www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology How is Lent different for you?

Dear Friends,

The Orthodox Paschalion, which I follow, starts the Great Fast next week.

Since I constantly associate with those on the New Calendar , I have been in the Lenten mood for some time already.

Trying to do as many of the services and prayers that are to be had during Lent is a chore.

I've finally come to realize that I'm not a monk and can't do all of them.

But I would be interested in hearing what you do to make Lent a spiritually different season from the rest of the year.

How is Lent different for you? How do you approach it and what do you do in terms of spiritual practice that you wouldn't do outside of Lent?

In your kindness, please response one at a time.

We wouldn't want constant "flood control" would we?

Alex

You know those old Lenten cards were you put a quater in as a Kid. Well I do that. It is a way for me to count down until Easter. It makes me think about each day of the season. To most it probably sounds dumb (maybe even Latin), but that is what I do.

Alex,

I am of the opinion that it's called the Great Fast because life never slows down at all for the duration.

I'm sure this isn't the answer you're looking for, but for me, this particular Lent has been extremely peculiar so far. As it progresses, I am simply attempting to keep my head above water while remembering to thank the good Lord for the opportunity. Along with a certain amount of liturgizing, St. Ephrem-ing and watching the diet somewhat of course, but on the whole, it's more like a barely controlled fall than an elegant dance this year. As God wills!


Cheers,

Sharon

Alex-

I take a slightly different approach, perhaps. I don't concentrate on Lent, but I constantly look forward to the great feast of Easter. When Easter arrives, I want to look back and see that I made improvements in certain areas of my life. I want to see that I prepared well enough to worthily celebrate the Resurrection. During Lent I constantly keep in mind that I preparing to meet the Risen Lord on Easter. With this in mind I make extra effort to say my daily prayers. I pray the Jesus Prayer on my prayer rope before I go to bed. I try to make as many presanctified liturgies as possible. And, of course, much fasting. I have attempted to perform the traditional Orthodox fast, but I couldn't pull it off. I hope the LORD looked at my effort instead of my results

I hope this made sense.

Columcille

Dear +Ray,

A wonderful way to mark Lent, the road that we travel to meet Christ!

Dear Mother Sharon,

As always, you bring such spiritual elegance to bear on everything. As a diabetic, I still follow your advice!

Dear Columcille,

I think you took the words right out of St Columcille's mouth!!

And anyone else?

Come on, let's not just be about church politics here !

In other words, don't be like me .

Alex

Lent, for me, is a time of penance and expectation. It's an image of life. Lent is like our lives...a struggle against sin, a taking up of the cross willingly, a war against evil...then we die, but then Easter comes, and with it, the Resurrection, and glory with and in Christ Jesus, and all that comes along with that.

The prayers of the Syrian Church, which I try to say daily, and have been good about, except in the past couple of weeks (I'm hoping to get back on track today ), have this theme. For example, tonight at Vespers, we sing a hymn that, while dealing with the themes of penance and the Cross, also makes mention of the healing of the paralytic by SS. Peter and John at the Jerusalem Temple after Pentecost. It helps one put things in proper perspective. Our repentance, our prayer, fasting, almsgiving, our taking up of the cross, our reception of the Mysteries...all of these things, which may seem dismal and bleak at times, they all point to the glory of the Resurrection, the Ascension into heaven, and the unleashing of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and all the power, strength, grace, etc. that that means for us. We suffer only a little while, but we enjoy His glory for all eternity. "If we have died with Christ, we will also live with Him."

Besides a more concerted effort to pray the Office during Lent, and hopefully to continue that practice afterwards, I've gradually embraced the full fast. I used to limit it while I was at home, but now, after some years, I can go full throttle. This will be my second time doing it, and while it is difficult (painfully so at times), it makes Easter all that much more sweet. It also helps me realise that if I can control something like the appetite for food for the fifty days, then I can just as easily give up sin with the help of the Lord. In identifying with hunger and not being able to eat, it also inspires me to serve, even in a little way, those for whom it may always be Lent.

I try to incorporate both views of Lent...as a special time of grace, the grace of repentance, and entering into that by prayer and fasting. It, however, is also a time of expectation for Easter...just as in Matthew's account of the Passion, he makes mention of the Resurrection even before his Gospel gets to that point (he sorta gives away the story right there, after Jesus' death...guess it's that important ), we go through Lent focusing on the Cross, but not only on that, and not ignorant of the final outcome; namely, that by His death, He has trampled down death.

[ 03-12-2002: Message edited by: Mor Ephrem ]

Mor Ephrem,


Do you have those prayers translated in English? If so would you mind Posting them or Emailing them to me?

Thanks

Dear Catholicos,

I echo +Ray's sentiments and want to publicly thank you, dear Brother in Christ, for sharing the great spiritual and dynamic riches of the Holy Syriac Tradition.

We Byzantine Christians can, I know, sometimes come across as thinking we represent the entire Christian East - and we don't, far from it.

In addition to what I believe is your future role as a (married ) Syriac Priest, I know you will continue to share this great tradition with us and many others.

Alex

Dear +Ray and Alex,

If you give me some time, I will look for one that's appropriate...there's a lot to sift through. But once I find something, I will post it here. So stay tuned...

For me, this has been a strange Lent. Normally, I do the meat/dairy abstinence; my main meal is at lunch and I have to make sure that I go to places that provide meatless/dairyless options. It serves as a reminder that this is Lent, the time of preparation.

This year, I've fallen off the wagon on weekends on several occasions because (for some strange reason) people have been calling me to go with them to have a meal or listen to music or just 'hang'. And, to be honest, I'm just so pleased to have the opportunity, I do it. (Did you ever try to observe the Lenten fast at a Mexican restaurant? EVERYTHING is bedecked with cheese!)

But at the same time, I find that this year has been very productive in graces to 'meet' and 'do outreach' to the outcasts. I've talked (and given $) to any number of street kids and some of the homeless. It's a really humbling experience, and very frightening because any one of us could be there through no fault of our own. (I keep thinking of Mother Teresa.) The "Good Samaritan" image keeps coming forward -- I think it's a grace message to prepare me for Pascha and perhaps an incentive to find time/ways to live out Christ's gospel of love. (The idea of volunteering at Covenant House keeps coming to the fore. But visiting Mom at the nursing home twice a day takes a big chunk of time. Perhaps I should spend some time with some of the other residents, especially those that get no visitors or maybe only once a month?) This Lent has been real weird; it has brought a strong sense of needing to be more proactive in living out the Gospel.

Blessings to all! (Pray for me -- and my mental/spiritual stability.)

OK, +Ray and Alex and everyone else...this is a hymn which we sing during the second half of the Great Fast (now), at the Midnight Prayers.


We will praise You in the middle of the Assembly.
The days of the Fast are half through
and the Passover of our Lord is approaching.
Should we not sorrow and weep over the sea of our sins?
Come, brothers, let us not relent in our fast, let us be diligent.
Let us wash away all our sins and by the tears of our eyes
we will inherit life eternal.

The Lord draws near those who call on Him from the heart.
The days of the suffering of our Lord are approaching
by which He makes all sufferings come to an end.
The Resurrection of the Son is coming, when the ship reaches the harbour.
Come, let us pray for mercy while we are in this life,
with supplication and fasting and tears of repentance.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Lord our Lord, it is out of love that you came
as the Mediator between us and Your Father.
You redeemed us by Your Passion and Death on the Cross.
You reconciled us with Him by Your Blood.
Be pleased by the fasting and the prayers of Your servants,
O Beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

From age to age and forever. Amen.

Moses the Prophet set up the brazen serpent in the middle of the camp,
and it gave healing to all who looked at it with faith.
In the middle of the Church is the Cross, the Life-Giving Cross,
in which is hope and salvation for all who were lost.
In the middle of the Church, praise forever to You, O Christ the King.
In the middle of the Fast it is right to worship Your Cross
in which is hope and salvation for all who were lost.


Let me know what you think...

P.S. Prayers for Dr. John, too!

[ 03-12-2002: Message edited by: Mor Ephrem ]

Hmm - I've been thinking about this quite a lot since Alex posted it.

What makes Lent different ?

One of our young priests once described Lent as an experience of the Desert, an arid Season. It was quite a while till I realised what he meant -- Our Lord's time in the desert , alone, hungry, thirsty. This slowly sank in and now I try to make Lent that sort of time, but I am with Our Lord suffering as he did - but to nothing like the same extent - I try to give up some things and do more of others.For me it is a time of preparation - and I would actually like to withdraw from the world at this time - but I can't, so I just try and do my best whilst being in the world.

Has it been successful this year , bearing in mind that I am now in Week 4 [ we count from the Sunday after Ash Wednesday ] ? Well thanks to Alex I can do a mid term review.

Prayer - yes - Lauds, One of the Day Hours,Compline - usually manageable. Vespers - sadly not as often as I would have liked. Yes that is more than at other times. I do carry on with the rest of my "normal" Prayer Rule as well[ Lauds, Compline, the Rosary]
Extra Devotions - for me the Stations of the Cross - I have a copy of the Stations written by Bl. Josemaria Escriva and also the ones given by Pope John Paul in 2001 - both breathtaking - but I have been forbidden by my Spiritual Director from making them more than once a week - and you may feel it strange that I have found that very difficult - I wanted to make them more often but I have obeyed .
Reading - again that has been a problem - I think I've overstretched myself - what with the book I am reading with Fr John [ a life of St Paul by Wm. Barclay and to go with that the Acts and the Pauline letters ] and Joe's Scripture study [ very interesting and it certainly taxes the little grey cells] and Way of a Pilgrim. I've tried to do that as sessions of about an hour for each .
Fasting - well that was easy at the beginning but it is becoming harder - and mine is not as severe as it is for most of you - the suggestion of "liquid bread" mentioned elsewhere does appeal but I gave up alcohol [ among other things] - so that would not work. Yes I am looking forward to Easter Day !
Penance - well my giving to Charity is under control - the knitting needles have been busy and I trust that the 43 very large boxes of chidren's clothes that I and a friend sorted will count to that , the rest of the clothes went to Scottish International Relief for use in Bosnia

I am looking forward to Holy Week, however, with the chance to share in my humble way the suffering of Our Lord and Saviour. I don't think I will be away from Church much - Monday night, Tuesday night [ both are Services] Wednesday morning as usual, Wednesday night [ Choir Practice] and then into the Triduum. Perhaps I had better move my bed into the Parish House

Oh well review over - not one of my better Lenten experiences so far - the report would read - could do better.

Happy Lent Alex !

[ 03-13-2002: Message edited by: Our Lady's slave of love ]

Dear Angela,

Thank you for sharing your spiritual heart with us.

It is always inspiring to read about the spiritual life of God's servants!

Thank you, again, for all your spiritual advice, guidance and support to me, Slave of Jesus in Mary!

Alex

Dear Catholicos,

Thank you very much for sharing that beautiful prayer - I'll download it and use it!

Forgive me, but we always want "Mor Ephrem" - we can never have enough of our "Phil."

God bless,

Alex

Dear Dr. John,

I've sometimes read posts where some seem to react negatively to your characteristic ability to get to the heart of true spirituality, while reminding us that the externals are there as an aid, not as an end.

And that is certainly the teaching of the Christ of the Gospel.

The Greek ascetical saints began their spiritual lives, as you know better than I, being literally "loaded down" with liturgical prayer.

They soon focused on the Name of Jesus as their sole spiritual groundswell of prayer.

You remind me of them.

Alex