Our Lenten theme this year is Preparing to meet the Bridegroom: Day by Day. The Church in Her Wisdom invites us to step out of “chronos”, linear time, and into “kairos”, God’s Time. She offers this period of weeks in which we can choose to begin new Holy Habits, and perhaps to step outside of our usual every day activities. Each day we make choices: Do we choose to turn towards God? Do we actively and fervently seek a meeting with Him, our Bridegroom? Or do we frantically flail about, swiping and scrolling and looking for the next thing to consume our thoughts and our time?
This Lent we are simplifying by offering and presenting you with a chance to hone the beautiful practice of focus. We want to offer you the opportunity to slow down; to seek to meet the Bridegroom and accept His invitation: Follow Me.
Three things we encourage you to do this Lent, just three:
1. Keep your Vigil Lamp lit: Order lamp supplied from the bookstore HERE.
Download THIS helpful resource for information about the practice of keeping a vigil lamp in the home
2. Read along with the Lenten Book Study: “Lenten Spring” - Order your copy HERE.
3. Attend the Divine Services of Lent: Calendar HERE. A downloadable version is available HERE.
Pre-Lent helps us prepare to enter our Lenten journey. During the pre-Lenten period, which begins February 5, we examine three themes: humility, repentance, and the second coming. We invite you to join us during our pre-Lenten retreat and pilgrimage to St. Paisius Monastery (2/20 – 2/24). At the conclusion of this preparatory period, we embark on the journey of Lent at the Vespers of Forgiveness on Sunday February 26 at 1 pm, and invite you to partake in the “forgiveness Sundaes” tradition in the fellowship hall following this service.
There are many services in Lent
Great Compline each Monday at 5 pm, followed by our book discussion. Pre-Sanctified Liturgies on Wednesdays at 5:30 pm, followed by a time of fellowship where we invite you to bring your own lenten meal.
A special note: Bishop Constantine will be attending the Pre-Sanctified Liturgy on March 8 with a relic of the Holy Cross.
We are also offering the Akathist to the Mother of God on Fridays at 9:30 am.
Retreats and Opportunities to Serve
Of course, we have other special events planned for this Lent. On February 27 we will travel to St. Catherine’s Parish for their annual Clean Monday Retreat where the theme is “A Journey to Personal and Communal Spiritual Health”.
Additionally, we hope you will join us for our Parish Lenten Retreat with Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick on March 3 - 5. We will also have liturgy on March 25 for the Feast of the Annunciation. Pan-Orthodox Vespers will be held weekly on Sunday evenings at parishes throughout the Front Range, including St. Spyridon’s on March 26 at 5 pm. See our online or printed calendar for a schedule of services and hosting parishes. Finally, we hope you can attend the Rocky Mountain Workday, a Pan-Orthodox Service event on April 1.
Lent is not Lent if we do not pay special attention to extending our love for God to our brothers and sisters in need. Our Philoptochos (Friends of the Poor) will sponsor two food drives during Lent, raise funds to feed the hungry, offer many opportunities to serve at the Community Kitchen, and more. Don’t forget to add your monetary contributions to the poor box located in the Narthex or donate online.
Sundays during Great Lent
We hope you will join us on March 5, the 1st Sunday of Great Lent, with your favorite icon for a special procession at the conclusion of the Divine Liturgy; this day we will also be celebrating God-Parent & God-Child Sunday, which is a beautiful opportunity to receive communion with your God Parent or God Child. Again on March 19, the 3rd Sunday of Lent, we will process and venerate the Cross immediately following Orthros for the Feast of the Cross.
Holy Week
Our Lenten Journey concludes on April 8, and with its conclusion we enter into the Feasts of the Raising of Lazarus and the Triumphal Entry of our Lord into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. That weekend we will celebrate the feasts, decorate our church, and host our annual Project Mexico “ Missions Dessert” fundraiser.
Please mark your calendars to be with us during Holy Week, April 9 - 15 and join us for our annual Paschal BBQ, and Paschal Egg Hunt for the children, on April 16.
Becoming a healthy parish requires each member of the Body of Christ to take seriously their commitment to our Lord. We do this by focusing first on our relationship with Him and by placing our spiritual formation first. Being healthy means our commitment to Christ has a positive impact on our daily life. Because we believe and serve God, we operate on a daily basis as faithful members of the Church. A healthy parish also invests in the community. We value our relationships with one another and we seek to build new ones with those in our community.
Confession
Lent is a time of heightened focus on our own repentance and need for Christ in our daily lives. The sacrament of confession is available to all baptized and chrismated Orthodox Christians to aid in this process. Sign up for an available confession time with Fr. Evan HERE.
Finally, we commit to doing all that we do with grace, mercy, and excellence. Simplify, focus, and follow Christ with us this Lent, every day by every day. We look forward to this year’s journey to Pascha as we focus on mercy and the lighting of our lamps to meet the Bridegroom. To view all our services and events please visit our online calendar at: https://saintspyridon.church/calendar
Downloadable Resources
2023 Lent Letter from Fr. Evan
Great Lent & Holy Week Printable Calendar
