday, March 5th |
7:00 PM |
Great Compline – Canon of St. Andrew of Crete |
Chapel |
With its constant refrain, ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, have mercy upon me’, the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete forms a prolonged confession of sin, an unremitting call to repentance. At the same time, it is a meditation on the whole body of Scripture, embracing all the sinners and all the righteous from the creation of the world to the coming of Christ. Here, we experience Lent as a reaffirmation of our ‘Biblical roots’. We are moved to a deeper, cleansing introspection of our souls. |
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Saturday Mornings |
Time |
Service |
Location |
Saturday, March 7th |
10:00 AM |
Divine Liturgy – Blessing of Koliva – St. Theodore |
Chapel |
On this day it is customary to bless koliva – boiled wheat sweetened with honey – to remind of us of how St. Theodore miraculously appeared to the Patriarch of Constantinople warning him and all the faithful not to eat the food from the markets because of it being defiled by the pagans. This miracle also reminds us that food often prevents us from bringing fruits of repentance and from striving for spiritual perfection – hence the need for us to fast. |
Saturday, March 21st |
10:00 AM |
Divine Liturgy – Ancestral Saturday – Panikhida |
Chapel |
Saturday, April 4th |
10:00 AM |
Divine Liturgy – Praise of the Theotokos |
Chapel |
Saturday, April 11th |
10:00 AM |
Divine Liturgy – Lazarus Saturday |
Church |
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Wednesday Evenings |
Time |
Service |
Location |
Wednesday, March 11th |
6:30 PM |
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts + Lenten Discussion |
Church |
Wednesday, March 18th |
6:30 PM |
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts + Lenten Discussion |
Church |
Wednesday, March 25th |
6:30 PM |
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts + Lenten Discussion |
Church |
Wednesday, April 1st |
6:30 PM |
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts + Lenten Discussion |
Church |
Wednesday, April 8th |
6:30 PM |
Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts + Lenten Discussion |
Church |
This is a Vespers service followed by the distribution of Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, which were consecrated on the previous Sunday. Lent is a time of pilgrimage. It is a time for liberation from our sinful habits; a time for progress of faith and growth in love. However, temptations abound and we are tired by our efforts. And so, we are nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ, to help us through our Lenten struggles and to draw nearer to our Lord, the risen Christ. |
* These services are in addition to our usual Saturday evening and Sunday morning services.
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