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Ύμνοι
της
Μεγ.
Τεσσαρακοστής
Hymns
of Great Lent:
Τῆς
μετανοίας ἄνοιξόν μοὶ πύλας Ζωοδότα, ὀρθρίζει γὰρ τὸ πνεύμά μου, πρὸς ναὸν
τὸν ἅγιόν σου,
ναὸν
φέρον τοῦ σώματος, ὅλον ἐσπιλωμένον, ἀλλ' ὡς οἰκτίρμων κάθαρον, εὐσπλάγχνω
σου
ἐλέει.
Τῆς
σωτηρίας
εὔθυνόν
μοὶ τρίβους, Θεοτόκε, αἰσχραῖς γὰρ κατερρύπωσα, τὴν ψυχὴν ἁμαρτίαις, ὡς
ῥαθύμως τὸν βίον μου, ὅλον ἐκδαπανήσας, ταὶς σαὶς πρεσβείαις ῥύσαί με, πάσης
ἀκαθαρσίας.
A Journey
through Lent...
General Info
Spiritual Messages
Easter Dates 2000-2015
Easter Dates 2008
Catechetical School Material
Icon Gallery
Lenten Services
Lenten Prayers
Great Compline
Liturgy of the
Presanctified Gifts
The Akathist Hymn
Saturday of the
Souls
Holy Week Services
Sacrament of Holy
Oil
Service of the
Washing of the Feet
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Πρό του Τριωδίου
Before the Triodion
Begins
Before the Triodion begins, two Sundays
usually precede it.
These are Zacchaeus Sunday and the Sunday of the
Canaanite Woman.
“The Son
of man came to seek and save the lost”:
Some people did not have strong faith, but their faith was strengthened
because they wanted to find the truth and that truth is the Lord our
God. A story in the Bible tells us of such and example—that of
Zacchaios.
Zacchaios was a chief tax collector and was very rich, but he felt that
his life was incomplete; if it was “complete”, he would not have had the
need to climb a tree to see Jesus. So, on that day that Jesus entered
Jericho, Zacchaios made the effort to
climb a tree to see Jesus. When
Jesus saw him, he could have just kept on walking; however, He said to
him, “Zacchaios, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house
today”. Zacchaios was so happy at this, he rushed down without delay and
Jesus went to Zacchaios’ house.
When this
happened, people started to gossip (‘he’s going into the house of a man
who is a sinner’). Now, upon hearing this, we need to think of two
things. Firstly, when they called Zacchaios a “sinner”, everyone should
know that we are all sinners. Everyone is a sinner, except Christ. When
we judge, we make fun of someone, we cheat, we lie, we steal, or do
something else, we all become “sinners”. Just because Zacchaios was a
tax collector, and he did commit many sins, it doesn’t mean that he is
not in the image of God. Every person is created in the image of God,
and that is why we should have mercy and forgive everyone.
Secondly, when Zacchaios came down from the tree and took Jesus to his
house, this showed that Zacchaios was willing to change. Before, he
probably would have only taken sinners into his house; now, though, he
took the only Sinless One into his house. He was willing to change his
attitude and actions, so that he could be close to God. Zacchaios even
tells us this straight-away, since he says to Jesus that whoever he has
cheated out of his money, he will “restore it fourfold”. Only a person
that is close to God could do something like this. When a person isn’t
close to God, he would want more and more money, no matter how he would
get it.
The greatest
part of the Gospel reading is what Jesus told Zacchaios: “Today
salvation has come to this house….For the Son of Man came to seek and
save the lost.” Salvation came to the house of Zacchaios, because he
accepted Jesus as his Saviour. Let us pray to God that we may repent
just as Zacchaios did, and may we ask God to be merciful with us and
show us the truth.
A mother’s love knows no bounds:
these words are so true in this Biblical passage we hear today.
Jesus was
walking through the region of Tyre and Sidon, when a Canaanite woman
approached him. Canaanites were pagans, and believed in many gods. This
Canaanite woman had a daughter that was very sick, and had probably heard
about Christ and His wonders. She asks Him to have mercy on her and her
daughter, who was possessed by a demon. The disciples were getting annoyed
with her, and asked Jesus to send her away. Jesus first told her that He was
sent for the “lost sheep of the house of Israel”, and then proceeded to tell
her, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
Jesus tested her faith, and she proved so humble and worthy of a miracle
with her response: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall
from their Master’s table.” Jesus remarked at how great her faith was, and
healed her daughter.
As we begin
our journey into Great Lent, we should have the strong faith of this
Canaanite woman: she was ridiculed and tested, yet showed that she was
worthy of a heavenly blessing.
Christ shows us that everyone is welcome in His Kingdom, not only a specific
group of people. Let’s do what we can this Great Lent to bring people close
to the Lord.
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