We invite you to join us this Great Lent as you light your lamp and prepare to meet the Bridegroom. We hope to provide you with opportunities to grow in your relationship with God. Look below for ways to do this.
Our Lenten theme this year is Mercy: Lighting your Lamp to meet the Lord. Throughout Lent, we invite you to keep a vigil lamp lit in your home as a visual reminder of your journey to meet the Bridegroom of your soul. Your journey to Pascha includes prayer, fasting, and especially charity. Charity is mercy and love for our neighbor based in our love and service to God. We hope to assist you in keeping your lamp lit by inviting you to join in The Eleos Project (view details by CLICKING THIS LINK).
Pre-Lent helps us prepare to enter our Lenten journey. During the Triodion period which begins February 9, we will examine three themes: humility, repentance, and the second coming. Additionally, we invite you to join us either during our pre-Lenten retreat and pilgrimage to St. Paisius Monastery 2/25-2/29 or if you are between the ages of 11 – 18, please plan on joining other Orthodox youth for a retreat in Estes Park 2/28 – 3/1. Or our men’s retreat the weekend of March 13.
There are many services in Lent: Great Compline each Monday at 4 pm, Pre-Sanctified Liturgies on Wednesdays at 6 pm, and the Akathist to the Mother of God on Fridays (this year scheduled for 10 am). We’ve added events after Pre-Sanctified and the Akathist Services to enhance your journey. After liturgy on Wednesday please join us for a community dinner hosted by our ministry teams. We will provide a spaghetti dinner (gluten-free pasta will also be provided) and parishioners are invited to bring a labeled Lenten dish to share. During our meals, Father Evan will be presenting on the Gospels of Lent and youth activities are planned. After Akathist on Friday morning, please join Father Evan for tea and a book discussion. We will be reflecting on selected readings from St. Theophan’s book: "The Spiritual Life and How to be Attuned to it" (order forms are available in church each Sunday) or obtain your own copy on Amazon.
Of course, we have other special events planned for this Lent. On March 7 we will host a teaching liturgy at 9:30 am. Following this liturgy, we invite you to join us for a pancake breakfast and a koliva-making class. Afterward, we will hold a memorial for our loved ones who have passed from this life. Join us for a Men’s retreat on Saving Relationships the weekend of 3/14-3/15. Additionally, there are pan-Orthodox Vespers being held at parishes throughout the Front Range as well as a liturgy on March 25 for the Feast of the Annunciation. See our online calendar for a schedule of services.
On Sundays during Great Lent, we hope you will join us on March 8 the 1st Sunday of Great Lent with your favorite icon for a special procession and again on March 22 for the Feast of the Cross, 3rd Sunday of Lent for a special procession. We also have a Godparent/Godchild Sunday planned for March 22. Please make sure to attend with your godparent or godchild and receive communion together. There are many other events planned for our community and youth. Please make sure to subscribe to our online calendar at saintspyridon.church.
Finally, 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 be sponsoring its annual Lenten Food Drive, 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.
Our Lenten Journey concludes on April 10 and with it, we enter into the Feasts of the Raising of Lazarus and the Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday of our Lord into Jerusalem. That weekend we will celebrate and decorate our church and host our annual mission’s fundraiser. Details about services will come out as we draw closer. Please mark your calendars to be with us during Holy Week, April 13 through the 19 and join us for our annual Pascha BBQ at the Chilson Center.
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. Finally, we commit to doing all that we do with excellence.
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 saintpsyridon.church
