www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Parish Life & Evangelization Our Parish at Lent

Dear Friends,

What kind of services, above and beyond the "call of duty," does your parish hold during Lent?

What about spiritual talks and retreats - anyone?

Akathists to the Passion, Stations of the Cross - what do you say?

Alex

Dear Alex:

What do you mean by the call of duty? Thanks!

hal

Alex,

Halychanyn posted a highly combustionable question. I'm looking forward to your highly erudite answer. You go, big guy! I'm taking my box of matches out of here.

I dream of the day when the Passion Gospels are read for Good Friday Matins. But I might go see the movie as a supplement to fill the void. :p Thanks, Mel.

"Having suffered the passion for us ..."

Joe

Our parish is doing something we've never done before on Cheesefare Sunday - after Vespers we'll gather for a Lenten supper together.

It's an idea I shamelessly stole from our holy monk Fr. Elias (his parish does it EVERY Sunday during the Fast). Builds community - starting the Fast together as a parish family first in prayer, and then by breaking bread.

It may not be terribly heroic, but it's a first for us.

Sharon

Dear Hal and Joe,

Well, "call of duty" here is, as I define it, what every parish says it "must do" liturgically and actually does during Lent.

And that can vary from parish to parish - doesn't it always?

My point is not to discuss what is the comprehensive "call of duty" that should be observed - just how the liturgical life of the parish changes during Lent.

You can bring back those matches, revered Cantor!

(Joe, perhaps you and the Administrator could begin Lent with mutual prostrations to each other?)

Where are those matches now . . .?

Alex

My parish does the opposite. We gather for a final dairy dinner bash (a Maslenitsa of sorts) before we go to the church for Vespers to begin the Great Fast.

Dave

Dear Alex:

So long as we are clear that "must do's" vary from parish to parish.

I am proud to say that the liturgical life at V&O's has increased during the past years during the Great Fast. We have, since I can remember held Presanctified on Wednesdays and Fridays as well as Sorokousty on Fridays as well.

In past years, we have added the Akafist to Christ's Passion on Thursday evenings and, last year, held our first "passia" service.

In addition to the usual Saturday evening Vespers, we add Sunday evening "Lenten" Vespers as well.

We have a Lenten Mission (rekolekcziji) during the Fifth Week from Wednesday to the following Sunday. The first "lesson" follows the Mattins of the Supplication. Last year we had Fr. Gudziak.

Stations of the Cross are right out.

Yours,

hal

Dear Hal,

Are your parish's Passia services for sale? Could I buy a copy?

Alex

Dave, that is what we do also. Divine Liturgy, big cheese nalysnyky/blini blowout after DL, then Forgiveness Vespers with head on the floor .

Lent begins after forgiveness Vespers, so I always thought this way made good sense.

Last year on Fridays we had Small Compline with the Akathist, which was amazingly well attended, often as well if not better than the Wed. Presanctified Liturgy, and we will do that again this year.

This year also during the first week we are going to take Great Compline w/the excerpts from the Great Canon.

Dear Diak,

"Forgiveness Vespers".

Does this include private mystery of confession?

Best wishes,

Paul

Dear Alex,

Thanks for asking the question.

Now I'm learning something.

Best wishes,

Paul

Paul, Forgiveness Vespers is a wonderful service where, at the dismissal of Vespers, after the Prayer of St. Ephraim with prostrations, the priest publically asks everyone's forgiveness, then all present ask forgiveness from him.

We then get in line to personally ask forgiveness of the priest, saying "Forgive me" with the response "God forgives! Pray for me, a sinner". As everyone asks forgiveness from the priest they then line up in a circle next to him and exchange the forgiveness with each other. We then enter the Great Fast having asked forgiveness for our offences and reconciled with our brethren.

Sacramental confession sometimes does follow right after Forgiveness Vespers in some places, while a single reader chants Compline.

We invited a friend to come to Forgiveness Vespers with us. Told him he would really enjoy it. His responce was, "well I don't know those people so why should I ask their forgiveness." This struck me odd, as I considered this person to be a farly mature Christian. When I explained to him that our sins, not only effect us and one another in our particualr church, it also affects the Body of Christ. He just kind of slumped back in his chair with the most supprised look on his face.

So this is really a good time to help people understand the necessity of going to one another and asking forgiveness, in and out of the church. Thus allowing the Body ot heal more completely.

Nobody has mentioned the Akathistos to the Holy Theotokos. Pity; it's lovely and enjoyable, and is supposed to be offered during Lent.
Incognitus

Dear Alex:

I can send you a text copy of the passia that we use, just let me know where via PM.

If you mean a recording, not yet.

But (and here comes the shameless plug) there is a CD coming out of V&O's entitled "Liturgical Hymns of the Great Fast and Holy Week." Please stay tuned for that.

Yours,

hal