GREAT LENT een Deeg ee oa Pascha"—now revised and greatly augmented—examines the meaning of the Livurgy of the Presancified Gifts the Prayer of St. Epheaim the Syrian, the Great Canon of Se Andrew of Crete, and other neglected oF misunderstood tucasures of Lenten worship. The book draws on that Stee ee ey ae ee ee eee eee rn ood Se ee en ee een ent ete Scene ase ees ce eee cs ees Perera ee eae ee ore ‘Through his leccures on college campuses, through his eet a et eee ee ot nearer ee ot a Sa cet ean cere ae audience, He sat present Dean and Professor of Lieurgical ‘Theology at Se. Vladimir's Orthodox Theological Sem oe ‘Other books by Father Schmemann published by St Re ree oa en a aoa World: Sacraments and Orthodoxy: The Historical Road of Eastern Orthodoxy; Church, World, Mission; Introduc tion to Liturgical Theology; Of Water and the Spirit: and Ubiimate Questions: An Antbology of Modera Russian Religions Thought. All sx books provide farther insights Paar a nie emir Cone Ti pene ee ee Peon eer PRERR REEL RES Alexander Suc)Foreword Introduction Chapter One Chapter Tuo Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Appendic Contents LENT: JOURNEY TO PASCITA PREPARATION FOR LENT (0) The Date Castes) (2) mil fre nin andere) (6) Sein om ae Crp on) (0) The a Jsgmene (etre Sd) (G} tonsa Ghnme ie Sina ‘THE LENTEN WORSHIP (2) "Bi Sone (5) Teele Pero Eom he Sia (8) Th Ht sone 2) Ie Tk ‘THE LITURGY OF ‘THE PRESANCTIFIED GIFTS (2) Tae Tae Meni of Casson (2) ine Ts Mung of fag G) ine beng Gamer Ge Ostes Se ‘THE LENTEN JOURNEY (2) Tae Besening: Te Geet Coan (3 Shoat at et 3) Sena ot 3) sabtooe he Baty Coe (6) Onite way Bey sed Jalon LENT IN OUR LIFE () Bing I Sey 13) 2 ie By Paver and Foren CG a tame ste Ue HOLY THINGS FOR THE HOLY (2) fo Ue sd Eat Quin 1 aie paar 6) iy Semen {0 Now (5) Be Dey ces Aad tte {8 Te Manat OF Gannon (0) Te Manag of Peuia Cammunian {) Conence so Comma (0) Ss Rate Notes and ReferencesIntroduction LENT: THE JOURNEY TO PASCHA' ee te Dag ‘ey Sie in nea a ne Fine Sf olan face “ne Reet fo SEE hatha tee teal oun bates Leo oe te se es ee ee eee en eat, ene ee A ee ae ee at atte et cemaelin Cet fs cate oy too eb SS rater ten Sa Ba Sitar Sa ty Fe ae shh sins two one ys ie Se asian gees Sel ee2 cneariper NT: THE JOURNEY TO PASCIA 6 ‘haben in Chu, Andi wat given t ut on the day confess our various sins” et we_cas to tfer our fe OCGarREn: a which ws Se Pay we wee bred phat nw fe whi Cit evealed and: gave 10 oF with Chest unto death, 30 that as Christ was. rise fied peat le aca ae Th oe Te grit He ones came This the oaly from the dead we alo may walk ia newnes of Me" fal an, SEE Te nee sada and ¢O (Gon 4) thas oa Ease we ete Gulls Renee)» Sper af sur oa CR (| \ eres something that bappened ond sce aneoe 1 SIPS eae tis er em wndetstand what Easter x Zz tine as eee he Gea "A ig and uhy it bee and prenppony Lent For we ey the power to accept i and to Ine by. isa git ahich © hen understand thatthe litigations ofthe =| B) radically alters our atisude towasd everything in-this worl Iris qeles and service, ext, Fist of all, inorder to Including Test Te Rakes posnble for us joyfully wo affiem: SE ecoWr the vision and the taste Of Oat new Te Tero tore!” Oh, death is still there, 0 be suse, SS Sa ie and be i ar mar ee and we stil face it and someday it will come and take us End ren to i, How cn ve love and desire suoeing Bei our whole faith a by Mis oun, deat Cast fat we do not Tnow? How can we put above everything made ita changed the very nature of deat saga lie ia our life something which we have aot seen and ‘Gas Hae nie gon of Cd tos into the Kingdon of God, tas ‘enjoyed? In short: how can we seek a Kingdom of which (Geming the tragedy of Uagedies nto the ulus cor wwe have no idea? Ie isthe worship of the Church that was Fanfing ows Cath dese He mae parece Yom he vying a ll ote nt, Ot of Retin Ts hwy hea ti achat aan hm eof he inom ah atin we sys “Chet en apd ie cope Chita pupa eh te Catch sve sei {the nde one end ers he pa! of gat ich" Ht eae ce bt ‘Sch ste fh athe Church seed and made nd nathan tyre tea of a Sch evden er cums Sains ta oul, Gol ar. roar for ose wh love Hit Aad ia the However, that this faith is very seldom ours, that all the center of hat lugs! if, as ts heat and climax as time we lose and betray the "new life" which we recived fhe sun whose ravs-peneiate eve as a gif, and that in fact we ive as jf Christ dil not f the door opened every year into the splendor of ‘eK the dead aciEsatungie eat had-ao meshing Cheat’ Kingdom the foreae of the steal joy tht vista hy Baawae of our were fvais uy, he glory of the vty which len, aough a Tie coma Be impossibility Tor us to tive constantly invisibly, fills the whole creation: “death is no more!” The (e “sith, hope, and Toeon tht level to which Chist _entie Worship of the Churth i onanized sound Ease, raved os wen he sail "Seth yy feof al, the Riagiom “Sud Getare Re Mega yes Teche teens ates "a of God and His righteousness” We simly forget all is dnd feast, becomes a ouns,« plgimage towards Pacha, 7 So busy ae we, so immer io‘ daly ress the End, wha tthe same Tine ihe Beginrngs he tnd ectse we Tonge we Tat” -An trough ts forge ofall at which “ld Ue begining of te sew fea fein Tale and our TE i Conant "patsage” Geom “tis word ito the Kingdom ty, dark ahd WRinstay“mesningiew a -meannalen shen rele in Ct fourey toward a meaningless end. We manage i forget ‘hd ‘yet the "old" fe, dt of sin and petines, i feven death and then, all of a sudden, in the midst of IE eas "The Gospel expects aad four “enjoying life” i comes to us: horle, inescapable, cies from_man_an_effor_of which, in his preset ‘dat eB vitally-incapable: We_sse" challenged with senseless. We may from time to time acknowledge and“ cana NT vison, + gost, a way of life that isso much above our (SORTS ARS So ee apes wher te teed tee posse” Tei not en. nde (St = pelea SPhreseup ot taty aes of sant: mail soos seca, and ple frat Wal of len which soling af pees ie oa “he ye perfect as your Either heaven is perfea'™ The world though all ts “edi ay: be bap, tke it ay, follow the oad way Chris in the Gospel sys: chose the oarow way, Rk tnd ute, for hth Toad to the only genuine happiness ‘And ules the Church helps, ow can we make tat awful hoi, how can we repent and seta to the ploriut promise givens cach year at Enter? This whete Guat Fest comes ia. "This the bel extended to ap by te Gir the sho! of repentance ich alone wl al Se ee ES ink, and to rela, bit indeed the en ofthe "old" Ticihe sais Church the main purpose of Lent was t0 prepare the “catechumen” js, the acwly conveded. Cue tian, for baptism which at that time was performed da He Pasha egy” Baten when: the Ghrch cy baptized adults and the isitution of the catechumenate dis appeared, the base meaning of Lent remained the same. For Ser nh we we bpd: what ve eu ie and fu i md ta ode rat aR Se ae o ot oe ie ea Te or pov ra ee Se a Tae aT eae eae eer Ce ty i cukeial sai Sate eee Sraledopeal easing Ne aE stig al ad ecetal for us, For cat yee Lent snd Ease ate Stee gain cbecy od eee by aa Seis mals duph oo Senha elk nd tection ‘A’ journe, pilgrimage! Yet, as we begin it, as we Len: THE JOURNEY TO PASCUA 8 make the first step into dhe “bright sadness” of Lent, we esa tar away? the detoatoe Ti ie pat Base, It ie the entance lato the glory of the Kingdom. And a this "vision, ase of Easter, that makes Leni’ Se it ta oe acs tla "apt neg” night inaj-be dark and Tong, bat all along the way 4 mysteious and radiant dawn Seems shine on the horizon “Bo not deprive us of ovr expectation, O' Lover of maa!”Chapter One PREPARATION FOR LENT 1, THE DESIRE (Sunday of Zacchaeus) Long before the actal beginning of Lent, the Church angounces is approach and ives vs (0 enter into the Period of prelesten prepiration Tes a characecsic feature FF the Offstor MRugea Taion that every major fest fr sexsonEster, Chisimas, Lent ec announced and “prepared” in advance, Why? Because of the deep pyc Logie insight by the Chuch ato buman nate. Kaowing ct lack of cocenteton andthe frightening “worldines” Of our life, the Church Koows our inaiiy” to change ‘rapidly, to go abcuplyfeom one spiritual ot mental sate ino another. "Thas, long before te acal efor of Lent isto begin, the Church ells our attention to its Seouscess snd ints ws to mediate on i significance. Before we cn Practice Lent wer are given its meeting. This pupazation ‘erades for cases Sunk: peeing Lea exch ane > of thos=through is peticular Goopelleson--dediat te Some fundamental aspect of sepentance, Sipe Nay Ta mmvanteme af Lent is made the Sonday_on which the Gospel lesson about Zacchaeus (LE, 19:10) is read. I isthe story of a man who was too Shot t sce Jesus ut who desived so much to see Him that "7hed up a tee. Jes responded to his deste and went t0 his house. Thus the theme of this fist announce: ox is desire. Man follows his desire. One can even say haga ts Fonte plage tah et i dee ogy ah i panionatly dees comeing he docs things of hich arma” bei incapable Bang “shor” he oe comes and transcends himsel. T therefor, The words of te evitetalat athens Jean Pol Sate 3 "useless pasion, aetna dade “ight thing”: be wanted to sce and approach Chris. He is the fist symbol of repentance, or repentance begins asthe rediscovery of the deep ature a4 ofall dese: the desie for God and His ighteousness, for he tee He Zacchieur kaha pet anal and Te SISFECTI Ms deste overcomes all this. It “forces” Chris's attention; it ring Christ to his home. Sach, then, #8 the first announcement, the fist invitation: outs is to_desie tar lay ego oe Stier we Tnow itor mot ani which, when-we eae fom it and er Christ "will pond 2. HUMILITY (Sunday of the Publicen and che Pharsce) ‘The next Sunday is called the "Sunday of the Publican sand the Phaze.” ‘On the exe of thd, on Satay 9 TriatoPone ie fie appearance and. tos fom “re added fo Hew. HARE ART Payers of the weekly {REPARATION FOR LENT » Resurection service, They develop the next major aspect ot pein: mi, Tewon” (Lk 16:104) pictures man who Rags plesed wit himself and who hake tat Be ir oath allt aE-cligin He i sel cred and proud of hitnclf. In reality, however, he bas, He has seduced it f© femal observations and he measures his piety by the mount of money he contributes to. the temple. AS for BBitmunes. Iv is bull on te assumpion that man can achieve anything by himself and ie even pictures God as the One who all the tine “ees lit (-aa’s ads: en iid deals Hull every for the Church” to be "good. decd,” acknowledged, praised, publicized? ‘But what is humility? The answer to this question may scam a paradoxical one for iti rooted in a strange affirma- Son gd gal Be) Vet 0 anyone who, krows Saving acts, itis evident that umility is tly a divine gal ever comet eee oT Tar glo Shia a Ne ang dng the Dine Liza, ls bowen Seal nll that we do aod enth, In oar human meotali ffir almust inporsble to "put actos fhe fed_on public sel nd “alps lk aaa “at that which is genuinely perfect, beaut, an ibat The same tne tout Rome; Tor rey betase alae Sail20 casas ian ‘of its perfection, it does not need “pubiciy,” external lry, o¢ "showing off" of any ind. Gal's humble Besae Hes ra Te beau, pefecion and -gootien, and” everyone approaches God ad ficus Pim tamediately partakes of the Divine humility and is beautfied by it, This i tae ‘of Mary, the Mother of Christ, bose humility made her the joy of alt aeation arte gett ev lson OF Ba fn tah, toe of all the Se and Toe of 0 aa ‘Being dusing the rare moments of his contacts with God, @|| ates umlisinama, te One is Ton Cod fs resid ‘once and Tor all His glory as hamiliy and His homility as glory. “Today,” Chest said on the aight of His ultimate Selt-humiliation, “the Son of Maa is glorified and. God, 5 goed inti ns feo aid. ees ec ae eye eee eae Loot eal Sees Deen se of i ac al re es os baa =e fans ah roe te rl OE ee ee ae ee ale as dete cose hal atu San 6 st Thy oly temple, fone become humble? The answer, for ij: PREPARATION FOR LENT a eng etl of my By al dies atin Ta compn ply ey Be loving Kinds of Thy ey. tet li @ a Wf al ae a zy eee eee . freee eon etre +3. RETURN FROM EXILE (The Sunday of the Prodigal Son) On te tid Sunday of pepuraon for Let, we Bea the patable of the Prodigal Soa (Lk. 5:11.52). Together with the hymns of this day, che parable reveals to us the fine of sepentance as man's tetera fom este. The prodigal fan we ae overt t= fr cy ad thee spent all that he had. A far coun! Ie this nique dfintion a ton that we much asume and make ever had that experience, be Hf only ses boty, ho * I another Realty, QL got wndgiaad what i ceseataucs) Repentance Be often aumply tMentifed ar 2 eool-an “objective” enumeration of sins and transgressions, a8 the ‘act of “pleading. guilty” to a legal indictment, Confession and absolution are seen as being of juridical nature, ‘But something very essential is overlooked™without which ‘either confession or absolution have aay real meaning fr power. This “something” is precisely the teling of ination from God.) fom the joy of communion with {# im, rom _ the teal We a5 creed and piven It {easy indeed to confess that T have not fasted on prescribed ays, or missed my prayers, or become angey. It is quite forPy CQuuar LENT gqpranaviON FoR LENT 2 a different thing, however, to sealize suddenly that_1 I is the Psalm of exile. It was sung by the Jews in have defiled and lost my_spiciual beaut that lam far} their Babylonian captivity as they thought of their holy bears Saree eter soaating [Seok elem. ths boone free tbe of ma Precious and pure and betutifal as been hopelesly broken 9% gs he seis is exe oom Gag, and realizing it, becomes Tite tery te of my exitnce Yet the and aly th Oe is repentance, and therfore ii alo q-ieea-aeate ty ) gai raat a os ba, to st Ee) a he abe The Pee aa ees ee Ea aad he por Eee mre! on tel fra Sina before Lew. reves Eeiiy t eloy to Elle wih rearing love and tooel- ent uel a plginage and repemanceras art edge; thenig_Baptism=the new life of Chris, Himself, seca ie Ease and 4 THE LAs JupgweNt Ee om (MeacFare Sunday) Co bea om of Ged na as ha aie t a Stee ae che not ali pols an ad The next Sunday is cled "Meat ar” bece ds TTansgceions” int the saat af sea: the deviaion the week folloing i s limited faingabstenton fom. :44/- Cece tim God pretering the “far sunt" Wo the mets prextibed by the Church. Tht presipion to Beautfal home of the Father Fe cndesood in the light of what bas been tu above ce ee eat neg pmind oh ghat Lieve clon te mexnng of preparation The Chur tonne Pops spanned Se Tees: fo adiat” ur tthe get eff which he wil expert a ed sway from Thy tibeay ploy” pms sees dat Ir Si redial ke ws io Oat aprile Kono of this ey, and wed wih Smavts llart=knowing our fly, foteseng oor spinal weak SE iehes Thee greet me Then oT vase the prodigal to es shee boul Rais Lie dane agaist On the eve of that day (MestFare Saturday, the ee; ke me ad Sarde Ghuch invite wy ta oaheral commemoration of al) g oe Thy ies the who have “alle alee inthe hope of reuretion Te eT nd in myst the dee to sod hfe eamal” Ths fp deed the Chu gre day return and the power to retura: “I shall return to the OF prayer for er departed members. To undestnd the a eee ees | seat ua aciees lea shite Soest oe Ee cme ee ‘One liturgical particularity of this “Sunday of the Prodigal Son” must be especially mentioned here. At Sunday Matias, following the solemn and joyful Psalms of the ea re Polyelion, we sing the sad and nostalgic Psalm 137: BT YOU ae Hy disciples, if you love one anothe ee Love is thus the foundation, the very life of the Church fe Aoplpeedetorie ten ad a hich is, in the words of St Ignatis of Antioch, the ‘eos nate nd? 11 fog te © use, ‘unity of frith and love 8 they i ny ange te Wo the vot fy mma i therefore sem Ferme Jr sore hel orfn ourselves we do not return to the unigue sew com imandment of love? Praying for the dead 1s an ciental ‘spesin of he “Cute at aug We nk God rane cr tne whom we remember and) ese Praying for then we meet-them i Chast who is Lave and who, because He is Love, ove. comes deat shia a mf cee ae ee Te nce oo dren Hanne theo sr Hin we love Che Ce ee eee Te Len ate Rou Las en Scar a abate bo lope were Bow Ween Gratis aie cher ace pe fo ead est fod doce af Spee and Sanpenas o st oe eer es a feted arene oe ee Fert Sint Cap esa fr ey Cat Fosse teu ppm le SS) hen Rhett ue judge ba Abe tebe Ee from he ante perc ands unique peroal dein 10 Beene egy eb obvins that in tht ae respective walks of life, in thee responsibilities as citizens, Pessonal men, et, Christians are called to care, t0 the Rist of thei posses and wndesstanding, for’ aja, mal, and in “general more humane society. All thi, to Be ure, stems from Christianity and may be inspired Coristian Tove. But sTand main Sse 2 ile ie cc te presets he une mon a a a {nto my fe bei only for a fee moments, noe a5 an o ‘Eilon foro "good. decd” or an-cxere a palanthopy. Sore Ga betting of G2 Siena companotthp in Cod Tassel For, in TE mysterious Wwhich'tanscends the accdenial_and_ the external in Ee oer his-paysal appear, socal inky ce Sar nea ane ee ea Te (wat B Tove “mun Rirand ge ral Tis the discovery in each man ofthat which is “lovable” in im, of that whichis from God, Tn this espe, Chistian love it sometines the oppose of “otal ‘ein i Wi see hae ons esa 8 pesson, The “social activist” has iat the persona, a rifles 15th ‘common iateres” Chistanity may seam tbe ®ie The two attitudes are noe mutual a ec be couse: Chas De Sire, have responses toward “ths world” and the. tun fall them, This is the area of "soc hh le ail a “Caan Foweve ai at manta OF the Kington af Gods tanscnds aad Seen ‘of this world [because its motivation as well a is goals and consumm tion is in God. And we know that even in this word, ch “let tn cry” the aly tasiog St GaeToig Ieee wecton wy CIP he nfl word Wik he ve fase ere ol ee Cheek “The parable of the Last Judgment is about Christian love. Not all of us are called to work for, “humanity,” yet cach one of us has received the gift add the grace of Christ's love, We how thet allen altimately need this aa eee tara 4 Tique was, We alo know that men ane in prison ad ‘as been denied them. And, finally, we know that howsvse sible for 3 tiny part ane one oF he Teast of these My brethren, you have done it unto Me, 4 5, FORGIVENESS (Cheese Fare Sunday) ow we have reached the voy lat days before ete daring Mest fare Week, which precedes et ey bendy two dao Welneday and Fay Pee ee part's fal “leater'= The Dine Listgy Te set and the whole onder ad pe of wonip Bae ie tepid characteris of Len. On. Wednesay a a geet Laat i hs Bet By ya t acters tae oe eee fo ; g = crates all men and women who Were “illumined through fasting” the Saints who ate the pattems we must follow, Fe the ial a of fang and repentance, °F fhe effort we are about to begin we are not alone: agp he of a fer “sey ine Gent Eas he Gost sod all of Baie cmp! stag touch tle at tag ade of ree We have helpers and examples: “We hme oa re, O tet fat! "Jory nh tea poh ‘ort Wee er ou woe Fer ost Finally comes the lat day, usually called “Forgiveness Sunday,” bat whose oer Iturgica) same must also be remembered: the "Expulsion of Adam from the Paradise of Bliss." This name summarizes indeed the entire preparae tion for Lent. By now we know that man_was crested for paradise, for knowledge of communion with Era he eater nor ta ees Ra existence on earth is exile. Christ, the Savior ol Se ees revealing t0 us the beuty of@Oo 28 ear went fhe Kingdom _makes_onc life a_pilrinage toward ous Beside fag af Lente One comment of God have 1 ingen, nate ae oo "Zaye any hy oxo Leat is the lberstion of from the prison of "this world” And the Gospel Teson 1 Pi unday_(Mat. 6:14.21) sete 8 aS ng off” We must "pese unto men > fat Bat our Fates who iin ‘he second coniton is foxgaasu "I yu forge me shige, your Heavenly Father il als forge you" he ts he ui sea of ie opert refoce, the Tust break through the fortes OP ait forgiveness: the return to usity, soldat, love, To forgive Se wade tin,» em ope cg wid cor inane ach en iba | ee eet eo i he eo ing nia ator puny ur to lew a ga at. 0 ht palin tine by lve eH maa any ve “he anf iol Hy Pac Tee coms, wr, Ge Eaton wi he eng tna: "0 Gladsome Radiance ofthe oly glory..." The Clebrant then proceeds tothe “high place” behind the Shae for the proclamation of the evening Prokeimenon ‘which always atnounces the end of one andthe begining ‘Of another day. This day's Great Prokemeson announces the begining of Lent Ta oem Ty fom Thy ait Listen to the unique melody of this verse—to this cry that suddenly fills the church: “...for T am affliced!"— ‘and you will wndeesand this starting point of Lent: the fysterions mixture of despair and hope, of dackness and light. AIL preparation bas now come to an end ‘sto put between me and my “enemy” the radia fe aes as OF God Himeelt Kingdom “Tealize Tat 1 Telong 10 it, that 1 have a0 ‘etre "Gt Teor he gly Sod the tes “9F He {e that Tam eiiled From i into sad Sin, “for Lam afflicted!” And finally, I realize that only Got can help in that affliction, that ‘nly He can “attend to my soul SPT ncn. fod te, Le Sven eT VFI this sinful and fallen word Lent actualy begins at Vespers of that Sunday, This unique servie, so deep and beautiful is absent from so many of our churches! Yet nothing’ reveals better the “tonality” of Great Lent in the Orthodox Chusch; nowhere is better manifested its profound appeal to man 1s here! Bright vestments are put aside, Tights are extin-30 cosa LNT guished. When the celebrant intones the petitions for the fvening litany, the choir responds in the Jenten “ke.” For the fist time the lenten prayer of Se. Epem accompanied by prostations is read, At the end of the service all the faithfol approach the priest and one another asking for ‘mutual forgiveness. But as they perform this site of recon Clistion, 28 Lent is inaugurated by this movement of love, feunion, and brotherhood, the cho sings the Paschal hymns e wilt have to wander forty days through the desert of Se ee oe ig a ee, of the Kingdom. the Chapter Two THE LENTEN WORSHIP |. "BRIGHT SADNESS" Foc if ot fre ci of Onboine Catan a Seneca ess ncn! ta ee eo fe ee ee ee dino ines br anlestad tt ie ene ‘Nn et in Laat aliag” wha aRe a es oe oe ea ae ite oblast ml nee Goeene e eeee foc oa 2 or Sa oD hncart so that it may open itself to the vealies OF the spc ‘Gegpetue hells “hissing ri i wunger” for communion = God Tenten “atmosphere.” this unique “state of mind is broughe about mainly by means of worship, by the arious ‘changes introduced” dating. that season into. the liturgical life” ‘Considered. seperately, these changes may appear as incomprehensible “rubric,” as formal prescriptions {© be formally adhered to; but understood as a whole, they a