The Liturgy will be at 11:30am this coming Sunday, 24 March, first to God.
It is the Sunday of Orthodoxy, in which we remember our committment to the Tradition in faith and practice handed down to us from the Apostles as confirmed by the Fathers in the Ecumenical Councils.
There is a liturgy on Sunday 17th March at 12:30pm. It is Forgiveness Sunday, the last Sunday before the Great Fast starting on Clean Monday, 18th March. Clean Monday is a full fasting day without eating, if one is able to manage so.
We also begin the prayer of St Ephaim, said after morning and evening prayers starting from Sunday evening, (the beginning of Monday) until Friday morning inclusive. From Friday evening to Sunday morning, we make prayers standing.
The prayer of St Ephraim is:
Lord and Master of my life, a spirit of idleness, curiosity, ambition and idle talk, give me not. (Prostration)
But a spirit of chasity, humility, patience and love, bestow on me, Thy servant. (Prostration)
Yea, O Lord King, grant me to see mine own failings and not to condemn my brother; for blessed art Thou unto the ages of the ages. Amen. (Prostration)
There will be a liturgy at 11:30am on 10th March. This is Meat Fare Sunday on which we stop eating meat until Easter Sunday. We may eat dairy and eggs each day of the following week before giving them up for the Great Fast from Clean Monday 18th March.
There will be a liturgy at 11:30am on Sunday, 3rd March, first to God. It is the Sunday of the Prodigal Son.
Despite the depth of the sin and bad ways of life into which we fall, we should never lose hope. God as a loving Father will always receive those who turn to him in humility and seek to return to His way of life that is eternal and not temporal. Yet, also keep in mind that we cannot partly repent, God is not fooled. We need to reconcile in all things to be like Him. God will help us with this too to be so, if we are willing to implement His help. So too, when reconciling with those on earth whom we have wronged; let us reconcile properly and truly with God's help and not in part, else we will only shatter the relationship again.
Let us, like God, be of open heart to receive all sinners, who wish to turn to God despite what they have done. Never block someone from reconcilation, even for the most grevious hurts, athough we may need to keep away from them while they continue in the path of destruction. Let us not allow hatred to grow in our hearts for those who wrong us, especially those whom we loved so much. God is love and loves us despite or constant wrongs, known and unknown, against Him. We must be as God in all things with His help.
There is a liturgy at 11:30am, Sunday 25 February.
The Sunday is that of the Publican and Pharisee and the following week is fast free. We are coming to the start of the Great Fast. The Fast starts fully on Monday, 18 March. With Pascha (Easter Sunday) on 5 May.
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