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1st Sunday of Great Lent: Sunday of Orthodoxy

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This Sunday, March 21, is the 1st Sunday of Great Lent and the Sunday of Orthodoxy. On this Sunday we commemorate the restoration of the holy icons in the Church during the 9th century. Far from being a mere historical marker, this day celebrates the fact that:

in the last times you [O Lord] willed to become incarnate and so finite; for when you took on flesh you made all its properties your own. So we depict the form of your outward appearance and pay it relative respect, and so are moved to love you; and through it we receive the grace of healing, following the divine traditions of the apostles..
from Vespers for the Sunday of Orthodoxy

The Gospel reading for the Sunday of Orthodoxy is John 1:43-51.

After the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great we will celebrate this day with a procession with icons and the Rite of Orthodoxy. Covid-19 precautions will be followed.

Procession with icons on the Sunday of Orthodoxy
Procession with icons on the Sunday of Orthodoxy (2019)

Saint Patrick, Bishop of Armagh & Enlightener of Ireland

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On March 17, we commemorate St. Patrick, Bishop of Armagh and Enlightener of Ireland.

Holy Bishop Patrick, / faithful shepherd of Christ’s royal flock, / you filled Ireland with the radiance of the Gospel: / The mighty strength of the Trinity! / Now that you stand before the Savior, / pray that He may preserve us in faith and love!

Troparion for the Feast of St. Patrick
Saint Patrick of Ireland
Saint Patrick of Ireland

Cathedral of the Annunciation 26th Annual Lenten Retreat

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Authentic Christianity: Why Young People are Leaving the Church (and How We Can Inspire Them to Stay)

On April 3, 2021, the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Baltimore, Maryland will hold its 26th Annual Nicholas Tsakalos Memorial Lenten Retreat with presenters Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick (author and Chief Content Officer of Ancient Faith Ministries) and Steve Christoforou (Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries – Greek Orthodox Archdiocese).

Registration information can be found here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/26th-annual-nicholas-tsakalos-memorial-lenten-retreat-tickets-141538265763

Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheesefare)

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This coming Sunday, March 14, is the Sunday of Forgiveness. It is also the 4th of the pre-Lenten Sundays and perhaps more commonly known as Cheesefare Sunday or simply Cheesefare. This Sunday remembers the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise, as well as marking the last day of eating cheese or cheese products until the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection on Pascha.

After the Divine Liturgy we will be celebrating a portion of Forgiveness Vespers, followed by the Rite of Forgiveness. Covid-19 precautions will be followed.

The Gospel reading for the Sunday of Forgiveness is Matthew 6:14-21. Building on the themes of the previous Sunday’s (repentance and judgement), we are now – as always – prompted to orient ourselves toward forgiveness and reconciliation.

As Fr. Alexander Schmemman reminds us:

Now, forgiveness stands at the very center of Christian faith and of Christian life because Christianity itself is, above all, the religion of forgiveness. 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. Indeed, Christianity has no other content but love. And it is primarily the renewal of that love, a return to it, a growth in it, that we seek in Great Lent, in fasting and prayer, in the entire spirit and the entire effort of that season. Thus, truly forgiveness is both the beginning of, and the proper condition for the Lenten season.
Forgiveness Sunday | Orthodox Church in America
Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise
Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise

Lenten Reading

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Looking for a good and meaningful book to read during this coming Lent? Look no further than our own parish library! Here are 5 books that can be checked out now:

  • First Fruits of Prayer
  • Defeating Sin
  • How to be a Sinner
  • Great Lent
  • Meditation

About these books:

How to Be a Sinner by Peter Bouteneff (SVS Press)

We call ourselves “sinners” in much of our church life. Yet the sinner identity—when done right—brings peace of mind, a clear conscience, and love for others. Addressing topics like guilt, shame, and self-care, this compassionate guide will help you reflect on your life in surrender to God’s mercy. Written by an internationally recognized professor of Orthodox theology, this book will speak to you wherever you find yourself.
How to Be a Sinner at SVS Press

The First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty-Day Journal through the Canon of St. Andrew by Frederica Mathewes-Green (Paraclete Press)

Join Frederica Mathewes-Green on a guided retreat through an ancient Orthodox text. Regardless of your denominational background, First Fruits of Prayer will bring to life the prayer experience of first millennium Christianity through immersion in this poetic hymn, an extraordinarily beautiful work that is still chanted by Christians around the world each Lent. It weaves together Old and New Testament Scriptures with prayers of hope and repentance and offers ancient ways of seeing Christ that still feel new today.
The First Fruits of Prayer at Paraclete Press

Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our Passions and Changing Forever by Fr. Joseph Huneycutt (SVS Press)

Defeating Sin will help readers better understand the disease that troubles the human soul. Fr Joseph David Huneycutt arms readers for spiritual warfare by giving them the tools to help them repent, to turn away from the passions and toward the virtues, and to make a thorough confession.
Defeating Sin: Overcoming Our Passions and Changing Forever at SVS Press

Great Lent by Fr. Alexander Schmemann (SVS Press)

This revised edition of Fr Alexander Schmemann’s Lenten classic examines the meaning of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, the Prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian, the Canon of St Andrew of Crete, and other neglected or misunderstood treasures of Lenten worship. Schmemann draws on the Church’s sacramental and liturgical tradition to suggest the meaning of “Lent in our life.” The Lenten season is meant to kindle a “bright sadness” within our hearts. Its aim is precisely the remembrance of Christ, a longing for a relationship with God that has been lost. Lent offers the time and place for recovery of this relationship. The darkness of Lent allows the flame of the Holy Spirit to burn within our hearts until we are led to the brilliance of the Resurrection.
Great Lent at SVS Press

Meditations for Great Lent: Reflections on the Triodion by Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou (Ancient Faith Publishing)

The Lenten Triodion exhorts us, “Let us observe a fast acceptable and pleasing to the Lord.” Using hymns from the Triodion and the Scripture readings appointed for the season, Meditations for Great Lent shows us how to make our fast acceptable: to fast not only from food but from sin; to fast with love and humility, as a means to an end and not an end in itself. Keep this gem of a book with you to inspire you for the Fast and to dip into for encouragement as you pursue your Lenten journey.
Meditations for Great Lent at Ancient Faith Publishing