Great Lent is the forty-day period that leads up to Holy Week, the week in which we commemorate the events leading up to and culminating in Christ’s Passion and Resurrection from the dead. This period of time is the most sacred period of time in the Church’s calendar. It is a time in which Orthodox Christians redouble their efforts in their spiritual life. We do this through increased efforts in prayer and fasting. During this time, we have a rigorous schedule of weekly services, many of which are particular to the Lenten season, such as the services known as Great Compline, the Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts, and the Salutations to the Mother of God. We also abstain from many food items in this period, including meat, dairy, eggs, wine, oil, and fish (shellfish are permitted). These customs serve the collective purpose of encouraging us to turn our attention away from earthly cares, and instead refocus and recenter our lives upon Christ.
The forty days of Great Lent symbolically remind us of many important events in the Bible, including Christ’s forty days of fasting in the wilderness, the Israelites’ forty-year journey through the desert towards the promised land, and Noah’s forty days in the ark. At the end of these forty days, we come to Holy Week, in many ways the central worship experience of the whole Church’s life. During Holy Week, we have a number of unique services, with two or three every day of the week. This week follows the course of events of Christ’s life leading up to His Crucifixion and Resurrection. It is a week full of powerful and moving hymns, prayers, and unique worship events. The peak of course is Pascha, the celebration of Christ’s Resurrection from the dead and victory of the forces of sin, hell, and death. Anyone who is Orthodox can attest to the absolutely awe-inspiring nature of Holy Week.
Just as in the Western churches, the date of Orthodox Pascha changes from year to year based on various calculations. However, the dates of Orthodox Pascha are based on slightly different calculations than those of our Western counterparts, hence why the two dates do not always align. If you would like to know more about Holy Week and the schedule of services this year, please consult our church website calendar and bulletins.
