Forgiveness Sunday
Categories: uncategorized
Date: 13 March 2005 03:06:24
 | Master, Teacher of wisdom, bestower of virtue, you teach the thoughtless and protect the poor: Strengthen and enlighten my heart. Word of the Father, let me not restrain my mouth from crying to you: Have mercy on me, a transgressor, O merciful Lord! Kontakion |
Today is known as Forgiveness Sunday [the Gospel reading Matthew 6:14-21 helps us to remember our Lord's command to forgive, among other things] and one of the Feasts celebrated is the Expulsion of Adam from Paradise [and if anyone has ideas on what the "water" [if it is water?] flowing out of the jug in the ikon above means, can you please comment?] As we enter Lent, we remember that Christ has opened the door to paradise once more, and our life is, as Alexander Schememann says in his book Great Lent, "a pilgrimage toward our heavenly fatherland."
By far the most moving thing for me today, however, was the Vespers service. As we couldn't use the hall tonight, we had the service immediately after Divine Liturgy. And it was moving throughout. This week has seen me very blasé in terms of God: I did not feel anything, and was wondering about the usefulness of it all. The Vespers service, and a play which I attended last night [I'll blog about that later], gave me the kick-up-the-bum I needed, and helped me to see the bigger picture.
It was the first time I have attended this service, and the unique hymns selected greatly helped to get me in the mood for Lent. Here are three parts of the service that struck me, the last being one of the most beautiful, and humbling, actions I have been blessed to participate in.
The Great Prokeimenon sung five times:
Turn not away Your face from Your servant
for I am afflicted!
Hear me speedily.
Attend to my soul and deliver it!
The Prayer of St Ephraim the Syrian, with a prostration following each petition:
O Lord and Master of my life!
Take from me the spirit of sloth,
faint-heartedness, lust of power, and idle talk.
But give rather the spirit of chatisty,
humility, patience, and love to Your servant.
Yes, O Lord and King!
Grant me to see my own errors
and not to judge my brother;
For You are blessed unto ages of ages. Amen.
And, finally, the part that moved me the most.
One by one we approached the icon of Christ and venerated it. We then approached the priest, asking for forgiveness. And he asked for our forgiveness. Each person formed a line to the right of the priest, so after we had asked the priest for forgiveness, we asked the person next to him, and then the person next to that person and so on. Each of us asked every single member of our parish to, "Forgive me, a sinner." A very moving gesture, and to me a perfect way to begin Great Lent.
Forgive me, a sinner.