St. Luke Orthodox Christian Church Diocese of the South, Orthodox Church in America
The Rev. Father Basil Henry, Priest 1415 Woodstock Ave. • Anniston, Alabama • www.stlukeanniston.org/
February 26, 2012 • Sunday of Forgiveness
St. Porphyrius, bishop of Gaza (420). St. Sebastian, monk of Poshekhonye (1542). New Martyr John the Cabinetmaker, at Constantinople (1575). (Gr. Cal.: Sts. Photina, the Samaritan woman, and her sisters Phora, Phoris, Parasceva, and Cyriaca; her sons Victor [or Photinus] and Joses; Sebastian the Duke, the officer Anatolius, and Theoclitus, the former sorcerer-all martyred under Nero [66].) Mezhetsk Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Announcements
We welcome our Visitors and hope you can join us for coffee hour. Forgiveness Sunday Vespers will follow immediately after Divine Liturgy. The Great Fast begins tomorrow. The icon on the front is of the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise.
Mon, 2/27
This Week’s Fasting, Service and Scripture Schedule Tues, 2/28 Wed, 2/29 Thurs, 3/1 Fri, 3/2 Sat, 3/3 Great Lent
Great Canon 6 p.m.
Great Canon 8 a.m.
Great Canon 8 a.m.
Great Canon 8 a.m.
Sun, 3/4
Presanctified Great Vespers Divine Liturgy Liturgy 7 a.m. 4 p.m. 10 a.m.
Presanctified Liturgy 6 p.m. Isaiah 1:1-20
Isaiah 1:19-2:4
Isaiah 2:3-11
Isaiah 2:11-21
Isaiah 3:1-15
Hebrews 1:1-12
Hebrews 11:2426, 32-12:2
Gen. 1:1-13
Gen. 1:14-23
Prov. 1:1-20
Prov. 1:20-33
Gen. 1:24-2:3
Gen. 2:4-19
Gen. 2:20-3:20
Mark 2:23-3:5
John 1:43-51
Prov. 2:1-22
Prov. 3:1-18
Prov. 3:19-34
Heb. 13:17-21
2 Tim. 2:1-10
John 10:9-16
John 15:17-16:2
(Saint)
(Saint)
(Saint)
St. Raphael of Brooklyn
(Saint)
St. Kyra of Syria
St. John Cassian
St. David of Wales
St. Chad of Lichfield
St. Theodore Saturday
Service times are subject to change. Please check with Fr. Basil if in any doubt.
Sunday of Orthodoxy
“Lord, I Call”
Great Vespers
Sunday (Tone 4)
Lead forth my soul from prison, that I may confess Thy name!
We glorify Thy Resurrection on the third day, O Christ God, by always honoring Thy life-creating Cross; by it Thou hast renewed the corrupted nature of man, O Almighty One. By it, Thou hast renewed our entrance to heaven, for Thou art good and the Lover of man. The righteous await me, till Thou shalt reward me.
Thou didst loose the Tree’s verdict of disobedience, O Savior, by being voluntarily nailed to the tree of the Cross. By descending to hell, O Almighty God, Thou didst break the bonds of death. Therefore, we adore Thy Resurrection from the dead, singing in joy: “Glory to Thee, O all powerful One!” Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice!
Thou didst smash the gates of hell, O Lord, and by Thy death, Thou didst demolish the kingdom of death. Thou didst deliver the race of men from corruption, granting to the world life, incorruption and great mercy. Let Thine ears give heed to the voice of my prayer!
Come, O people! Let us sing of the Savior’s Resurrection on the third day! By it, we have been freed from the unbreakable bonds of hell. By it, we have received life and incorruption. Save us by Thy Resurrection, O Life-creating and Almighty Savior, glory to Thee! If Thou observest transgression, Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? For with Thee is propitiation.
Angels and men sing of Thy Resurrection on the third day, O Savior. By it, the ends of the earth have been illumined. By it, we have been delivered from bondage to the Enemy. Save us by Thy Resurrection! O Life-creating and Almighty Savior, glory to Thee! For Thy name’s sake have I waited upon Thee, O Lord; my soul hath waited upon Thy word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
me lord and master of all things on earth; truly I enjoyed the life of the Angels. But Satan the deceiver tempted me in the guise of a serpent; I ate the forbidden fruit and forfeited the glory of God. Now I have been delivered to the earth through death. O my compassionate Lord, call me back to Eden! For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
When the Enemy tempted me, I disobeyed Thy command, O Lord. I exchanged the glory of my mortal body for shame and nakedness. Now I must wear garments of skins and fig leaves; I am condemned to eat the bread of bitter hardship in the sweat of my brow. The earth is cursed and brings forth thorns and husks for me. O Lord, Thou has taken on flesh from the Virgin in the fullness of time; call me back and restore me to Eden! O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people!
O Paradise, garden of delight and beauty, dwelling-place made perfect by God, unending gladness and eternal joy, the hope of the Prophets and the home of the saints, by the music of Thy rustling leaves beseech the Creator of all to open to me the gates which my sins have closed, that I may partake of the Tree of Life and Grace, which was given to me in the beginning! For His mercy hath been confirmed upon us and the truth of the Lord remaineth forever.
Adam was exiled from Paradise through disobedience; he was driven from eternal bliss, deceived by the words of Eve; he sat naked and weeping before the gates of Paradise. Let us hasten to enter the season of fasting; let us carefully obey the gospel commands, that we may be made acceptable to Christ our God, and regain our home in Eden.
Forgiveness Sunday (Tone 6)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…
Thou hast shattered the gates of brass and destroyed the chains of death, O Christ God. Thou hast raised the fallen human race. O Lord, risen from the dead, glory to Thee!
Forgiveness Sunday (Tone 6)
From the morning watch even to the night, let Israel hope in the Lord!
The Lord took a handful of dust from the earth. He breathed into it, and created me, a living man. He made
Adam sat before the gates of Eden, bewailing his nakedness and wept: “Woe to me! I have listened to wicked deceit; I have lost my glory, and now am driven away! Woe to me! My open-mindedness has left me naked and confused! No longer will I enjoy your delights, O Paradise; no longer can I see my Lord, my God and Creator. He formed me from dust, and now to the dust I return! I beg Thee, O compassionate Lord: Have mercy on me who have fallen!”
~3~
Dogmatikon (Tone 4)
Forgiveness Sunday (Tone 6)
Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…
The Prophet David was a Father of the Lord through thee, O Virgin. He foretold in songs the One Who worked wonders in thee. “At Thy right hand stood the Queen,” Thy Mother, the Mediatrix of life, since God was freely born of her without a father. He wanted to renew His fallen image, made corrupt in passion, so He took the lost sheep upon His shoulder and brought it to His Father, joining it to the heavenly powers. Christ who hast great and rich mercy hast saved the world, O Theotokos.
Adam ate the forbidden fruit and was driven from Paradise. He sat outside, weeping bitterly: “Woe to me! What will become of me, a worthless man? I disobeyed one command of my Master, and lost every good thing! O holy Paradise, planted for me by God, and closed by the weakness of Eve, grant that I may once again gaze on the flowers of your gardens!” The Savior said to him: “I do not wish the death of My creation! I desire that all should be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth, for him who comes to Me I shall never cast out!”
Aposticha
Theotokion (Tone 6)
Sunday (Tone 4)
By ascending the Cross, O Lord, Thou hast annulled our ancestral curse! By descending to hell, Thou hast freed the eternal prisoners, granting incorruption to the human race! Therefore in songs we glorify Thy life-creating and saving Resurrection. The Lord hath become King; with beauty hath He clothed Himself.
By hanging upon the tree, O only powerful Lord, Thou didst shake all of creation! By being laid in the tomb, Thou hast raised those who dwelt in the tombs, granting life and incorruption to the human race! Therefore in songs we glorify Thy rising on the third day. For He hath established the world, which shall not be moved.
Thy lawless people, O Christ, handed Thee over to Pilate, condemned to be crucified, by proving themselves ungrateful before their Benefactor! But voluntarily, Thou didst endure burial, rising by Thine own power on the third day as God, granting us life everlasting and great mercy. Holiness belongeth to Thy house, O Lord, unto length of days!
With tears the women reached Thy tomb, searching for Thee, but not finding Thee. They wept with wailing and lamented: “Woe to us! Our Savior, King of all, how wast Thou stolen? What place can hold Thy life-bearing body?” An Angel replied to them: “Do not weep but go and proclaim that the Lord is risen, granting us joy as the Only Compassionate One!”
Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
My Maker and Redeemer, Christ the Lord, was born of thee, O most pure Virgin. By accepting my nature, He freed Adam from his ancient curse. Unceasingly we magnify thee as the Mother of God! Rejoice, O celestial Joy! Rejoice, O Lady: the Protection, Intercession and Salvation of our souls!
Troparia
Sunday (Tone 4)
When the women disciples of the Lord learned from the angel the joyous message of Thy Resurrection, they cast away the ancestral curse and elatedly told the Apostles: Death is overthrown; Christ God is risen, granting the world great mercy!
Resurrectional Dismissal Theotokion (Tone 4) Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The mystery of all eternity, unknown even by Angels, through thee, Theotokos, is revealed to those on earth: God incarnate by union without confusion. He voluntarily accepted the Cross for us, by which He resurrected the first-created man, saving our souls from death.
Of course, it would be easier to get to paradise with a full stomach, all snuggled up in a soft feather-bed, but what is required is to carry one’s cross along the way, for the kingdom of God is not attained by enduring one or two troubles, but many!
”
Elder Anthony of Optina (1795-1865) ~4~
Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom Beatitude Verses
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…
Sunday
Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.
Through a tree, Adam was deprived of his home in Paradise; while through the wood of the Cross, the thief went there to dwell. For the one by tasting set aside the commandment of the Maker, while the other, crucified with Him, confessed the hidden God crying aloud: ‘Remember me in Thy kingdom.’ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Lifted upon the Cross, Thou, O Lord, as God, hath both destroyed the power of death and blotted out the handwriting against us. Do Thou Who alone lovest mankind, grant us the repentance of the thief as we serve Thee with faith, O Christ our God, and cry to Thee: ‘Remember us also in Thy kingdom.’ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Crucified and rising from the tomb in power on the third day, with Thyself hast Thou, only Immortal, raised Adam, the first-formed man. Make me also worthy, O Lord, to turn to repentance with my whole heart and with warm faith ever to cry to Thee: ‘Remember me, O Savior, in Thy kingdom.’ Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Thou hast torn to pieces on the Cross, the handwriting against us and counted among the dead, Thou hast bound yonder tyrant, delivering all from the bonds of hell by Thy resurrection. Through it we have been enlightened and cry aloud to Thee, Lord who lovest mankind: ‘Remember us also in Thy kingdom.’
Forgiveness Sunday
Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake.
O Savior, in Thy compassion Thou hast clothed me in Eden with a divinely woven garment; but, persuaded by the devil, I neglected Thy commandment and was stripped naked in my wretchedness. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
Almighty God, have mercy and take pity on the work of Thy hands. I have cut myself off from the choir of Thine angels; but I entreat Thee, loving Lord, reject me not. Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Mary chosen by God, Queen of the world, thou hast borne the Lord who is King of all and Redeemer. I am a prisoner and an exile from the glory of Paradise: I entreat thee, call me back.
Troparia
Sunday (Tone 4)
When the women disciples of the Lord learned from the angel the joyous message of Thy Resurrection, they cast away the ancestral curse and elatedly told the Apostles: Death is overthrown; Christ God is risen, granting the world great mercy!
St. Luke the Evangelist (Tone 5)
The Holy Apostle, the all-hymned Luke, who is acknowledged by the Church of Christ as the recorder of the Acts of the Apostles and the splendid author of the Gospel of Christ, let us praise with sacred hymns as a Physician who healeth the infirmities of man and the ailments of nature, who cleanseth spiritual wounds and prayeth unceasingly for our souls.
Kontakia
Sunday (Tone 4)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,…
My Savior and Redeemer as God rose from the tomb and delivered the earth-born from their chains. He has shattered the gates of hell, and as Master, He has risen on the third day!
Forgiveness Sunday (Tone 1)
Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
O Master, Teacher of wisdom, Bestower of virtue, Who teaches the thoughtless and protects the poor, strengthen and enlighten my heart! O Word of the Father, let me not restrain my mouth from crying to Thee: “Have mercy on me, a transgressor, O merciful Lord!”
O miserable soul, thou hast departed far from God through thy carelessness; Thou hast been deprived of the delight of Paradise and parted from the angels; thou hast been led down into corruption. How art thou fallen! ~5~
Prokeimenon
Forgiveness Sunday (Tone 8)
Pray and make your vows before the Lord, our God! Vs: In Judah God is known; His Name is great in Israel!
Epistle Reading
Forgiveness Sunday
The Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans (13:11-14:4)
Brethren, now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.
Gospel Reading
Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand.
Alleluia Verses
Forgiveness Sunday (Tone 6)
Vs: It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Thy Name, O Most High. Vs: To declare Thy mercy in the morning, and Thy truth by night.
Forgiveness Sunday The Gospel according to St. Matthew (6:14-21)
The Lord said: “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. “And when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Pre-Communion Hymn
By the Waters of Babylon (from Psalm 137)
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept Alleluia. when we remembered Zion. Alleluia. O Daughter of Babylon, you destructive one. Blessed is He Who requites you with what you have done to us. Alleluia. On the willows there, we hung up our harps. Alleluia. How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land? Alleluia. Blessed is He Who takes your little ones and dashes them against the stone. Alleluia. If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither.
~6~
“Lord, I Call”
Forgiveness Vespers From the morning watch even to the night, let Israel hope in the Lord!
Penitential stichera (Tone 4) Lead forth my soul from prison, that I may confess Thy name!
The multitude of my transgressions is like the deep waters of the sea, and I drown in my iniquities. Give me Thy hand, O God my Savior: Save me as Thou has saved Peter, and have mercy on me.
Let us begin the Fast with joy. Let us prepare ourselves for spiritual efforts. Let us cleanse our soul and cleanse our flesh. Let us abstain from every passion as we abstain from food. Let us rejoice in virtues of the spirit and fulfill them in love. That we may see the passion of Christ our God, and rejoice in spirit at the Holy Pascha.
The righteous await me, till Thou shalt reward me.
Because of my wicked thoughts and deeds, I stand condemned: Put into my heart, O God my Savior, the thought of turning back to Thee, that I may cry: “Save me Loving Benefactor, and have mercy on me.” Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord; O Lord, hear my voice!
Another world awaits thee, O my soul, and the Judge will there reveal all thy secret sins. Tarry not among the things of this life, but run quickly to the Judge and cry before it is too late: “God be merciful and save me.” Let Thine ears give heed to the voice of my prayer!
Reject me not, my Savior, though I am held fast by the slothfulness of sin. But rouse my thoughts to repentance, and make me a tried laborer in Thy vineyard; grant me the reward of the eleventh hour, and show me Thy great mercy.
Lenten triodion (Tone 2) If Thou observest transgression, Lord, O Lord, who shall stand? For with Thee is propitiation.
Let us humble the flesh by abstinence as we follow the divine path of pure fasting. With prayers and tears let us seek the Lord Who save us. Let us put an end to anger crying out: ‘Save us who have sinned against Thee. Save us, O Christ our King, as Thou didst save the men of Ninevah, and make us partakers of Thy heavenly kingdom, O Compassionate One. For Thy name’s sake have I waited upon Thee, O Lord; my soul hath waited upon Thy word; my soul hath hoped in the Lord.
When I think of my deeds, O Lord, I am filled with despair and know that I am worthy of every torment. I have despised Thy commandments, O Savior. I have spent my life as a prodigal. I pray to Thee, O Only-Merciful One, cleanse me by repentance. Enlighten me through prayers and fasting, and despise me not, O most gracious Benefactor of all.
St. Procopius (Tone 4)
For with the Lord there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption, and He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.
O most richly blessed one, with pious thought, purity and holiness of mind, by restraining the passions and observing the commands of Christ, thou didst strive to preserve the dignity of the image that was fashioned in the beginning according to the image and likeness of God. O praise the Lord, all ye nations, praise Him, all ye people!
Thou didst undertake ascetic endeavor, followed by suffering in a godly manner. In both thou wast well-pleasing to the Creator, Who alone requires of us purity and nobility of soul. Glorifying His incarnation, thou didst venerate the holy image of His divine Humanity. For His mercy hath been confirmed upon us and the truth of the Lord remaineth forever.
Thou didst denounce, those who wickedly rejected the incarnation of the Word, O venerable one; Thou didst uphold the truth by enduring wounds and all kinds of affliction in thy bonds and imprisonment. Therefore thou didst become an heir to the kingdom of Christ, to ineffable joy and everlasting radiance.
Dogmatikon (Tone 4)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
As thy supplication before God is endless and thine entreaty to Him is continual, I beseech thee, O all-pure one: “Subdue the temptations and still the upheavals of my wretched soul; calm my distressed heart, and bring grace to my mind, that I may fittingly glorify thee!”
The Great Prokeimenon
Turn not away Thy face from Thy child for I am afflicted. Hear me speedily. Draw near unto my soul and deliver it! Vs: Thy salvation, O God, hath upheld me. Vs: Let the poor see and be glad. Vs: Seek ye God, and your soul shall live.
~7~
Aposticha
Troparia
Thy grace hast shown forth, O Lord, the grace which illumines our soul. This is the acceptable time. This is the time of repentance. Let us lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light, that passing through the Fast as through a great sea, we may reach the Resurrection on the third day of our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior of our souls.
Rejoice, O Virgin Theotokos, Mary full of grace, the Lord is with you: Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, for you have borne the Savior of our souls. (Prostration)
lenten triodion (Tone 4)
To Thee I lift up my eyes, O Thou who art enthroned in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he have mercy upon us.
Thy grace hast shown forth, O Lord… Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. Too long our soul has been sated with the scorn of those who are at ease, the contempt of the proud.
Thou art glorified in the memory of Thy saints, O Christ God. At their supplications, send down upon us Thy great mercy.
Theotokion (Tone 4)
The Lenten Troparion (Tone 4)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…
O Baptizer of Christ, remember us all, that we may be delivered from our iniquities, for to you is given grace to intercede for us. (Prostration) Both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Intercede for us, O holy apostles and all the saints, that we may be delivered from perils and sorrows, for we have acquired you as fervent intercessors before the Savior. (Prostration) Beneath your compassion we take refuge, O Theotokos, do not despise our supplications in adversity, but deliver us from perils, O only pure and only blessed one.
The Prayer of St. Ephraim
O Lord and Master of my life! Take from me the spirit of sloth, despair, lust of power and idle talk! (Prostration)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
The angelic hosts glorify thee, O Mother of God, for thou gavest birth to God, Co-Eternal with the Father and the Spirit, Who created out of nothing the angelic hosts. Beseech Him to deliver from corruption and to enlighten the souls of those who rightly praise thee, O All-Pure One.
But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience, and love to Thy servant. (Prostration) Yea, O Lord and King! Grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother, for blessed art Thou, unto ages of ages. (Prostration) O God, cleanse me a sinner! (12x) (Then the entire Prayer of St. Ephraim is read and a single prostration is made at the end.)
Cheesefare Sunday (Sunday of Forgiveness) Let all the earth weep bitterly with the fathers of our race, for it is fallen with those who tasted the sweet fruit of the tree.
n this Sunday the Holy Church focuses on the memory of the exile of
our ancestral parents from paradise for disobedience and intemperance in order that through misfortune it more evidently emphasizes the importance of the presented ascetical effort for all, and in the loss of the blessedness of paradise it specifies a subject, worthy of repentance and tears. ~8~
The example of the ancestral parents shows us the whole weight of sin and its fatal consequences and teaches us to avoid intemperance as the beginning and the source of sin, and to turn to repentance, as to the unique means of deliverance from the anger and judgment of God. “Adam was cast out”, sings the Holy Church on this day, “ from the sweetness of paradise, when with bitter desire he broke the commandment of the Master, and he was condemned to work the earth from which he himself had been taken, and then to eat his bread with much toil; therefore let us love abstinence, that we may not weep outside of paradise as he did, but enter into it” “Let us keep the fast offering tears, contrition and alms”, “Let us still the passions of our soul, let us subdue the rebelliousness of the flesh”; “Girding ourselves for the good spiritual struggle of the fast” and “Taking up the armor of the cross, let us fight the enemy, having faith as an invincible wall, and prayer as a breastplate, and alms as a helmet, and fasting as a sword, which cuts away all evil from our heart”; “Let us brightly begin the season of fasting preparing ourselves for the spiritual struggle”; “Now is the favorable time, now is the season of repentance, let us cut off the works of darkness, and clothe ourselves in the armor of light: that having sailed across the great expanse of the Fast, we may reach the three-day Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Savior of our souls”. With this tender, touching voice the Holy Church calls us as her children from the present day to forget everything that up to now occupied our thoughts and feelings and distracted them from “the one thing needful”; to reject everything from itself that serviced temptation and occasion for sin, that raised in us impure thoughts and feelings, that originated in us sinful desires and currents; to postpone for a while even our ordinary affairs and occupations, in so far as they soon distract our thoughts from a reverent deepening in our very selves, they irritate our heart with feelings of anger and envy,
dreams of ambition and covetousness; to make itself thirsty for long prayerful vigils, fervent prayers and prostrations; to ignite in oneself an unshakable desire, voluntarily and vigilantly, thanking and glorifying the Lord to now enter the opening door of the saving fast, repentance and spiritual renewal; to kindle in itself a firm determination to pass the holy days of the fast fervently, reverently and joyfully. In the gospel and epistle readings, the Holy Church presents its final teachings about the spiritual efforts of the actual fast. The Fast should begin with the forgiveness by the people of their trespasses and their rejection of the deeds of darkness consisting of an unfeigned fulfillment of the rules of keeping the fast and not to judge their neighbor. Reconcilement with all, the pardon and remission of all our transgressions, is the first, main and necessary condition of our reconcilement with God, cleansing and correcting our sins. Without this reconcilement with all, without this putting an end to mutual conflicts and enmity among us, it is impossible to draw near to the Lord. It is impossible even to begin the holy journey to Lent and repentance. From here came a custom of Orthodox Christians to ask each other forgiveness, and is the same as when they to go to the graves of the dead for this purpose and is why the day is called in popular speech forgiveness and farewell 1). It is self understood, that not only with our mouth, but also mainly with our heart we should utter a full, complete forgiveness not only for something which insults us, but also for all that is hateful and offends us, all that condemns and curses us, all that makes every evil for us. We should try to bow with true—Christian humility for reconciliation and for which the devil, according to his evil and slander, had the misfortune to offend us in word and deed. Saint John Chrysostom teaches: “We should not forgive one another only by words, but with a pure heart so that our memory of the evil will not turn the sword against us. Our having been offended will not cause us evil as much as we cause ourselves, feeding the anger in ourselves and exposing ourselves to condemnation by God for that. If we love those who offend us, then evil will be turned on its very head, and it will continue to suffer severely; but if we will be indignant, then we shall continue to suffer all the same even in spite of ourselves “.
~9~
Homily on Cheesefare Sunday by St. Tikhon of Moscow (then Bishop of Alaska), 1901
Today is called “Forgiveness Sunday.” It received this name from the pious
Orthodox Christian custom at Vespers of asking each other’s forgiveness for discourtesy and disrespect. We do so, since in the forthcoming fast we will approach the sacrament of Penance and ask the Lord to forgive our sins, which forgiveness will be granted us only if we ourselves forgive each other. “If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”(Matt. 6. 14, 15)
Yet it is said to be extremely difficult to forgive discourtesy and to forget disrespect. Perhaps our selfish nature finds it truly difficult to forgive disrespect, even though in the words of the Holy Fathers it is easier to forgive than to seek revenge. (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk after St. John Chrysostom) Yet everything in us that is good is not accomplished easily, but with difficulty, compulsion and effort. “The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”(Matt. 11. 12) For this reason we should not be discouraged at the difficulty of this pious act, but should rather seek the means to its fulfillment. The Holy Church offers many means towards this end, and of them we will dwell on the one which most corresponds to the forthcoming season of repentance. “Yea, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own transgressions and not to judge my brother.” The source of forgiving our neighbors, of not judging them, is included in seeing (acknowledging) our sins. “Imagine,” says a great pastor, who knows the heart of man, Father John of Kronstadt, “picture the multitude of your sins and imagine how tolerant of them is the Master of your life, while you are unwilling to forgive your neighbor even the smallest offense. Moan and bewail your foolishness, and that obstruction within you will vanish like smoke, you will think more clearly, your heart will grow calm, and through this you will learn goodness, as if not you yourself had heard the reproaches and indignities, but some other person entirely, or a shadow of yourself.” (Lessons on a Life of Grace, p. 149) He who admits his sinfulness, who through experience knows the weakness of human nature and its inclination toward evil, will forgive his neighbor the more swiftly, dismissing transgressions and refraining from a haughty judgment of others’ sins. Let us remember that
even the scribes and Pharisees who brought the woman caught in adultery to Christ were forced to depart, when their conscience spoke out, accusing them of their own sins. (John 8. 9) Unfortunately, brethren, we do not like to acknowledge our transgressions. It would seem natural and easy for a person to know his own self, his own soul and his shortcomings. This, however, is actually not so. We are ready to attend to anything but a deeper understanding of ourselves, an investigation of our sins. We examine various things with curiosity, we attentively study friends and strangers, but when faced with solitude without extraneous preoccupation even for a short while, we immediately become bored and attempt to seek amusement. For example, do we spend much time examining our own conscience even before confession? Perhaps a few minutes, and once a year at that. Casting a cursory glance at our soul, correcting some of its more glaring faults, we immediately cover it over with the veil of oblivion until next year, until our next uncomfortable exercise in boredom. Yet we love to observe the sins of others. Not considering the beam in our own eye, we take notice of the mote in our brother’s eye. (Matt. 7. 3) Speaking idly to our neighbor’s detriment, mocking and criticizing him are not even often considered sins but rather an innocent and amusing pastime. As if our own sins were so few! As if we had been appointed to judge others! “There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy” ? God. (James 4. 12) “Who art thou to judge another’s servant? It is before his own master that he stands or falls.” (Rom. 14. 4) “Thou hast no excuse, O man, whoever thou art who judgest. For wherein thou judgest another, thou dost condemn thyself. For thou who judgest dost the same things thyself.”
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(Rom. 2. 1) “Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; put yourselves to the test.” (2 Cor. 13. 5) The pious ascetics provide a good example of this. They turned their minds to themselves, meditated on their own sins and avoided judging their neighbors at all costs. One pious starets, noticing that his brother had committed a sin, sighed and said, “Woe is me! As he sinned today, so will I tomorrow.” And the following is a story about another ascetic, Abba Moses. A monk committed a sin. The brethren, who had assembled to decide his case, sent for Abba Moses, but the humble starets refused to attend the council. When the rector sent for him a second time,
he appeared, but in quite a striking manner. He had taken an old basket, filled it with sand and was carrying it on his back. “What does this mean?” asked the monks, catching sight of him. “See how many sins I bear behind me?” answered Moses, pointing to the heap of sand. “I don’t see them, yet I have come to pass judgment upon another.” So therefore, brethren, following the example of the ascetics, upon observing others’ sins, we should consider our own sins, regard our own transgressions and not judge our brother. And should we hold anything against him, let us pardon and forgive him, that our merciful Lord may forgive us also.
Our father among the saints Tikhon of Moscow (1865–1925), Enlightener of North America, was Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia (1917–1925). While in America, he established his cathedral in New York City, and presided over a vast archdiocese, encouraging and authorizing many publications in the English language. Among these, he encouraged the translation of the Eastern liturgy into English by Isabel Florence Hapgood, and he wrote an extensive catechism based on the Nicene Creed and the Our Father. His feast day is celebrated on April 7; his glorification is celebrated on September 26, and he is also commemorated on the feast of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, celebrated on the Sunday nearest to January 25, which was the date of the martyrdom of Metropolitan Vladimir of Kiev, the first Bishop of the new martyrs.
The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete (also known as the Canon of Repentance) is a lengthy penitential canon composed in the seventh century, which is sung during Great Lent. Structure and composition The Great Canon consists of four parts, each divided into nine odes like a regular canon. However, there are slight differences between the odes of the two compositions. In the Great Canon, there is a greater number of troparia. At the refrain “Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me,” a full prostration is performed. Also, some of the odes have additional refrains and troparia to the author of the canon, St. Andrew of Crete, or St. Mary of Egypt, one of the greatest models of repentance in Christian history.
Usage The Great Canon is served during the first week of the Great Lent. During Great Compline on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, one portion of the Canon is sung after the Little Doxology (Greek practice) or Psalm 69 (Russian practice) is read. On Wednesday of the fifth week of the Great Lent, the Life of St. Mary of Egypt is read together with the entire Great Canon at Orthros
(sometimes Thursday proper in Slavic tradition). This practice was implemented during the life of St. Andrew, who was also the author of St. Mary’s hagiography.
Contents A basic distinguishing feature of the Great Canon is its extremely broad use of images and subjects taken both from the Old and New Testaments. As the Canon progresses, the congregation encounters many biblical examples of sin and repentance. The Bible (and therefore, the Canon) speaks of some individuals in a positive light, and about others in a negative one—the penitents are expected to emulate the positive examples of sanctity and repentance, and to learn from and avoid the negative examples of sin, fallen nature and pride. However, one of the most notable aspects of the Canon is that it attempts to potray the Biblical images in a very personal way to every penitent: the Canon is written in such form that the faithful identify themselves with many people and events found in the Bible.
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Sunset at Valaam Monastery on the island of Valaam on Lake Ladoga, Russia, during a vigil. Photograph by Andrey Rassanov. St. Luke Orthodox Christian Church 1415 Woodstock Ave. Anniston, AL 36207