| Forgiving Our Way into Salvation Gabe Martini If we see the Church year as a recapitulation or commemoration of the life of Christ, then the season of Lent, Holy Week, and the festival of Pascha is analogous to the temptation (and fasting) of the Lord in the wilderness, his suffering and defeat of death on the Cross, and his triumphal resurrection from the dead. By pondering our participation in Christ’s life throughout the year—and especially through the season of Great Lent—we can better understand its purpose. We enter into the Lenten season as people estranged from God, striving forward in hope of the resurrection. We are faced with a number of temptations, but the ability to overcome is given to us through Christ himself. This is supported by our increased partaking of the Eucharist during Lent with the Presanctified Liturgy. The icon of the resurrection shows the full glory of this reality, as we see Adam and Eve—the very personifications of sinful mankind—being pulled from the depths of hades by the hands of Christ, who has triumphed over both death and its author, the devil. As we seek to image Christ more fully in our lives through the Lenten season, our focus is turned not inwardly towards ourselves, but rather outwardly towards others. Our fasting, almsgiving, and prayer is all purposed away from ourselves and our own concerns, and towards that of our neighbors, friends, and family. All true asceticism is self-less. It is self-death for the sake and life of the world. The heart of our journey towards both salvation and resurrection in Jesus Christ is found not in an intellectual fixation on our standing before God in eternity, an obsession over whether we can know “for certain” that we are “saved,” a right understanding of particulars of doctrine, or even a perfect explanation of the holy scriptures. The gateway to a resurrection unto life and a triumph over corruption is found chiefly in the mystery of forgiveness. The Gospel for the appropriately named Forgiveness Sunday (the last Sunday before the beginning of Great Lent) explains: |
| “This explains why some Desert Fathers, but first the Saviour Jesus Christ, fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. Instead of material food, He multiplied spiritual food, which is prayer, that is, man’s direct connection with God,” the Patriarch added. Patriarch Daniel at the Chapel of St George at his patriarchal residence. Photo: Lumina Newspaper “Fasting, a means to sanctify life During Great Lent, we reduce material food but increase spiritual nourishment. “We read more spiritual books – especially the Holy Scriptures -, we listen to the services of the Church carefully, we confess more often, we partake of the Holy Eucharist more often and, thus, as St. Basil the Great said, through fasting, we weaken physically, but increase spiritually.” “Fasting is a means to sanctify life, to be renewed and to be enlightened, as well as to accumulate spiritual treasures: “This gathering of spiritual treasures means that during Lent we gather much light in the soul through prayer, participation in holy services, and spiritual conversations, through spiritual readings and especially through more frequent confession and more frequent Eucharistic communion,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel highlighted. His Beatitude explained the title of the Sunday of Adam’s Expulsion from Paradise, noting that Adam was expelled from Paradise for three great mistakes: Ending his sermon, Patriarch Daniel said that the 40-day fast of Holy Easter is a participation in the fast of the Saviour Jesus Christ and at the same time is a school of holiness, purification, enlightenment, change of sinful life into virtuous life, full of the light of love for God through prayer, and for fellow people through good deeds. Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. |
| About Pages Проекты «Правмира» Raising Orthodox Children to Orthodox Adulthood The Daily Website on How to be an Orthodox Christian Today Twitter Telegram Parler RSS Donate Navigation Liturgical Life Can God Break A Promise? 12 April 2021 Fr. James Guirguis Receiving Christ and satan 10 April 2021 Archpriest Michael Gillis Finding the Deep Heart during Great Lent 06 April 2021 Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou Why Confession? 02 April 2021 Priest Dustin Lyon Speaking of Silence and Boasting of Humility 01 April 2021 Archpriest Michael Gillis Christ The True Healer 29 March 2021 Fr. James Guirguis Lent As An Invitation To “Come And See” 23 March 2021 Fr. James Guirguis A Reflection on Great Lent by Alexander Schmemann 18 March 2021 Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann Lent – An Intimate Journey to God 15 March 2021 Fr. Vasile Tudora Lessons from the sermon on the mount Hunting For The Treasures Of The Holy Spirit 14 March 2021 Fr. James Guirguis Previous 1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 14 Next News 30 September His Holiness Patriarch Kirill Contracted the Coronavirus 4th Plenary Session between ROC and Coptic Church Held 29 September His Beatitude Metropolitan Tikhon Calls for Prayer for Those Facing Hurricanes Ian and Fiona 28 September Patriarch Kirill: The Church Prays for the Fraternal Strife to End as Soon as Possible Besides intellectual instruction, young people also need prayer, Patriarch Daniel says as new academic year begins 27 September The Synodal Residence in New York hosts the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Voluntary Blood Donation Takes Place in Churches in Serbia 26 September The work of the Church in society is quiet, but full of hope and love, says the Director of Lumina Publications 25 September Epistle of the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia 23 September “The models par excellence are the great hesychast saints,” says Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Oradea Commentary All commentary Other media The Word of the Day How to Deal with Sin Ramblings of a Redneck Priest Party Etiquette Praying in the Rain Humility By Accident More RSS About Contact Us Donate Pravmir.ru © 2008-2024 Pravmir.com Developed by Hamburg Church Studio Design by — |
| Lenten Epistle of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion of Eastern America and New York, First Hierarch of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Metropolitan Hilarion (Kapral) SOURCE: The Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia Eminent Brother Archpastors, Honorable Father-Concelebrants, Dear Brothers and Sisters in the Lord: As we approach Great Lent, I hasten to ask forgiveness from you all, as well as your holy prayers for my unworthiness. I earnestly call upon all the children of the Russian Church Abroad to exert all your efforts towards self-contemplation, to examine your lives, to augment your prayers, to attend all the edifying divine services of Great Lent and to read spiritually beneficial books during these days of salvation! Great Lent, with its divine services and spiritually-moving church singing and readings, grants us abundant nourishment for our souls. Let us not fail to take advantage of what the Holy Church offers us during this beneficial period. The special Cherubic Hymn that we sing during the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts tells us that we should approach the Chalice of Christ with faith and love if we hope to partake of the eternal blessed life. Beloved ones, we are created for eternity. Therefore, we must lift our minds and hearts to heavenly things, especially as we prepare for the Sacraments; we need to leave behind all worldly cares, pouring our souls out before God in praise, gratitude and prayers of repentance. True fasting consists not only of abstinence from non-lenten foods, but of distancing oneself from impure thoughts, words and deeds. “Those who abstain from food yet behave badly,” says St Basil the Great (the author of the Liturgy which will be celebrated on Sundays, on Great Thursday and Great Saturday of this Lent), “are like the devil, who, though he eats not, yet sins perpetually.” St Tikhon of Zadonsk, this humble and loving saint of the Church of our Fatherland, meanwhile, teaches us as follows about fasting: “May your mind fast from worldly thoughts; may your will fast from wicked desires; may your ears fast from filthy songs and the whispers of slanderers; may your tongue fast from slander, condemnation, flattery, lies and all sorts of useless, decadent words; may your hands fast from violence and theft of the property of others; may your feet fast from going towards an evil deed. This is indeed the Christian fast, the sort God requires of us.” |
| Greatmartyr Theodore the Tyro (“the Recruit”) Commemorated on February 17/March 2 The Holy Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit (Tyro) was a soldier in the city of Alasium of the Pontine district (northeast province of Asia Minor, stretching along the coast of the Euxine, i.e. the Black Sea), under the command of a certain Brincus. They commanded him to offer sacrifice to idols. Saint Theodore firmly confessed his faith in Christ the Savior in a loud voice. The commander gave him several days to think it over, during which time Saint Theodore prayed. They charged him with setting a pagan temple on fire, and threw him into prison to be starved to death. The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to him there, comforting and encouraging him. Brought to the governor, Saint Theodore boldly and fearlessly confessed his faith, for which he was subjected to new torments and condemned to burning. The martyr Theodore climbed onto the fire without hesitation, and with prayer and gave up his holy soul to God. This occurred in about the year 306 under the Roman emperor Galerius (305-311). Unharmed by the fire, the body of Saint Theodore was buried in the city of Euchaita, not far from Amasium. His relics were afterwards transferred to Constantinople, to a church dedicated to him. His head is in Italy, in the city of Gaeto. Later on, fifty years after the death of Saint Theodore, the emperor Julian the Apostate (361-363), wanting to commit an outrage upon the Christians, commanded the city-commander of Constantinople during the first week of Great Lent to sprinkle all the food provisions in the marketplaces with the blood offered to idols. Saint Theodore appeared in a dream to Archbishop Eudoxius, ordering him to inform all the Christians that no one should buy anything at the marketplaces, but rather to eat cooked wheat with honey (kolyva). In memory of this occurrence, the Orthodox Church annually celebrates the holy Great Martyr Theodore the Recruit on the first Saturday of Great Lent. On Friday evening, at the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts following the prayer at the ambo, the Canon to the holy Great Martyr Theodore, composed by Saint John of Damascus, is sung. After this, kolyva is blessed and distributed to the faithful. The celebration of the Great Martyr Theodore on the first Saturday of Great Lent was set by the Patriarch Nectarius of Constantinople (381-397). |
| However, in order to achieve such a revelation of the Kingdom of God during the Great Lent, a Christian needs to make certain efforts, because “if didn’t require efforts, then, probably, the result would not be so desired.” In general, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill concluded that the Great Lent is “not a gloomy and boring pastime, as some people believe, and something that is unworthy of a modern person,” but “a time of spiritual experience, a time of special spiritual exercises, a special spiritual training, without which we will not be able to receive the power of the Divine grace and direct it into concrete actions of our life”. Today the Great Lent of 2021 began for Orthodox Christians, which will end with the Great and Holy Pascha on May 2. You can f ollow Pravmir.com on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , Telegram , or Parler Code for blog Since you are here… …we do have a small request. More and more people visit Orthodoxy and the World website. However, resources for editorial are scarce. In comparison to some mass media, we do not make paid subscription. It is our deepest belief that preaching Christ for money is wrong. Having said that, Pravmir provides daily articles from an autonomous news service, weekly wall newspaper for churches, lectorium, photos, videos, hosting and servers. Editors and translators work together towards one goal: to make our four websites possible - Pravmir.ru, Neinvalid.ru, Matrony.ru and Pravmir.com. Therefore our request for help is understandable. For example, 5 euros a month is it a lot or little? A cup of coffee? It is not that much for a family budget, but it is a significant amount for Pravmir. If everyone reading Pravmir could donate 5 euros a month, they would contribute greatly to our ability to spread the word of Christ, Orthodoxy, life " s purpose, family and society. Also by this author Today " s Articles Most viewed articles Functionality is temporarily unavailable. Most popular authors Functionality is temporarily unavailable. |
| Primate of Russian Church celebrates Liturgy at Convent of Protecting Veil of the Mother of God on the 2nd Sunday of Lent Source: DECR On 8 March 2015, the 2nd Sunday of Lent, the commemoration day of St Gregory Palamas the Archbishop of Thessalonica and the feast of the finding of the holy relics of the Blessed Matrona of Moscow, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia visited the Stavropegic Convent of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God in Moscow. This year marks the 380th anniversary of the foundation of the convent and the 20th anniversary of its revival. Upon his arrival at the convent, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill venerated the holy relics of the blessed eldress Matrona at the Church of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God and officiated at the Liturgy of St Basil the Great at the Church of the Resurrection. During the Liturgy, Archimandrite Ioann (Moshnegutsu) was consecrated Bishop of Soroca, vicar of the diocese of Chiinu (Orthodox Church of Moldova). Concelebrating with His Holiness was an assembly of hierarchs and priests of the Russian Orthodox Church, including clerics of the Orthodox Church of Moldova. After the Litany of Fervent Supplication the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church said a prayer for peace in Ukraine. His Holiness Patriarch Kirill also prayed for the repose of the soul of the recently demised Metropolitan Manuil of Karelia and Petrozavodsk. After the Liturgy Hegumenness Feofania (Miskina), abbess of the Stavropegic Convent of the Protecting Veil of the Mother of God, greeted His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and presented him with an old icon of the Protecting Veil of the Most Holy Theotokos. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the worshippers with a primatial homily. His Holiness presented the sisters of the convent with an embroidered image of the Last Supper. The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church also presented high church awards and said a thanksgiving at the shrine with the relics of the blessed eldress Matrona. |
| The practice that has taken shape in our time that every one who receives communion several times a year fasts for three days before communion fully corresponds to the tradition of the Church. At the same time, the practice when a person who receives communion on a weekly basis or several times a month, while observing lengthy and one-day fasts established by the Typicon, approaches the holy Chalice without any additional fasting or keeping a fast on the day or in the evening before communion, is acceptable as well. This matter has to be resolved with the blessing of the person’s spiritual father. The requirements concerning preparation for holy communion, intended for the laypeople who receive communion frequently, are also applicable for members of the clergy. Bright Week, the week following the feast of Christ’s Pascha, creates a special case regarding the practice of preparation for holy communion. The ancient canonical norm regarding the obligatory participation of all faithful at the Sunday eucharist was in the seventh century expanded to include all of the Divine Liturgies during Bright Week: From the holy day of the Resurrection of Christ our God until the New Sunday, for a whole week, in the holy churches the faithful ought to be free from labour, rejoicing in Christ with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs; and celebrating the feast, and applying their minds to the reading of the holy Scriptures, and delighting in the Holy Mysteries; for thus shall we be exalted with Christ and together with him be raised up (canon 66 of the Council in Trullo). It follows from this canon that the laypeople are called to receive communion during the liturgies of Bright Week. Considering that the Typicon does not foresee any fasting during Bright Week and that Bright Week is preceded by seven weeks of struggle in the course of Lent and Holy Week, it ought to be acknowledged that the practice that has been established in many parishes of the Russian Orthodox Church that Christians who observed the Great Fast receive holy communion during Bright Week, while limiting their fasting to abstaining from food after midnight, is fully consistent with the canonical tradition of the Church. Similar practice can be expanded to the period between Nativity and Theophany. Those who prepare for communion during these days should take special care from excessive consumption of food and drink. |
| New York City: Metropolitan Hilarion led the Divine Services on the Triumph of Orthodoxy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign March 24, 2013 On the first Sunday of Great Lent, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Triumph of Orthodoxy, the restoration in 842 AD to the great cathedral Hagia Sophia of the holy icons, which had been removed by the iconoslasts. As the restoration took place on the first Sunday of Great Lent that year, the Synod of Constantinople determined that that Sunday should forever be dedicated to the Triumph of the Orthodox faith over those who opposed the use of holy icons, based on their denial of the reality of Christ’s Incarnation. On Sunday, March 24, the First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, His Eminence Hilarion, Metropolitan of Eastern America & New York, celebrated the Divine Liturgy in the Synodal Cathedral of the Sign in New York City, co-served by Synodal and local clergy. During the Little Entrance, the cathedral’s senior priest, Archpriest Andrei Sommer, was awarded the jeweled cross. Upon completion of the Liturgy, Metropolitan Hilarion led the Rite of Orthodoxy, in which are commemorated all the holy saints and champions of the Orthodox faith, and condemned the heresiarchs and enemies of the Church of Christ. Synodal Protodeacon Nicholas Mokhoff read the Synodicon, with the cathedral choir intoning “Memory Eternal” and “Anathema,” respectively. It was especially joyful for the faithful to have the Protectress of the Russian Diaspora, the wonderworking Kursk Root Icon of the Mother of God, present at the service. In the words of Matushka Eugenia Temidis, “Today we celebrate the restoration of the holy icon. What greater feast could there be than one celebrated before our Protectress, the wonderworking Icon of the Kursk Mother of God? She is the triumph of our Orthodoxy.” In the words of parishioner Marina Fataliev, “This feast illustrates the foundation of our Church, and recapitulates how every single heresy was destroyed by the mutual consent of many bishops who united and prayed and [made] a decision with the help of the Holy Spirit. All of the truths of our Church have been founded in this manner. Certainly the presence of our miracle-working Kursk Icon here today is a wonderful consolation for all those present.” |
| This is the Apostolic faith, this is the faith of the Fathers, this is the Orthodox faith. The Sunday of Orthodoxy Archbishop Averky (Taushev) This sermon was delivered by the ever-memorable Archbishop Averky (Taushev) of the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad in 1971. Many Orthodox were very concerned about the formation of new, ecumenical endeavors, especially the release of mutual excommunications between Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople and the Roman Catholic Pope Paul VI, and the entry of a number of Local Orthodox Churches into the World Council of Churches. Meetings were also being held in preparation for what would finally be called the Council of Crete. Photo: Pravoslavie.Ru Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, you will hear these solemn and significant words in the Rite of Orthodoxy , which the Holy Church has established to be served on this day. The first week of Holy and Great Lent has ended a week of intensified prayer and ascetical repentance. Now the Holy Church, desiring to encourage and console us, has established for us in this first week of Great Lent, on its first Sunday, a spiritual celebration, one most dear and close to our hearts—The Triumph of Orthodoxy. This celebration was first performed in 842 in Constantinople in the presence of the Blessed Empress Theodora by His Holiness Patriarch Methodius in memory of the overthrow of the last terrible heresy to shake Christ " s Church, the heresy of iconoclasm. But in this celebration the Holy Church marks the triumph of the holy Orthodox faith in general, her victory over all impious heresies, false teachings and schisms. Our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior founded His Church on earth so that all belonging to her could be saved, could elude the nets of the devil and enter into the Heavenly Kingdom prepared for them. The devil exerted all his strength to overthrow and destroy the Church of Christ and, through this, to hinder the salvation of men. At first he raised up terrible persecutions against the Church by the Jews and pagans. For almost three centuries the blood of Christian martyrs flowed without ceasing. But the devil did not succeed in his task. The blood of the martyrs, according to the apt statement of the Christian apologist Tertullian, became the seeds of Christians. Christianity triumphed over its persecutors. The meek lambs of Christ " s flock transformed the wolf-like rage of their persecutors into lamb-like meekness. |
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