Categories: uncategorized
Date: 19 March 2005 04:53:29
Thanks for the messages of support regarding the teaching practicum. Unordered: I am slightly confused as to your message, though. ;-) Were you enquring about my "Forgiveness Sunday" post about Great Lent beginning?
Lent, according to the Eastern Calendar, only began last Monday. While Western churches will be celebrating Easter next weekend, Easter isn't until May 1 in Eastern Calendar churches. Five weeks is quite a difference!
Extra services are put on during Lent. At our parish we have a Liturgy of the Presanctified(*) on Wednesday evenings and a Small Compline with Akathist(**) on Friday evenings. As I have uni on Wednesdays I can only attend the Akathist service, but together with Vespers on Saturday evening, and Matins and Divine Liturgy on Sunday, I pray the additional services will enable me to enter into the spirit of Lent. The hymn melodies get a bit slower, the services get even longer -- a slowing down, which will, God willing, help me to slow down and enter into Great Lent.
The Assyrian Churches near me have the palms ready for Palm Sunday tomorrow. St Mary's has palms all around its entrance gate and doors, and I could see huge palms near the entrance of St Hurmizd's Cathedral. It feels odd having just entered Lent, to see such expressions on the close of Lent already!
(*) a Eucharistic service, but the elements have been consecrated on the previous Sunday
(**) Compline is an evening service; during Great Lent, Akathist hymns (hymns of praise, dedicated to Mary) are added. The imagery contained therein is wonderful, reflecting on Mary's role in bringing forth Jesus Christ, God Incarnate