The Orthodox Easter period influences a range of festivals and events. Then after Vespersafter hearing the announcement of Lent in the Great Prokeimenon: Turn not away Thy face from Thy child, for I am afflicted! Sunday of Orthodoxy. In addition to the ascetic fasting of the lenten season, the Orthodox alone among Christians also practice what is known as eucharistic or liturgical fasting. Great Lent is a time to prepare ourselves in order to celebrate Pascha. The Sunday after Pentecost is the Feast of All Saints. All rights reserved. The Lenten liturgical program was synthesized throughout time. The Road Back to Christ: Reflections on Lent, Holy Week and the Resurrection is a series of short daily reflections on the scripture readings of Holy Week and the accounts of the Resurrection and post-Resurrection appearances of Christ. No meat is allowed after Meatfare Sunday, and no eggs or dairy products after Cheesefare Sunday. It is during the month of Ramadan that Muslims fast. Many Faithful do fast completely on Monday and then eat only uncooked food (bread, fruit, nuts) on Tuesday evening. The Orthodox Christian Faith proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Apostles, and the tradition and life of the living Church worldwide through worship, communion, witness, and service. I humbly ask your forgiveness. Feasts. The Church, in her wisdom, begins preparing us for this most-holy time in the weeks that precede the fast. Each of us has a "passion" for anger, lust, power, greed, ego, etc. Good Friday occurs on the Friday before Easter. So, if we can or tame our passion for eating, we can hopefully tame our other passions. Wednesday. God forgives us, and His forgiveness is in Christ, His Son, whom He sends to us so that by sharing in His humanity we may share in His love and be truly reconciled with God. The Church Year /. the full armor of self-control the angels' dignity, the confidence before God. as You love humanity. +HARALAMPOSArchbishop of Dallas and Texas, +NICHOLASBishop of EdenbornVicar for the Archdiocese of North America & the Diaspora, True Orthodox Church of the Diaspora: Archdiocese of North America 2001-2023. We plan to keep creating more Great Lent teaching material, so please check back for new additions! This preparation is for both our body and soul. As a Lenten hymn says: In vain do you rejoice in not eating, O soul!For you abstain from food,But from passions you are not purified.If you persevere in sin, you will perform a useless fast!. Today, as we begin the time of the Fast, let us all rise up and choose to make the journey home. Volume II - Worship: Fasting is also mischaracterized as a form of deprivation, rather than a spiritual discipline. The Orthodox Christian Faith proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Apostles, and the tradition and life of the living Church worldwide through worship, communion, witness, and service. Facebook | Portions should be smaller than usual. Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America. Twitter | With these words we fast with cheerful hearts, because it is in our self-denial that we find freedom in the Resurrection. Generally speaking, fasting is an essential element of the Christian life. April 2022 - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America DONATE Calendar of Saints, Feasts, and Readings in the Orthodox Church April 2022 List Grid View All View Saints View Readings Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 4th Friday of Lent Isaiah 29:13-23 Genesis 12:1-7 Proverbs 14:15-26 2 Fourth Saturday of Lent Hebrews 6:9-12 Telegram | link to the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese website for the liturgics of the day, if available. Forgiveness Sunday: the day on which we acquire the power to make our fastingtrue fasting; our efforttrue effort; our reconciliation with Godtrue reconciliation. ( Oil and wine, up until the last couple of centuries, were stored in skins of animals. We entreat thee urgently: enter with us, by thy mediation, into the struggle of the Fast, and grant us to complete it for our souls salvation.. Even during Great Lent, Saturday (the Sabbath Day) and Sunday (the Lord's Day) remain eucharistic days, and the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. Aris Metrakos to Protopresbyter, The Patriarch of Jerusalem for the railway fatality in Tempi. Site Map | that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; We ask our good God and His Most-Holy Mother to grant us strength so that this Lent may become a spiritual feast for our souls, which otherwise are atrophied by pleasures. RTOC-MM: Archdiocese of North America and the Diaspora From the Blog March 7/February 22, 2022 To the beloved clergy, religious, and faithful of the Russian True Orthodox Church, Archdiocese of North America & the Diaspora-mercy, peace, and love be yours in ever-greater measure. This day commemorates the Last Supper shared by Jesus and his disciples. by Fr. On that unique evening, listening to the joyful Paschal hymns we are called to make a spiritual discovery: to taste of another mode of life and relationship with people, of life whose essence is love. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. But wherever we fall in that spectrum, we must always remember that were not alone. Give some thought to your fasting plan for Lent today! Thus, truly forgiveness is both the beginning of, and the proper condition for, the Lenten season. Orthodox Lent is observed from Clean Monday to the evening of Holy Saturday and leads up to Easter Sunday, which runs from March 18 to May 7 this year. It is before his own Master that he stands or falls." The word "lent" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'lencten' which literally means "spring". Thus, fasting is not about giving up something only to get it back. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with its headquarters located in the City of New York, is an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, The mission of the Archdiocese is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the Church in the United States of America according to the Orthodox Christian faith and tradition. If you've never fasted before, I would not recommend doing a strict fast. But the Church spares no effort in revealing to us that fasting is but a means, one among many, towards a higher goal: the spiritual renewal of man, his return to God, true repentance and, therefore, true reconciliation. Orthodoxy / With faith and vigilance let us enter on the Fast, and receive remission of our sins., relying upon the Mother of God to strengthen us throughout its course, Thou art the cause of all good things, O Lady. Draw near unto my soul and deliver it!, after making our entrance into Lenten worship, with its special melodies, with the prayer of Saint Ephraim the Syrian, with its prostrationswe ask forgiveness from each other, we perform the rite of forgiveness and reconciliation. Fasting also does not mean "looking" deprived, complaining about what you can't eat, or making a show of your fasting. Sunday, March 6, 2022. YouTube | All rights reserved. and your father who sees in secret will reward you:' Matthew 6: 16-18 The Orthodox rules for lenten fasting are the monastic rules. Copyright 19962023. In several countries, lent marks the start of spring. All rights reserved. The Archdiocese responds to the spiritual needs of the Greek Orthodox Christian Faithful through National Ministries, providing programs and services to your local parishes, Metropolises, and you. Some find it necessary to eat a little each day after sunset. The dominant theme of this Sunday since 843 has been that of the victory of the icons. Let us welcome the Fast with humble hearts., See how the beauty of repentance forms the soul anew at the approach of Lent! The following is an overview of the events. To the Clergy, Monastics, and Faithful of the Orthodox Church in America. In some faith's traditions, Lent ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. In the case of All Saints parishioners, your spiritual father is Fr. Saint Paul reminds us in Romans 14:3-4: "Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. While we can go a day without a lustful thought or an angry thought, we can't go more than a few hours without a hungry thought. Telegram | Home / Twitter | The next forty days, which includes nearly six weeks and five Sundays, is called Great Lent. Lent is all about that journey, and the brave souls who choose to embark upon it. Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally forbidden to Orthodox Christians throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on two major feast days: on March 25th ( Annunciation of the Virgin Mary) and on Palm Sunday . Home / Lent is about repentance, and making small and permanent changes to bring us closer to the Lord, changes that will last long after Lent is over. The Holy Synod / Site Map | This is why we can eat grapes and olives, we cannot have wine or olive oil. Copyright 19962023. One may ask, however: Why should I perform this rite when I have no enemies? Why should I ask forgiveness from people who have done nothing to me, and whom I hardly know? The well-known teaching that Saturdays and Sundays are never days of fasting in the Orthodox Church, an issue emphasized centuries ago when controversy arose with the Latin Church, refers only to this eucharistic-liturgical fast. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? On the morning of that Sunday, at the Divine Liturgy, we hear the words of Christ: If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Mark 6:14-15). On these days the fast is relaxed to permit fish with backbones, in addition to alcoholic beverages and oil. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America was born in 1967 in Bakirky, Istanbul. In the Russian Orthodox Church, fasting always begins on a Monday, whereas in the Roman Catholic Church, on a. Titus 3:9). The Church Year, The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This is the purpose of the Lenten journey. and to break every yoke? (Is 58:6). Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Originally a harvest and fertility festival, Holi also commemorates a legend from Hindu Mythology. Jesus said, 'and when you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, Box 495 South Bound Brook, NJ 08880 Offices: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Metropolia Center When we think of Easter, what comes to mind are Easter eggs and those fun games played before getting an Easter egg. We avoid gluttony of food, but likewise we ought to avoid gluttony of all sorts: in recreation, media, or conversation with others. In addition, two special feastdays that fall during this period Annunciation (March 25) and Palm Sunday (April 17, this year) are kept as Fish, Wine, and Oil Days. There is a forty day fast that precedes the Feast of the Nativity (November 15-December 24), a fourteen day fast that precedes the Feast of the Dormition (August 1-14), and the Holy Apostles Fast (which begins the day after All Saints Day and lasts through June 28). And because we make this discoveryand because this discovery is that of the Kingdom of God itself: the Kingdom of Peace and Love, of reconciliation with God and, in Him, with all that existswe hear the hymns of that Feast, which once a year opens to us the doors of Paradise. We know why we shall fast and pray, what we shall seek during the long Lenten pilgrimage. Weeks of preparation 2022 (February 13 - March 6) Four Sundays of preparation precede Great Lent. Because fasting is so misunderstood, it is many times done incorrectly. On these dayswe abstain from meat, dairy, fish with backbones, fowl, alcoholic beverages, and oil. In the first four days of Lent, the Church officiates the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete, a liturgical hymn of repentance, remembering the history of salvation. What is Orthodox Christianity? These cookies do not store any personal information. The ascetic fast of Great Lent continues from Meatfare Sunday to Easter Sunday, and is broken only after the Paschal Divine Liturgy. As we begin our preparation for Great Lent each year, a unique occurrence is found in the Matins Service for the Sundays of the Prodigal Son, Meatfare, and Cheesefare. About the Faith / Great Lent marks the start of the Easter cycle in the Orthodox Christian Church. Fasting is a tool that is used to assist in spiritual growth. The fasting is done so that the body and spirit are "cleansed" to prepare for accepting the Resurrection. At the same time, to reiterate the need for a conscience free of passions, the Church decided that the Great Canon should be read in its entirety in the fifth week of Great Lent. We are united with one another on this road and we always have a strong hand to grasp for those times when we think we might fall. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, a total fast is kept. In that year the iconoclastic controversy, which had raged on and off since 726, was finally laid to rest, and icons and their veneration were restored on the first Sunday in Lent. The first week of Lent is especially strict. For some, it might be a particularly long and arduous one, for others, not so much. Also called Quadragesima or Tessaracoste, Great Lent is a 40-day season of spiritual preparation that comes before the Feast of Holy Pascha or the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, which falls on April 24. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with its headquarters located in the City of New York, is an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, The mission of the Archdiocese is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the Church in the United States of America according to the Orthodox Christian faith and tradition. There are certain days of the Holy Week cycle that have special fasting rules. Because the lenten season is one of preparation for the Lords Resurrection through the remembrance of sin and separation from God, the liturgical order of the Church eliminates the eucharistic service on the weekdays of lent. Beloved children in the Lord, I conclude by directing you to keep in prayer those suffering in the calamity of war: the wounded, the grieving, and the displaced. The Holy Archdiocese does not exercise any administrative oversight or assignment authority over clergy that are not part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. A contemporary father of the Church, Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou, explains beautifully: In the beginning state, before the Fall. Home / During this week, the Fifth Week of Great Lent, we celebrate additional church services that are a little longer. Now, forgiveness stands at the very center of Christian faith and of Christian life because Christianity itself is, above all, the religion of forgiveness. Therefore, these rules are intended for all Orthodox Christians, not just monks and nuns. Read about Orthodox Lent around the world in 2024. His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon /. Psalm 137 is added to the service, which begins, By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. It is a song of exile and return. We can discover that always and everywhere Christ, the Divine Love Himself, stands in the midst of us, transforming our mutual alienation into brotherhood. If a believer is accustomed to attending only the Sunday Liturgy during Great Lent, then the opportunity for a . In this turbulent moment, the Fast is a call to freedom as children of God through our spiritual discipline. A special word must be said about fasting during lent. The guidelines in this post are general. Sunday, March 6, 2022 12:30 PM. Site Map | It serves as a reminder that even in our darkest times there is always a way home. Seraphim Dedes). Twitter | they have received their reward. Easter Archpastoral Letter April 24/April 11, 2022, , Archpastoral Letter for the Beginning of Great Lent 2022. (Doxastikon of Orthros, Cheesefare Sunday, Trans. Let us fast with a fast pleasing to the Lord. Sunday of the Last Judgement (Meatfare Sunday) , Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheesefare Sunday) , Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross , Palm Sunday: The Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem , Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council , 8 East 79th Street New York, NY 10075 In our time, there are many bonds of wickedness and cords of the yoke which Lent urges us to loosebut above all, the sins which bind our souls. Instagram | A good starting place to work towards the strict observance is to keep the first day of Great Lent, Clean Monday, as an absolute fast and to limit meals on the other days. After his glorification in 1368, a second commemoration of Saint Gregory Palamas (November 14) was appointed for the Second Sunday of Great Lent as a second "Triumph of Orthodoxy." In the Orthodox Church, the last Sunday before Great Lentthe day on which, at Vespers, Lent is liturgically announced and inauguratedis called Forgiveness Sunday. Telegram | Your support helps us further the vital ministry work. Over the years, we have built quite a collection of teaching resources on Great Lent. 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com - All rights reserved. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America was born in 1967 in Bakirky, Istanbul. There is a 19 Sunday (18 week) period of time each year in the Orthodox Christian Church that surrounds the Feast of Pascha (Easter). In practice, very few people are able to do this. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Even though, the Syriac Orthodox . Fish, oil, and wine are allowed on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and Palm Sunday (one week before Easter). Clean Monday begins the season of Great Lent in Eastern Orthodox Churches. Remember also those who have been killed in this war. However, Western Christendom doesn't count Sundays because Jesus is recorded as having resurrected on a Sunday, whereas Eastern Orthodox churches do count Sundays. Archbishop of Washington On other feast days, such as the First and Second Finding of the Head of Saint John the Baptist (February 24), the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (March 9), the Forefeast of the Annunciation (March 24), and the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel (March 26), wine and oil are permitted. WEEKENDS (Saturday and Sunday) are observed as Wine and Oil Days. The Orthodox Faith / 8 East 79th Street New York, NY 10075 During the week days of Great Lent the regular eucharistic Divine Liturgy is not celebrated in Orthodox churches since the Divine Liturgy is always a paschal celebration of communion with the Risen Lord. Knowing the great effort to which they are called, Christians should make every effort to fast as well as they can, in secret, so that God would see and bless them openly with a holy life. Why is it that the Church wants us to begin the Lenten season with forgiveness and reconciliation? Patriarch of Romania extended condolences to Greece over deadly train collision, Diaconia Social Mission takes stock of its good deeds in 2022, Head of Chancellery of Romanias PM met with Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia, Bishop of Hui urged to observe digital fast during Lenten season, Patriarch of Romania: Forgiveness is a condition to make a good beginning for Lent, Alba Iulia Archbishop Irineu: Great Lent is a time of purification and illumination, Archbishop of America: In the face of every child we behold the countenance of God, Archbishop Makarios of Australia: As a human race, we have a great obligation to the Virgin Mary, Warm reception of the Archbishop of Cyprus by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the Phanar, Visit of Dr. Nikolaos Lygeros to the Offices of the Archdiocesan District of Melbourne, Commemoration of Metropolitan Panteleimon in Brussels, Archbishop of America elevated parish priest Fr. Fasting on the weekdays of the first week of Great Lent is especially severe. David Winn. This fast helps us prepare to properly celebrate our Lords nativity in the flesh and it is to our benefit to observe it as fully Read more, On Monday, August 15, we will celebrate the Dormition of our Most Holy Lady, the Theotokos and Ever-virgin Mary. Fr. During this period of Lent, we have the opportunity to show that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (and by prayer, and by tears of repentance, and by prostrations, and by asceticism) that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4.4). It is no wonder that it begins on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, itself a story of loss and exile, with the beautiful image of the return home as its conclusion. In order that the faithful would not be entirely deprived of Holy Communion on the lenten days, however, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated on Wednesday and Friday evenings. It is a pious practice to observe Great and Holy Friday as an absolute fast. Great Lent is the longest and strictest of the four fasting periods of the Orthodox Church. A meeting ofthe HIERARCHS of the RTOC-MM Synod ofBishops takes place. These questions are in order because for too many people Lent means primarily, and almost exclusively, a change of diet, the compliance with ecclesiastical regulations concerning fasting. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Home / Hear me speedily! Meals for the fast should follow the dietary restrictions and be cooked simply. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This year, our journey through the Lenten fast to Pascha begins at Forgiveness Vespers on Sunday, March 6. Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. "The Road Back to Christ: Reflections on Lent, Holy Week and the Resurrection", St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, FL, Level one -- Fast from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays and during Holy Week, Level two -- Fast from meat and fish on Wednesdays and Fridays and during Holy Week, Level three -- Fast from meat the entirety of Lent and Holy Week, Level four -- Fast from meat and fish the entirety of Lent and Holy Week, Level five -- Level four and eliminate dairy products during Holy Week. The ecclesiastical book that contains the Services of our Church which are performed during the period beginning with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee and ends on Great and Holy Saturday, that is the Services of the movable feasts that precede Easter, is called the Triodion. GREAT LENT 2022 - Protocol N. 7/2022. Even during Great Lent, Saturday (the Sabbath Day) and Sunday (the Lords Day) remain eucharistic days, and the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent in the Christian calendar, has been observed by Britons for centuries. Outside of Lent, it is Tradition to fast every Wednesday (in honor of the betrayal of Christ) and Friday (in honor of His Crucifixion). Official Statements & Speeches / Generally speaking, children and elderly people are allowed to relax the fast under the guidance of their spiritual father. The Holy Archdiocese does not exercise any administrative oversight or assignment authority over clergy that are not part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. However, for other faiths such as Roman Catholicism, Lent ends at sundown on Thursday, April 6, which is the day known as Holy Thursday. Fasting 3. It is the Orthodox Tradition to fast from food products that contain blood. And as we approach each other with words of reconciliation, the choir intones the Paschal hymns, filling the church with the anticipation of Paschal joy. Below is a guide of some levels of fasting: **Fish is allowed on March 25 (Annunciation)and Palm Sunday; oil and wine are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, except for Holy Saturday. The Lenten Fast rules that we observe today were established within the monasteries of the Orthodox Church during the sixth through eleventh centuries. Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America. All rights reserved. Octopus and shell-fish are allowed, as is vegetable oil. INTRO This year, our journey through the Lenten fast to Pascha begins at Forgiveness Vespers on Sunday, February 26. The experience provides the faithful significant content to listen to, watch, and read; in order to lead, grow, and inspire. The information contained on the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is for informational purposes only. Truly, I say to you, Great Lent begins on Monday, March 7, 2022. Instagram | But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, Fasting is an aid to help us in this. If you have a medical condition that requires you to relax the fasting guidelines, then do so. Great Lent ends on a Friday. Please also be of service to them in your charity and almsgiving this Lent. (Gospel of Cheesefare Sunday). Contact | Instead, Lenten food usually consists of plenty of olives, taramasalata, Halva, vegetables, legumes and seafood, such as calamari, octopus, shrimps, oysters, cuttlefish, mussels, lobsters etc. Stavros Akrotirianakis is the Proistamenos (Presiding Priest) atSt. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, FL. Great Lent is our much needed time of refreshment of the heart and cleansing of the soul, so that we may more clearly perceive the light of Christ on Great and Holy Pascha. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. They understand fasting as an end in itself, as a good deed required by God and carrying in itself its merit and its reward. In the Orthodox world, we use the word "passions" to describe tendencies that each person has that lead us to sin. More important, however, than fasting from food, is fasting from the behaviors that are spiritually destructive. This fasting does not refer to the normal abstinence in preparation for receiving the holy eucharist; it means fasting from the holy eucharist itself.