GREAT LENT
A SCHOOL OF REPENTANCE
Its Meaning for Orthodox Christians
by
The Rt. Rev. Alexander Schmemann
DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
ORTHODOX CHURCH IN AMERICA
New York 1970
Second Printing 1977
CONTENTS
| GREAT LENT | 5 |
| The Time of Repentance | |
| SUNDAYS OF PREPARATION | 7 |
| LENTEN WORSHIP | 13 |
| HOW CAN WE KEEP GREAT LENT? | 23 |
GREAT LENT
THE TIME OF REPENTANCE
"Brethren, while fasting bodily, let us also fast spiritually; let us loosen every bond of injustice; let us destroy the strong fetters of violence; let us tear up every unjust writing; let us give bread to the hungry and let us welcome the homeless poor to our houses, that from Christ our God we may receive the great mercy."
(Stichira, Wednesday of the First Week)
We are approaching again the Great Lent—the time of repentance, thetime of our reconciliation with God. Repentance is the beginning andalso the condition of a truly Christian life. "Repent!" was the firstword of Christ when He began to preach (Matt. 4:17). But what isrepentance? In the daily rush of our life we have no time to thinkabout it, we simply take it for granted that we must go to confession,receive[6] absolution, and then forget all about it until next year. Yetthere must be a reason why our Church has set apart seven weeks as aspecial time of repentance and calls each Orthodox Christian to aspecial spiritual effort. And this reason must obviously concernme, my life,