READINGS FOR THE FIRST THURSDAY OF GREAT LENT

We present here a short educational offering for both children and adults on the upcoming Sunday's principle Gospel reading so that all can better prepare for the Divine Services. Parents are asked to review the children’s portion with their children. It is very important for us to attend the Divine Services on Sundays and whenever else we are able, but in addition it is our spiritual responsibility to educate ourselves and our families in the faith. It is our hope that this mid-week offering will be an aid in this regard. Please contact Fr. Gregory with questions or suggestions.

For Various Ages: from the Antiochian Archdiocese (various age groups)

READINGS FOR WEDNESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF GREAT LENT

MORE INFORMATION ENGLISH + РУССКИЙ

"Let no one, under pretense of abstinence, aim at merely changing rather than eliminating pleasures, so that he seeks costly food because he is abstaining from meat, and rare liquors because he is not drinking wine, lest in the process, as it were, of taming the flesh he give greater rein to the demands of pleasure. Indeed, for the clean all food is clean, but for no one is luxury clean. "

St. Augustine, “Sermon 205: On the Beginning of Lent”

Thank you to Fr. Dmitri for sharing this!

READINGS FOR TUESDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF GREAT LENT

FIVE LINES FOR EVERY ST. VLADIMIRIAN TO READ FOR THIS WEEK!

Please find important and helpful on-line resources for Great Lent at the links below.

ENGLISH ~ РУССКИЙ

It is good for us to increase our spiritual reading and prayer during Great Lent. It is especially good to take a small break from work if possible, to pray, reflect, and remind ourselves that even as we live in the world we do not want to be consumed by the world. Each day of the first week we will post a link at noon as a spiritual break from the waves of the world - and to remind ourselves that we are working in an especially focused way now to draw nearer to our Lord.

READINGS FOR MONDAY OF THE FIRST WEEK OF GREAT LENT

We congratulate all our parish family on the beginning of the Holy and Great Lent! This is a special time of year for all of us when we put away the cares of this world to the greatest extent possible and in a much more focused way examine our consciences, forgive each other, and seek forgiveness from our merciful Lord. Yesterday the Holy Church commemorated the casting out of Adam from Paradise. In today's Divine Services the first scripture reading is the beginning of Genesis – today is a new beginning for us all. May God grant us all a spiritually fruitful lent as we prepare ourselves for the feast of feasts – the Glorious Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Please find here the prayer of St. Ephraim. This prayer is said at every weekday Divine Service of Great Lent and it is common practice to include this prayer in our daily home prayers as well:

PRAYER OF ST. EPHRAIM ENGLISH + РУССКИЙ