Clean Monday begins with the
Vespers of Forgiveness
(held on
Cheesefare Sunday evening). This Vespers service is a little different
from most, with certain prayers being said at the end. They include the
Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian. After these prayers, a
very beautiful liturgical custom takes place. Starting from the highest
ranking cleric to the last person in Church, everyone passes by and
greets each other. They ask forgiveness from each other in preparation
for Great Lent. This “greeting” is a wonderful way to begin Great Lent,
in the spirit of forgiveness and Christian love.
Clean Monday
is the first full day of fasting. It is a custom of certain monasteries
and people to fast from everything (except water) for the first 3 days
of Great Lent, to commune during the first Liturgy of the Presanctified
Gifts. It is important to note that fasting for each person is
determined by their spiritual father. Fasting and our participation in
the services are ways for us to get closer to God.
On this night, Greek Orthodox Christians also participate
in the “Koulouma” fellowship meal after the first Compline service.
About the Sundays of
Great Lent...
1st Sunday
of Lent - Sunday of Orthodoxy (Κυριακή
της Ορθοδοξίας)
The 1st
Sunday of Lent is dedicated to something that is close to our hearts:
our Orthodox Church!
Specifically, it’s dedicated to the times where the Church defeated
iconoclasm.
The heresy of
iconoclasm
was one
started by Emperor Leo
the Assyrian, who said that icons should not be
allowed in Churches. Iconoclasts destroyed all kinds of icons, and said
that Holy Communion and the Cross were the only valid kinds of icons.
The
Church declared this a heresy because Holy Communion is
not a symbol,
but is the actual Body and Blood of Christ!
When a
person kisses an icon or the Cross, they do not worship them, but
venerate
them (in
other words,
show them respect).
The 7th Ecumenical Council, held in Nicaea, declared that it is
honorable and right to declare our Faith in such a way, depicting our
Lord, the Theotokos and the Saints in icons.
To
commemorate this great day, Churches across the world have a special
service that takes place at the end of the Divine Liturgy. The Altar
Boys and various others process around the Church with icons, showing
that
“this is the Faith of the Apostles! This is the Faith of the Fathers!
This is the Faith of the Orthodox! This is the Faith on which has
established the Universe!”
May God bless our Church always!
Biblical Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-40
Gospel: John 1:43-51
2nd Sunday of
Lent - Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas (Αγ. Γρηγορίου Παλαμά)
The city
of Thessaloniki is known for its many Saints. One of them, the one to
whom the Cathedral is dedicated to, is celebrated this Sunday.
St. Gregory Palamas
was
Archbishop of Thessaloniki in the 14th century, and defended the Faith
against Barlaam the Calabrian (who was against monasticism). He taught
that divine grace is not created, but the uncreated energies of God are
poured out throughout creation; otherwise, humanity could never have
authentic communication with God. He reposed in the Lord in 1359.
As we
celebrated the
Sunday of Orthodoxy
last
week, the Church decided to celebrate the memory of a man who was
dedicated to the Faith and was one of its chief defenders at a time
where heresy was threatening the Church.
We also read the Gospel of Christ healing and forgiving the sins of the
paralytic. We see in this Gospel reading that Christ is not only a man,
but the God-Man who came to save us from corruption. He is the one to
forgive our sins, and to bring us back to Paradise.
Biblical Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 1:10-2:3
Gospel: Mark 2:1-12
3rd
Sunday of Lent - Cross-Adoring Sunday (Κυριακή της
Σταυροπροσκυνήσεως)
In the
middle of Great Lent, the Church gives its faithful a sign of victory,
one that can bring strength to them in this time of fasting. The
Sunday of the Holy Cross
is one
that brings everything into perspective, especially with the Gospel
reading, the Lord saying to all His disciples:
"If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his
cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and
whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For
what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world and forfeit his
life?"
With us
“bearing our crosses” during Great Lent, we also come to venerate the
Holy Cross of the Lord on this day. After the Doxology (or, in some
Churches, at the end of the Divine Liturgy), the Priest and Altar Boys
will process with the Holy Cross (surrounded by beautiful flowers) in
the Church. The entire Church will chant the hymn of the Cross when the
procession is finished: “Lord,
save Your people and bless Your inheritance. Grant victory to our rulers
over the enemy, and protect Your commonwealth by the might of Your
cross!”
At the
end of the Liturgy, the Priest will give out the flowers by the Holy
Cross to the people as a blessing.
Biblical Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 4:14-5:6
Gospel: Mark 8:34-38, 9:1
4th
Sunday of Lent - St. John of the Ladder (Αγ. Ιωάννης της Κλίμακος)
Many of our Saints, from the
time they were born to the time they fell asleep in the Lord, lived
lives that were dedicated
to God. One of those Saints includes St. John “of the Ladder”, who is
commemorated on the 4th Sunday of Lent.
St. John St. John “of the
Ladder” was only 16 years old when he left Palestine and went to St.
Catherine’s monastery (at Mt. Sinai, Egypt). He lived there for 50
years, where he wrote his famous book, “The
Ladder of Divine Ascent”.
This is a “spiritual ladder”; Christians follow certain rules so that
they can get closer to God, and symbolically climb to heaven. He had
struggles, like any person does, but he won over those struggles that
the Devil put for him. That’s why we celebrate his memory on this Sunday
of Lent: St. John is a perfect example of how a person could be faithful
all of their life, and be together with God in the Kingdom of Heaven.
His prayer and fasting got him
closer to God, and had him to realize that love of God that only those
together with God can feel. Getting closer to God can be done so many
different ways, each with the same result. From praying and fasting, to
going to Sunday School and reading our Bibles, to going for Holy
Communion every Sunday, it’s about saying in our own way,
“thank you God for me waking up; for coming to Church;
for my entire family; for my friends; for my teachers; that I have food
and drink; that I have so many people that care for me; thank you that I
have You to care for me, so that You may guide me throughout my life, so
I may enter Your Kingdom.”
Biblical Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 6:13-20
Gospel: Mark 9:17-31
5th
Sunday of Lent - St. Mary of Egypt (Αγ. Μαρία η Αιγυπτία)
When people think of Saints, the
majority see them as St. John “of the Ladder” : a Saint is someone that
is together with God all of their lives,
incapable of sin.
Yet, they are so misguided. Saints are regular human beings with
passions, that sinned throughout their lives. We see the same thing with
St. Mary of Egypt, the Saint we commemorate on the 5th Sunday of Lent.
St. Mary of Egypt was anything
but a
Saint throughout the first part of
her life. From a very young age, she was a prostitute. Being from Egypt,
she decided that she wanted to see the Holy Land and the Tomb of Christ
(also known as the
Church
of the Holy Sepulchre).
As she went to enter the Church, a force kept her outside. She was
unable to enter, while so many others did. She realized that God had
done this to have her stop her sinning. She promised to God that day she
would stop. She repented with a pure heart, and she was allowed to
enter. She went for Confession, received Holy Communion, and then went
to the desert to live for years in repentance. Years after, she was
visited by a Priest-monk, Zosimas (later a Saint in our Church). He gave
her Holy Communion, and they discussed her trials and tribulations.
Although she suffered much, she was so happy to be with Christ. Later
that same day, she fell asleep in the Lord.
Moral of today’s Sunday:
It’s never too late to be reunited with God.
He wants us to be in His Loving Embrace. He will forgive us… all we have
to do is ask.
Biblical Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 9:11-14
Gospel: Mark 10:32-45
Lazarus Saturday (Σάββατο
του Λαζάρου)
The Gospel of St. John tells us
that a few days before this Saturday, Jesus was informed that his
friend, Lazarus, was very ill. Jesus did not rush to Lazarus, but waited
for him to pass away.
Four days after Lazarus’ death,
Jesus appeared at the house of Lazarus. Upon his arrival, Mary and
Martha (Lazarus’ sisters) met Him and asked Him why He didn’t save their
brother. Even though they said this, they still believed that they would
see Lazarus again at the General Resurrection (when all the people who
passed away will be brought back to life, and be judged at the Second
Coming).
After this encounter, Jesus went
to see Lazarus’ tomb. It is here we find the shortest verse in the
Bible: “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35) This shows us that Jesus was a human
being: He had emotions, just like everyone else, and He felt the pain of
a friend being lost.
Yet, Jesus does not cry like
those who have no hope; rather, He shows everyone that He is “the
Resurrection and the Life,” (John 11:25) by commanding Lazarus to come
out of the tomb. People initially didn’t believe; yet, in moments
everyone saw Lazarus come out from the tomb! This miracle shows us that
Jesus is also God, having power over the living and the dead.
From this day until Thomas Sunday, we do not perform
memorials (μνημόσυνα) in Church.
Biblical Readings:
Epistle: Hebrews 12:28-13:8
Gospel: John 11:1-45
