All Saints of North America Orthodox Church · Phoenix, Arizona

Orthodox Christianity on the west side of Phoenix Arizona including Sun City, Surprise, Peoria, Glendale, Buckeye, Tolleson and more

  • Home
  • About
    • New Visitor Information
    • How to Become Orthodox
    • Clergy & Leadership
    • For Orthodox Visitors
    • List of Activities for Orthodox Christians Desiring to Transfer to ASONA
  • Faith
    • About Orthodox Christianity
    • Eucharist: Sacrament or Symbol?
    • Eucharistic Bread: Leavened or Unleavened?
    • Welcome Home! Evangelicals Come Home to Orthodoxy
    • Statement of Faith
    • Saints of North America
  • Education
    • The Correct Understanding of Being Born Again
    • LIVE Online Catechism
    • Christian Names and Patron Saints
    • Welcome to the Orthodox Church! (Videos)
  • Catechesis
    • List of Activities to Complete Prior to Baptism and Chrismation
    • Online Catechism Lessons
    • Audio Lectures
    • The FAITH
    • The Mystery of Confession
  • Directions
  • Services
    • Calendar
    • Paschal Greetings from Around the World
    • When Someone Dies
  • Articles
  • Contact
    • Donate Now
    • About Giving to ASONA
    • The Book of Needs
  • 2021 AZ Missions Conference
  • New Member Class
  • Saints of North America
  • Bulletin
  • Ready Page
  • Great Lent

Before the Fast

March 9, 2021 By Fr. John Peck [edit]

by St. John of Shanghai

The doors of repentance are opening, Great Lent is beginning. It is repeated every year, and each time it brings us great benefit if we spend it the right way. Great Lent is preparation for the future life, while in the shorter term it is preparation for the Bright Resurrection.

Just as in a tall building the staircase is constructed in a way that makes it easier to ascend to the building’s heights, so are various days of the year steps for our spiritual upliftment and ascent.

The days of Great Lent and Holy Pascha are just such days.

By Great Lent we are cleansed of sinful defilement, and on Holy Pascha we feel the blessedness of the coming of Christ’s Kingdom. When people are climbing a high mountain, they try to free themselves of all extra weight. The less someone is burdened, the easier it is for him to climb, and the higher he can ascend.

So, in order to spiritually ascend we first of all need to free ourselves of sinful burdens. They are removed from us through repentance under the inalienable condition that we ourselves would cast off from ourselves all enmity and forgive everyone we consider guilty before us. Then we will greet Christ’s Bright Resurrection cleansed and forgiven.

What is the precious gift of God we receive at conclusion of our Lenten podvig? We are told of this in the first hymns that begin the daily chanting of the Lenten stichera: “And we shall be given as food the Lamb of God, brought to the slaughter for our sakes and communed by the disciples at the Mystical Supper, on the sacred and light-bearing night of the Resurrection.”

Communion of the Body and Blood of the Resurrected Christ in life eternal—this is the goal of the holy Forty Days. We receive Communion not only on Pascha. To the contrary, those who receive communion on Pascha are those who prepared themselves, went to confession, and received Communion during Great Lent. Right before Pascha itself there is no opportunity to confess well and thoroughly—the time and the priests are too occupied with the services of Holy Week. We therefore need to prepare ourselves for this ahead of time.

Every Communion of Christ’s Mysteries is union with Christ Himself, and salvific for us. Why is Communion on the night of Holy Pascha of such significance? Because then, we are given to especially feel Christ’s Kingdom. We are then especially illumined with the Eternal Light and strengthened for spiritual ascent.

That irreplaceable gift of Christ is an incomparable good. Let no one deprive himself of this joy, running to eat meat and other repasts instead of hastening to receive Communion. Then our partaking of the Holy Mysteries will prepare us for the feast in the eternal Kingdom of God.

Source

Share the post "Before the Fast"

  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • Bookmark

Filed Under: General, Theology [post-edit]

All Saints of North America Orthodox Church

11234 W. Alabama Ave.
Youngtown, AZ 85363

(928) 910-2186

RSS LifeSite News

  • New Study Shows Only 42% of Women Who Had Abortions Say They Didn’t Want Their Baby
  • “Christian” Pastors Join Planned Parenthood Clergy Board: We Will “Speak Out Loud” for Abortion
  • Wyoming Governor Signs Pro-Life Law to Protect Pregnant Women and Unborn Children

A Directory of Arizona Orthodox Churches

Recent Posts

  • What Goes in My Pascha Basket?
  • The Moral Peril of Taking Most Covid-19 “Vaccines”
  • Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, April 18, 2021
  • Registration Open for 2021 AZ Missions Conference
  • Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, April 11, 2021

RSS Journey to Orthodoxy

  • My Testimony, from Protestant to Eastern Orthodox
  • For as little as $5/month…
  • Fr. Edward’s Path from Episcopalian to Orthodoxy
  • Nine Baptisms Celebrated in Maine Mission
  • Turning Point

RSS Good Guys Wear Black

  • To the Deniers of the Clergy
  • Building Community in the Early Church
  • Make THE Difference, where you are, right now
  • Why Is It That Two or Even Three Passages from the Holy Scripture Is Read at the Divine Services?
  • The Holy Oblation

Weekly Bulletin for Sunday, April 18, 2021

Orthodox Calendar



Copyright © 2021 All Saints of North America Orthodox Church · All Rights Reserved
Designed by Fr. John A. Peck · Log in