Meatfare > Four Evangelists Orthodox Church, Bel Air, Maryland

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!

This coming Sunday, 19 February 2023, is the Sunday of the Last Judgement, as well as the commemoration of the Apostles of the Seventy Archippus and Philemon, and the Martyr Apphia, among others.

This Sunday is also Meatfare, so called as it is the last day we consume meat before entering into the Great Fast. | See also the helpful article And When You Fast by Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis.

The Epistle and Gospel readings for Sunday are:

⁜ 1 Corinthians 8:8-9:2 (Epistle)
⁜ Matthew 25:31-46 (Gospel)

About the Sunday of the Last Judgement we read: “On the past two Sundays of this pre-Lenten period, the focus was placed on God’s patience and limitless compassion, of His readiness to accept every sinner who returns to Him. On this third Sunday, we are powerfully reminded of a complementary truth: no one is so patient and so merciful as God, but even He does not forgive those who do not repent. The God of love is also a God of righteousness, and when Christ comes again in glory, He will come as our Judge. Such is the message of Lent to each of us: turn back while there is still time, repent before the End comes. … | Continue reading at the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese website.

This coming Sunday, March 7, is the Sunday of the Last Judgment. It is also the 3rd of the pre-Lenten Sundays and perhaps more commonly known as Meatfare Sunday or simply Meatfare. This Sunday marks the last day of eating meat or meat products until the celebration of our Lord’s resurrection on Pascha.

The Gospel reading for the Sunday of the Last Judgement is Matthew 25:31-46. Building on the theme of repentance found in the previous two Sundays (Publican and the Pharisee, Prodigal Son), we are reminded that:

…while trusting in Christ’s love and mercy, we must not forget His righteous judgment when He comes again in glory. If our hearts remain hardened and unrepentant, we should not expect the Lord to overlook our transgressions simply because He is a good and loving God. Although He does not desire the death of a sinner, He also expects us to turn from our wickedness and live (Ezek. 33:11). ¹
¹ Orthodox Church in America, Sunday of the Last Judgement

See also the podcast on the Sunday of the Last Judgement by the late Fr. Thomas Hopko on Ancient Faith Radio.

An important note about Meatfare and fasting from the Lenten Triodion:

Let us observe a fast acceptable and pleasing to the Lord.
True fasting is to put away all evil,
To control the tongue, to forbear from anger,
To abstain from lust, slander, falsehood and perjury.
If we renounce these things, then is our fasting true and acceptable to God.²
² Sung on Monday of the first week of Lent.

and

Let us keep the Fast not only by refraining from food,
But by becoming strangers to all the bodily passions.
That we who are enslaved to the tyranny of the flesh…³
³ Sung on Tuesday of the first week of Lent.

May God grant this!

The Last Judgement. Late 17th c. Kyiv. | via Flickr