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Lent

1st Sunday of Lent: The Triumph of Orthodoxy

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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

Sunday, 05 March 2023, is the first Sunday of Lent and the Triumph of Orthodoxy, so-called as it commemorates the 9th century restoration of icons and their veneration (i.e., Orthodoxy) against the iconoclasts. The “triumph of Orthodoxy” does not -and should never- imply a modern arrogance or spirit of triumphalism.

Following the Divine Liturgy we will conclude our worship with a procession with icons and the Rite of Orthodoxy. Everyone is encouraged to bring their favorite icon for the procession.

The Epistle and Gospel readings for Sunday are:

⁜ Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-12:2 (Epistle)
⁜ John 1:43-51 (Gospel)

About this Sunday we read from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website: “The theme of the victory of the icons, by its emphasis on the incarnation, points us to the basic Christian truth that the one whose death and resurrection we celebrate at Easter was none other than the Word of God who became human in Jesus Christ…. | continue reading at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website.

Triumph of Orthodoxy

Forgiveness Sunday: The Expulsion of Adam from Paradise

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Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

This coming Sunday, 26 February 2023, is Forgiveness Sunday. Following the Divine Liturgy we will serve the Rite of Forgiveness, the communal act of mutual forgiveness before entering into the Great Fast.

This Sunday is also Cheesefare, the last day for those fasting to consume dairy products before Lent. (But yet again, to loosely paraphrase St. Basil the Great: don’t forsake your cheese and milk only to consume your brother with anger!)

The Epistle and Gospel readings for Sunday are:

⁜ Romans 13:11-14:4 (Epistle)
⁜ Matthew 6:14-21 (Gospel)

About this Sunday we read from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website: “… The Sunday of Forgiveness, the last of the preparatory Sundays before Great Lent, has two themes: it commemorates Adam’s expulsion from Paradise, and it accentuates our need for forgiveness. There are obvious reasons why these two things should be brought to our attention as we stand on the threshold of Great Lent. One of the primary images in the Triodion is that of the return to Paradise. Lent is a time when we weep with Adam and Eve before the closed gate of Eden, repenting with them for the sins that have deprived us of our free communion with God. But Lent is also a time when we are preparing to celebrate the saving event of Christ’s death and rising, which has reopened Paradise to us once more (Luke 23:43). So sorrow for our exile in sin is tempered by hope of our re-entry into Paradise… | continue reading at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website.

Expulsion of Adam from Paradise
The Expulsion of Adam from Paradise

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