Looking Ahead:
“Our Journey to the New Creation” — Lenten Retreat with Dr. Vigen Guroian, Friday evening & Saturday, March 14 & 15.

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Triodion Hymns of Repentance (sung at Sunday Matins through the 5th Sunday of Lent):

Open the gates of repentance to me, O Giver of Life, for my spirit rises early in the morning to your holy temple, bearing a temple of the body all defiled. But as you are full of pity, cleanse it by your compassionate mercy.

Guide me to paths of salvation, Mother of God, for I have befouled my soul with shameful sins and have squandered all my life in sloth. By your intercessions deliver me from all uncleanness.

Have mercy on me, O God, in accordance with your great mercy. According to the multitude of your compassion blot out my offences.

As I ponder the multitudes of dreadful things that I have done, wretch that I am, I tremble for the fearful day of judgment. But confident in your merciful compassion, like David I cry to you, ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, in accordance with your great mercy.’

This article is updated and expanded from an earlier version.

Introduction
In the earliest days of the Church the Lenten Fast was no more than Holy Friday, on which a total fast and abstinence was kept due to the fact that the Bridegroom had been taken from His Bride. Holy Saturday (The Blessed Sabbath from which the Lord rested from all His works) was also observed in an ascetical manner, but the fast was broken with the reception of the Holy Mysteries at sunset…the Vesperal Divine Liturgy. Eventually a five-day period of Holy Week was added to this “triduum” in order to commemorate the final days of the Savior’s earthly life. Then the Saturday commemoration of the Raising of Lazarus and the Triumphal Sunday Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem was celebrated immediately before this. (more…)