Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving
Remember that prayer, fasting and almsgiving are tools, given by Our Lord, to help us navigate this pilgrimage of life, but especially during the desert journeys of the fasts. They make us aware of, and able to receive, the treasures that are offered, and to avoid the hazards that are placed in our path by the evil one. The Church has reflected on these three tools over the centuries, but we find Our Lord offering them himself in the Holy Scriptures (Matthew 6:6ff).
Prayer
In addition to the prayers below, a sincere conversation with God, filled with an attitude of repentance and anticipation of the Resurrection of Christ, and done as much silence and stillness as you can manage, will fill this Great Fast with joy and conviction.
Lenten Liturgies
The Proto-Cathedral will be celebrating many of the traditional and spiritually beneficial liturgies that are offered to Byzantine Catholics. You will find our liturgical schedule filled with Morning Prayer (including the readings from Isaiah) Evening Prayer (including the readings from Genesis and Proverbs), Presanctified Divine Liturgy, All-Souls Saturdays, Divine Liturgies of St. Basil etc. that sustain us through the Great Fast. Please make these a priority and talk to one of the priests about your availability and what you should take as a priority.
Triodion
The Lenten Triodion is a book that contains all of the prayers that change every day and are prayed during the various daily prayer services (Vespers (evening), Matins (morning), 6th Hour (mid-day)etc.) from Pre-Lent through Great and Holy (Good) Friday. If you have the ability, you can insert them into the daily prayer services, or they can be part of an edited service and prayed according to you availability and ability. You can find various versions for sale online
(or try the Sisters of St. Basil 724-439-6180). One version is available digitally at
http://www.ocf.org/OrthodoxPage/prayers/triodion/triodion.html
Again, talk to one of the priests if you would like further guidance.
Prayer of St. Ephrem
This is a short and simple prayer that gets right to the heart of why and how we live out the seasons of fasting. It can be prayed multiple times a day.
Lord and Master of my life,
Spare me from the spirit of indifference, despair,
lust for power and idle chatter. (Prostration)
Instead, bestow on me Your servant,
The spirit of integrity, humility, patience and love. (Prostration)
Yes, O Lord and King, let me see my own sins
And not judge my brothers and sisters,
For You are Blessed, forever and ever. Amen. (Prostration)
Old and New Testament Readings
Just as the Old Testament was a preparation for the coming of the Messiah, so the Great Fast is a preparation for the death and resurrection of that Messiah. We therefore only read from the Old Testament Monday through Friday of the Great Fast. To represent the whole Old Testament, we read the entirety of one of the books from each general category of Old Testament books. Genesis represents the Law, Proverbs the Wisdom books, and Isaiah the Prophets. If you are able to read and reflect on these readings every day, you complete the three books just before Holy Week. I’ve included a guide below. “Sixth Hour” means this reading is done at mid-day prayer (noon is the “sixth hour” if counting begins at 6am) and “Vespers” means these readings are done as part of evening prayer. At home they can be prayed whenever you are able. We hear New Testament readings on Saturdays and Sundays as we acknowledge that the Messiah has indeed come and we are commemorating his resurrection every Sunday.
I’ve adapted this list from
https://mci.archpitt.org/Lectionary.html
FIRST WEEK OF THE GREAT FAST
(Feb. 28 – March 6)
Monday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 1:1-20
Vespers: Genesis 1:1-13 • Proverbs 1:1-20
Tuesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 1:19-2:3
Vespers: Genesis 1:14-23 • Proverbs 1:20-33
Wednesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 2:3-11
Vespers: Genesis 1:24-2:3 • Proverbs 2:1-21
Thursday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 2:11-21
Vespers: Genesis 2:4-19 • Proverbs 3:1-18
Friday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 3:1-14
Vespers: Genesis 2:20-3:20• Proverbs 3:19-34
1st Saturday of the Great Fast: St Theodore the Recruit
For the 1st Saturday:
Hebrews 1:1-12
Mark 2:23-3:5
For St Theodore:
2 Timothy 2:1-10
John 15:17-16:2
1st Sunday of the Great Fast: Sunday of Orthodoxy
Hebrews 11:24-26, 32-1212:2a
John 1:43-51
SECOND WEEK OF THE GREAT FAST
(March 7-13)
Monday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 4:2-6; 5:1-7
Vespers: Genesis 3:21-4:7 • Proverbs 3:34-4:22
Tuesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 5:7-16
Vespers: Genesis 4:8-15 • Proverbs 5:1-15
Wednesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 5:16-25
Vespers: Genesis 4:16-26 • Proverbs 5:15-6:3
Thursday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 6:1-12
Vespers: Genesis 5:1-24 • Proverbs 6:3-20
Friday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 7:1-14
Vespers: Genesis 5:32-6:8 • Proverbs 6:20-7:1
2nd Saturday of the Great Fast: Soul Saturday
For the 2nd Saturday
Hebrews §309 (3:12-16)
Mark §6 (1:35-44)
For the Departed:
1 Corinthians §163 (15:47-57)
John §16 (5:24-30)
2nd Sunday of the Great Fast: St Gregory Palamas
Hebrews 1:10-2:3
Mark 2:1-12
For St Gregory:
Hebrews 7:26-8:2
John 10:9-16
THIRD WEEK OF THE GREAT FAST
(March 14-20)
Monday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 8:13-9:7
Vespers: Genesis 6:9-22 • Proverbs 8:1-21
Tuesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 9:9-10:4
Vespers: Genesis 7:1-5 • Proverbs 8:32-9:11
Wednesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 10:12-20
Vespers: Genesis 7:6-9 • Proverbs 9:12-18
Thursday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 11:10-12:2
Vespers: Genesis 7:11-8:4 • Proverbs 10:1-22
Friday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 13:2-13
Vespers: Genesis 8:4-21 • Proverbs 10:31-11:12
3rd Saturday of the Great Fast: Soul Saturday
For the 3rd Saturday:
Hebrews 10:32-38a
Mark 2:14-17
For the Departed:
1 Corinthians 15:47-57
John 5:24-30
3rd Sunday of the Great Fast: Veneration of the Cross
Hebrews 4:14-5:6
Mark 8:34b-9:1
FOURTH WEEK OF THE GREAT FAST
(March 21-27)
Monday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 14:24-32
Vespers: Genesis 8:21-9:7 • Proverbs 11:19-12:6
Tuesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 25:1-9
Vespers: Genesis 9:8-17 • Proverbs 12:8-22
Wednesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 26:21-27:9
Vespers: Genesis 9:18-10:1 • Proverbs 12:23-13:9
Thursday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 28:14-22
Vespers: Genesis 10:32-11:9 • Proverb 13:19-14:6
Friday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 29:13-23
Vespers: Genesis 12:1-7 • Proverbs 14:15-26
4th Saturday of the Great Fast: Soul Saturday
For the 4th Saturday:
Hebrews §313 (6:9-12)
Mark §31 (7:31-37)
For the Departed:
1 Corinthians §163 (15:47-57)
John §16 (5:24-30)
4th Sunday of Great Lent: St John Climacus
For the 4th Sunday:
Hebrews 6:13-20
Mark 9:17-31
For St John:
Ephesians 5:8b-19
Matthew 4:25-5:12a
FIFTH WEEK OF THE GREAT FAST
(March 28 – April 3)
Monday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 37:33-38:6
Vespers: Genesis 13:12-18 • Proverbs 14:27-15:4
Tuesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 40:18-31
Vespers: Genesis 15:1-15 • Proverbs 15:7-19
Wednesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 41:4-14
Vespers: Genesis 17:1-9 • Proverbs 15:20-16:9
Thursday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 42:5-16
Vespers: Genesis 18:20-33 • Proverb 16:17-17:17
Friday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 45:11-17
Vespers: Genesis 22:1-18 • Proverbs 17:17-18:5
5th Saturday of the Great Fast: Saturday of the Akathist
For the 5th Saturday:
Hebrews 9:24-28
Mark 8:27-31
For Akathist Saturday:
Hebrews 9:1-7
Luke 10:38-42; 11:27-28
5th Sunday of Great Lent: St Mary of Egypt
For the 5th Sunday:
Hebrews 9:11-14
Mark 10:32b-45
For St Mary of Egypt:
Galatians 3:23-29
Luke 7:36-50
SIXTH WEEK OF THE GREAT FAST
(April 4-8)
Monday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 48:17-49:4
Vespers: Genesis 27:1-41 • Proverbs 19:16-25
Tuesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 49:6-10
Vespers: Genesis 31:3-16 • Proverbs 21:3-21
Wednesday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 58:1-11
Vespers: Gen 43:26-31; 45:1-16 •
Proverbs 21:23-22:4
Thursday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 65:8-16
Vespers: Genesis 46:1-7 • Proverbs 23:15-24:5
Friday
Sixth Hour: Isaiah 66:10-24
Vespers: Genesis 49:33-50:26 • Proverbs 31:8-31
Tuesday, March 1 –
