The Sacrament of Repentance

Lenten Confessions

February 10, 2022

- Fr. Evan Armatas -

"To repent is not to look downward at my own shortcomings, but upward at God's love. It is not to look backward with self-reproach but forward with trustfulness. It is to see not what I have failed to be but what, by the grace of Christ, I might yet become." -St. John Climacus

 

Schedule a time for confession with Fr. Evan.

Schedule a time for confession with Fr. Gabriel.

 

Instructions:

-Please sign up for only one slot and limit your confession to 10 minutes to allow time during Great Lent for others.

-If you need additional time, please set up a separate pastoral appointment.

-If none of the times work, you are welcome to confess during any Orthros, Vespers, Great Compline, or Akathist.

 

Tips for Confession:

- Confession is a dedicated time to list clearly and without excuse your sins to God in the presence of the Church through the priest.

- Remember it is God who forgives and the priest is a witness and an aide, not a judge.

- Confession is typically not a time for pastoral counsel. This occurs outside of the confession during a pastoral appointment.

- Preparing for confession is important and beneficial. Your preparation will help you to focus on the areas of sin and obstacles to your relationship with God.

- There is no one specific way to prepare and give one's confession.

 

The following recommendations are given to help you in preparing:

- Examine your conscience. You can use a confession preparation booklet that includes prayers and questions.

- List on paper the things you wish to confess. This can include specific sins, repetitive sins, and areas of struggle.

- Share only as much detail as needed to honestly confess the sin.

- Make no excuses for yourself and avoid becoming scrupulous or legalistic.

 

As you prepare for your confession, these resources may be helpful:

https://www.goarch.org/-/preparation-for-holy-confession

“An Orthodox community where people find transformation in Jesus Christ.”

Worship - Service - Community - Education

Saturday Evening - 5:00 Vespers | Sunday Morning - 8:30 Orthros | 9:30 Divine Liturgy

807 West 29th Street, Loveland, CO 80538 | Fr. Evan Armatas, Presbyter | 970.667.5778

Father Evan received his bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from Boston College with an emphasis in business management and Christian apologetics in 1991. After opening and operating his own private business, he earned his Master of Divinity from Holy Cross in 2002. Upon finishing seminary, Father Evan was assigned to Saint Catherine Greek Orthodox Church in Greenwood Village as an Assistant Priest. In 2007 he became Saint Spyridon’s (at that time a small mission parish) first full-time priest. Saint Spyridon began humbly. In its first year, only six families called St. Spyridon home. Today it is a vibrant and growing parish of several hundred. The ministries and members of the parish represent a wide range of backgrounds and interests which make the parish a diverse place of worship, witness, and service. In August 2018, the parish moved into a new 18,000-square-foot sanctuary and facility. In 2002 Father Evan founded the St. Nektarios Education Fund, a non-profit student education program. The fund, which he still manages along with its board, has established five schools in Africa, educated over 5,000 students, and delivered over $1,000,000 in student aid through its network partners of IOCC and OCMC. Father Evan has served as the Metropolis of Denver Program Director of Camp Emmanuel which is its summer youth camp program, on the board of International Orthodox Christian Charities, and as the Metropolis of Denver Clergy Syndesmos President. Father Evan’s podcasts can be found at www.SaintSpyridon.church and listen to his live call-in radio show called “Orthodoxy Live” on Ancient Faith Radio (which began its 11th year on air in November of 2022). The show broadcasts every Sunday night at 5 pm Pacific/8 pm Eastern. The audience ranges from domestic to international. Father Evan released his first book in 2019, Toolkit for Spiritual Growth: A practical guide to prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and it is available through Ancient Faith, Amazon, and Audible. This engaging and straightforward book uses Scripture and pastoral experience to inspire those new to the faith and those already part of the Body of Christ to shape and re-energize their relationship with Christ through three essential spiritual disciplines. His second book, Reclaiming the Great Commission: A roadmap to parish health, was released in 2022. It too can be found on Ancient Faith, Amazon, and Audible. This book examines the last words of our Lord Jesus Christ and invites communities and the members that make up the Body of Christ on a journey towards greater spiritual health. It is meant to aid both everyday parishioners and parish leaders alike towards greater parish health and commitment to bringing the Good News to everyone. Father Evan has also served as the Adjunct Professor of New Testament and Early Christian Literature at Colorado Christian University and taught Parish Leadership and Management at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary. He has offered numerous parish retreats and presentation throughout America on a wide range of topics. He has been the keynote speaker for the Metropolis of Denver, Detroit, and San Francisco’s Clergy-Laity as well as the Diocese of New England (Antiochian Archdiocese). He has led clergy retreats including the Midwest Clergy Brotherhood of the Coptic Orthodox Church and been the keynote for Archdiocesan events (National Altar Boy Retreat, National Conference on Outreach and Evangelism). In 2023 Father Evan will be offering presentations to the Romanian Archdiocese National Clergy Retreat, will be the keynote speaker this summer at the National Bi-Annual Antiochian Archdiocesan Clergy and Family Retreat, and speak at other retreats and events. Father Evan and his wife Presbytera Anastasia are the happy parents of three daughters, Alexia, Eleni, and Maria, and a son, Spyridon. They live in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado where they ski, flyfish, and hike.