Clean Monday, Great Lent, Holy Week – Past Posts

Image by Andriy Tod at Unsplash

Let us Spring Clean our souls, Grow in God’s Grace… and Bloom in His Sonshine! May our Great Lenten Journeys be Peaceful, and Fruitful – helping us see Christ in others.

Wishing you all the Bright Joys of the Fast!

Lightfare

Branches of Inner Stillness

O Precious Paradise

Forgive Me

Threshold

Flowers of Penitence

Two Thoughts

Flower of Repentance

Spiritual Springtime

Be Still

Daily Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim

Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

Bending the Knees of the Heart

Savouring Great Lent

Let My Prayer Arise

Just For Now

A Lenten Prayer

Beauty of Holiness

Nothing Higher on Earth

God’s Beautiful Promise in the Sky

A Valentine

St. Brigid of Ireland

Gabhaim Molta Brighde

St. Caedmon’s Day Greetings

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

St. Patrick Enlightener of Ireland

Three in One

A Shamrock Day

Feast Day of the Annunciation

Clinging to the Lord

Rock-Steady

Swathed in Light

Reflecting the Refulgent

Skylark Buns Tradition (Baked to celebrate the Feast of the Holy 40 Martyrs of Sebaste)

As the Warmth of the Sun

Adoration of the Cross

Lazarakia Bun Recipe (Traditionally baked for celebrating Lazarus Saturday and/or Palm Sunday)

Lazarus Comes Forth

Palm Sunday Greetings

Bon Voyage ’til Bright Week

Onion Skin Pascha Egg Dye Recipe

Banquet of Faith

Great and Holy Monday

Great and Holy Tuesday

Hymn of Kassiani

Great and Holy Wednesday

Great and Holy Thursday

Great and Holy Friday

Do Not Lament Me O Mother

Great and Holy Saturday

Great and Holy Pascha

Christ is Risen!

Beautiful Garden of Scripture

European Robin Image by Frauke Riether from Pixabay

All who ask receive, those who seek find, and to those who knock it shall be opened. Therefore, let us knock at the beautiful garden of Scripture. It is fragrant, sweet, and blooming with various sounds of spiritual and divinely inspired birds. They sing all around our ears, capture our hearts, comfort the mourners, pacify the angry, and fill us with everlasting joy. ~ St. John of Damascus

After the ancient feasts of Theophany and the upcoming Meeting of the Lord in the Temple (Candlemas), we notice the days growing longer. Although we know spring is just around the corner, sometimes February tosses us a few surprises. One moment we’re relaxed and relieved to see crocus and snow drop flowers blooming in glorious patches of dappled sunshine, and the next moment – heavy gray overcast skies compete with our weariness of winter and the happiness of blossoming silver catkins. While there’s almost always one last and brief farewell blast of snow or a crisp, cold snap, February has the last laugh! Robins return from their wintery travels to herald hope of the coming spring. Hearing their birdsong comforts and captures my heart anew… making me smile with joy! Thank you dear Lord for creating the saucy robins!

Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete

Image by Couleur Pixabay

The blooming crocus is also known as the penitent flower.

Happy Clean Monday!

The Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete is read during the first four nights of Great Lent, and the last part – the Life of St. Mary of Egypt is read Thursday evening on the 5th week of Great Lent.

Short Explanation of the Canon.

Daily Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim

Image by Mammiya – Pixabay

The crocus is also known as the penitent flower.

Happy Clean Monday!

During the week days of Great Lent… we say this beautiful and ancient prayer by St. Ephraim the Syrian (4th century).

Flowers of Penitence

Vibrant Spring Crocus by Melania – © Divine Florals

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing… ~ Isaiah 35:1-2

At winter’s end, the crocus – also known as the penitent flower, appears before the spiritual spring of Great Lent… a season of forgiveness, repentance, efforts, hope, and renewal.

The week preceding Great Lent is called Cheesefare (Maslenitsa), and in 2022, Cheesefare begins Monday, February 28th. Meat is now excluded until Pascha (Easter). Dairy and seafood are (thoroughly) enjoyed this week, and it’s traditional to include blini crepes or pancakes to use up remaining dairy – before the more strict plant-based fare of Great Lent.

This year Great Lent begins on Monday, March 7th.

May we all cultivate fragrant buds of virtue, and Blossom Forth!

Great and Holy Monday

Thank you Irena, for sharing this photo.

Greetings on Great and Holy Monday.

As we begin Holy Week, earthly life ceases for the faithful as we go up with the Lord to Jerusalem. ~Matins of Great and Holy Monday

During the Presanctified Liturgy Let My Prayer Arise is sung.

During the harsh weather at winter’s end, the crocus… also known as the penitent flower, springs up and blossoms forth in time for the spiritual lenten season of repentance, efforts, and hope.

May we, wherever we are… particularly during pandemic isolation, blossom forth with efforts of repentance, love, hope and faith in God’s mercy.

Although these are trying times… This is just for now.

May your Holy Week be full of blessings.

Off-Grid in Cappadocia

Goreme, Cappadocia – 2006

Cappadocia is an ancient central region in Asia Minor, and an important centre of early Christianity. Unusual coloured pinnacles of soft volcanic rock, dot the hot and dusty Cappadocian landscape.

St. Basil the Great (330 – 379 AD), Bishop of Caesarea and Cappadocia is known as one of the (Three Hierarchs) Cappadocian Fathers who lived in the region, along with his brother Saint Gregory of Nyssa , and St. Gregory the Theologian.

Under the directive of St. Basil the Great, the early Christians began carving numerous cave churches, and monastic communities. These were hewn by hand, and the projects continued over the next 500 years. Vast networks of underground cities were also created by these tenacious inhabitants.

Many of the cave churches in Goreme retain their colourful iconography to this very day, and are a highlight to any visit to Cappadocia.

They that live in the wilderness, have an unquenchable longing for God, as they are far from the tumult of life… Hymn of the Ascents

error: Content is protected !!