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HERALD TO THE GREAT FAST

HERALD TO THE GREAT FAST. Herald to the Great Fast. 4 Weeks before the Fast a.k.a. “pre-Lent” (O.C.A.) (+ last Sunday of the Year). Herald to the Great Fast. Psychological Preparation --Theme of Repentance (Zaccheus Sunday) Fast-Free Week (meat: Wed & Fri)

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HERALD TO THE GREAT FAST

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  1. HERALD TO THEGREAT FAST

  2. Herald to the Great Fast • 4 Weeks before the Fast • a.k.a. “pre-Lent” (O.C.A.) • (+ last Sunday of the Year)

  3. Herald to the Great Fast • Psychological Preparation • --Theme of Repentance • (Zaccheus Sunday) • Fast-Free Week (meat: Wed & Fri) • Pharisee and Publican Sunday • Prodigal Son Sunday • 1st Prep. for Fasting: Meat • Meat-Fare Sunday • (1 week before the Fast) • Last day to have meat • 2d Prep. for Fasting: Dairy • Cheese-Fare Sunday: • Last day to have Dairy, eggs

  4. Zaccheus Sunday • last Sunday of the Year • Even before we begin the Pre Great Fast • Gospel at Liturgy: Zaccheus • Themes of: • Seeking the Lord • Repentance • Conversion • Helping the Poor • Restorative Justice, etc.

  5. Pharisee & Publican Sunday • Gospel at Liturgy: Pharisee & Publican • Themes of: • Repentance • Humility versus Pride • the MERCY of God • Especially for sinners • God’s unconditional unmerited love • (the Pharisee really was “good”) • (the Publican really was bad – VERY bad

  6. Canon of the Publican & Pharisee, Ode 7 • “I have miserably bowed down to the pleasures of the body becoming wholly enslaved to the demons that provoke the passions. I have become a stranger to Thee, O Lover of mankind. But now I cry with the voice of the Prodigal: I have sinned, O Christ, despise me not, for Thou alone are merciful. • I do not dare look up at the height of heaven, O King of all: I cry out: I have sinned; for in my foolishness, I alone have angered Thee, rejecting Thy commandments. Therefore, only Good One, do not cast me away from Thy presence. • At the prayers of the apostles, martyrs and prophets, the holy saints and the righteous, O Christ my Lord, forgive me all the offenses which have provoked Thee to anger in Thy goodness, and I shall sing Your praises for evermore.”

  7. Prodigal Son Sunday • Gospel at Liturgy: Prodigal Son • Themes of: • Sin and Rejection of God, Life, Love, etc. • Exile (estrangement/alienation) from Paradise • Conversion • Helping the Poor

  8. The Prodigal Son Week: Gt Fast Triod • Christ, by the light of the fear of You, • renew my soul, • which is in darkness and burning with bitterness; • show me the light of salvation so that I may glorify You forever. • Having despised the fullness of passions, my humble soul, • be nourished by food of good deeds. • Take joy in the sweetness of fasting, • avoiding the woe of sweetness, • and be enriched forever.

  9. Meat-fare Sunday • Last Judgment Sunday • Gospel at Liturgy: Matt 25 • King separates Sheep from Goats • Have/Not done this to the Least of my Brethren • Have/Not done it to ME • Themes of: • Serving the Poor • Visiting Prisoners • Charity and Social Justice

  10. Golden Souls not Golden Chalices: St. John Chrysostom: "If you wish to honour the Eucharistic Victim, • offer your own soul for which the Victim was immolated. • Make your own soul all of gold. • If your soul remains viler than lead or clay, • what good does it do to have a golden chalice? • Do you wish to honour the Body of Christ? • Then do not disdain Him when you see Him in rags. • After having honored Him in Church with silken vestments, • do not leave Him to die of cold outside for lack of clothing. • For it is the same Jesus who says, 'This is my Body' • and Who says 'I was hungry but you would not feed me. • Whenever you refused to help one of these least important ones you refused to help me.' • The Body of Christ in the Eucharist demands pure souls, not costly garments. • But in the poor He demands all our care. • Let us act wisely; Let us honour Christ as He Himself wishes to be honored; • the most acceptable honour to one whom we would honour • is the honour which He desired, • not that which we ourselves imagine. • Give Him the honour which He Himself has asked for, by giving your money to the poor. Once again what God wants is not so much golden chalices but golden souls."

  11. Cheese-fare Sunday • more properly: Forgiveness Sunday • Gospel at Liturgy: Matt 6:14-21 • Themes of: • The Fall and Exile/Return to Paradise • Forgiveness • Forgiving Each Other • Receiving God’s Forgiveness • Fasting • Fasting Humbly and Secretly • Not for Vainglory • Investing our Life in the future Kingdom • Versus establishing our Security in the World

  12. Forgiveness (Cheese-fare) Sunday •  14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. • Fasting •     16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. • Treasures in Heaven •     19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

  13. Return to Paradise • Adam • outside the gate of Paradise: • Adam sat opposite Paradise and, • lamenting his nakedness, he wept, • ‘Woe is me ! By evil deceit was I persuaded and robbed, and exiled far from glory. • Woe is me ! Once naked in my simplicity, now I am in want. • But, Paradise, no longer shall I enjoy your delight; • no more shall I look upon the Lord my God and Maker, for I shall return to the earth whence I was taken. • Merciful and compassionate Lord, I cry to you, ‘Have mercy on me who am fallen’.

  14. “By the Rivers of Babylon” (utb) By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down and there we weptwhen we remembered Zion.On the willows therewe hung up our harps.For there our captorsasked us for songs,and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”How could we sing the Lord’s songin a foreign land?If I forget you, O Jerusalem,let my right hand wither!Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,if I do not remember you,if I do not set Jerusalemabove my highest joy…

  15. ICON MADE WITHOUT HUMAN HANDS

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