Great Lent

On Saturday March 19, 2022 His Eminence, Archbishop Mark began His Archpastoral visit to St. Herman of Alaska Church Glen Mills, PA, with the Great Vespers service followed by a Lenten Dinner in the Church Memorial Hall. On Sunday, March 20, 2022 His Eminence celebrated the Divine Liturgy of St. Basil the Great assisted by the Pastor, Archpriest John Perich, attached clergy and deacons as well numerous Sub-deacons and altar servers.

Today is the second Sunday of Great Lent dedicated to the memory of the 14th century Theologian, St. Gregory Palamas, who eventually became the Archbishop of Thessalonica.

Today is the first Sunday of Great Lent, referred to as the Sunday of Orthodoxy. The Gospel for this Sunday is from St. John chapter 1 verses 43-51 in which Nathaniel upon recognizing who Jesus was answered, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel” (John 1:49).

The Canon of St. Andrew of Crete is the longest Canon of the Orthodox Church, prescribed during the first week of Great Lent. It is a dialog between St. Andrew and his soul, written for his own personal meditation.

This Sunday we commemorate Forgiveness Sunday sometimes referred to as Cheesefare Sunday. This is the last of the preparatory Sundays before the beginning of Great Lent, which begins on Monday March 7, 2022.

The final Sunday before the Resurrection celebrates the Triumphal Entry of Christ into the city of Jerusalem and signifies the end of our Lenten journey and the beginning of Holy Week.

The main theme of this Sunday from the gospel of St. Mark 10:32-45 is that of greatness, not as we would normally think but rather in the light of the Christian faith.  The gospel lesson recounts Jesus’ words to the disciples, as they were going to Jerusalem about His coming passion and about what true greatness is.

I greet you on this the 4th Sunday of Great Lent dedicated to the memory of St. John of the Ladder, who lived in the late 6th century and the early 7th century. St. John was tonsured a monk at the Monastery of St. Catherine located at the foot of Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Ten Commandments from Almighty God.

This Sunday April 4, 2021 we Orthodox Christians celebrate the Veneration of the Cross. The Cross is presented to us today for refreshment and support, for remembrance of the passion of Our Lord and most of all for encouragement to continue our journey to the precious and holy Pascha of Our Lord.

This the Second Sunday of Great Lent, is dedicated to the memory of the 14th century Saint, Gregory of Palamas.  He initially started out in his life as a young scholar, monastic and eventually Archbishop of Thessaloniki, serving as a shining example to his contemporaries.