First Tuesday Night of Lenten Retreat !!!

Tuesday, 3/15/11, at 7 PM:
Holy Cross Monastery had 14 laymen and 2 monks in attendance at the first installment of the weekly Tuesday Lenten Retreat.

We discussed:
1. Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete on Lent as a time to give God our "first-fruits of repentance" (metanoia in Greek - a change of mind, attitude and life).

2. The meaning of fasting with Biblical references (Adam and Eve in Garden of Eden, Jesus for 40 days in the desert, the apostles fasting after Jesus's departure, fasting as "Queen of the Virtues", fasting as a means of conquering demons, fasting as preparation for receiving communion, and fasting customs in different Orthodox communities).

3. Almsgiving: giving of one's time, resources, and ultimately of oneself; giving up things for ourselves (i.e. fasting from some things) in order to share in kindness and mercy to others; giving of alms in memory of our departed loved ones, and giving up our egos in order to give our lives to others - "I will not give unto God that which costs me nothing" (Psalms of King David).

4. Prayer: prayer in Church "with the brethren" (as community), prayer as preparation for communion, prayer as a changing of ourselves (God doesn't need change - we do!).

5. Communion: Frequent opportunities for Communion during Great Lent - Wednesday and Friday Presanctified Liturgies, Saturday morning Liturgy, Sunday Liturgy. References to St. Mary of Egypt's communion BEFORE entering the desert and at the END of her life - the one thing needful that she requested of Elder Zosima. Of all the things she could have requested of him this was the most important of all! "In the fear of God, in faith and love draw near!"

6. Sundays of Great Lent:
a. Triumph of Orthodoxy - Restoration of the Icons
b. St. Gregory Palamas (in the 1300's) - pastor and theologian, teacher of the spiritual life.
c. Holy Cross - Crossroads and mid-point of the Great Fast
d. St. Mary of Egypt
e. St. John of the Ladder

7. Miscellaneous topics covered:
a. Discernment as the principle virtue (St. Anthony the Great);

b. Keeping enough tension in our spiritual life to make progress but not so much that we "snap" (St. Anthony the Great, St. Silouan of Mt Athos, Archimandrite Sophrony);

c. To "die trying" while struggling against sin (Epistle to the Hebrews, St. Isaac the Syrian, the Good Thief on the Cross);

d. Not judging others BECAUSE WE CAN'T, and not merely because we SHOULDN'T (we are incapable of judging others - only God knows the ins and outs of another person's soul);

e. Pastors of the Church having "the keys of the Kingdom"; spiritual father's blessing to go to communion as a way of stopping the "noetic wolf" (devil) from tripping us up and separating us from receiving the Body and Blood, which we need for our "remission of sins"; Jesus having the "keys of Death and Hades" to release souls in bondage and forgive sins both in this life, and in the next.

f. Anecdotal stories from the lives of saints and holy elders, and also from our own experiences of life in the Church, monastery, or pastoral calling.

g. Prayers for ALL THE DEPARTED (Saturday before Cheesefare, Saturday before Pentecost, Kneeling Vespers of Pentecost, Soul Saturdays in Lent).

h. Annunciation, March 25th, as a regularly occurring Feast during the Great Fast, commemorating the Incarnation of the Lord as "the Seed of the Woman" - the fulfillment of God's first promise of salvation (proto-evangelion) to Adam and Eve: Genesis 3:15 ("the Seed of the Woman crushing the head of the serpent" - also, symbolism of Golgotha as "Place of the Skull," with Jesus's blood washing away the death that came in through Adam).

Much discussion and question and answer ensued in the natural course of things.

The total length of time decided on was 1.5 hours (beginning promptly at 7 PM, and ending at 8:30).

All were invited back next Tuesday, March 22nd at 7 PM !!!!

Then, we will have the next installment of the Lenten Retreat, discussing:
a. Psalms of King David,
b. Presanctified Liturgy, and possibly
c. Great Compline, and
d. Liturgy of St. Basil the Great.

In Christ,
Fr. Maximos and Fr. Parthenios

P.S. Great Compline is served before the Retreat, from 6 PM to 7 PM. All are welcome.