For those of you who are not Orthodox, what is that first week in Lent like if you follow the OCA parish tradition in the USA? I should mention that the OCA parish tradition in the USA is similar to the traditions in the “Old World.” This will explain to you why those who work a full-time job disappear those first 10 days of Lent.
Saturday before Lent begins — morning Matins and Divine Liturgy. It is called Saturday of Souls, and in many ways reminds me of Día de Los Muertos, but without the syncretistic elements found in Latin America
Saturday evening — Great Vespers
Sunday morning — Divine Liturgy, with the preparation of the Pre-Sanctified Lamb for Friday evening.
Sunday evening — Forgiveness Vespers — Lent begins with everyone forgiving everyone else in a formal service. We each go before every person to ask forgiveness.
Monday evening — Canon of St. Andrew, involves asking forgiveness of God with multiple prostrations.
Tuesday evening — Canon of St. Andrew, involves asking forgiveness of God with multiple prostrations.
Wednesday evening — Canon of St. Andrew, involves asking forgiveness of God with multiple prostrations.
Thursday evening — Canon of St. Andrew, involves asking forgiveness of God with multiple prostrations.
Friday evening — Pre-Sanctified Liturgy, using the Pre-Sanctified Lamb.
Saturday evening — Great Vespers
Sunday morning — Divine Liturgy, Sunday of Orthodoxy
Sunday evening — Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers, often celebrated in the USA with other Orthodox congregations to demonstrate unity.
Now you liturgical geeks will tell me that there are many more services that could be and are celebrated during those first 10 days. But, they are generally celebrated in a monastery setting. Or a large church may celebrate them, but very few will attend most of them, since most people work. Really, the above schedule is typical of an USA OCA parish because they are the services that most people can attend.
The whole purpose of those first 10 days is to take you out of the world. You become a monastic without being a monastic. After those 10 days, the schedule loosens until Holy Week. Most parishes will have three evening services a week. Again, the idea is to help remind you to shut off the world during Lent so that you may hear God better. But, it is only three times a week because there is a recognition that we are yet in the world, even though we are not of the world.
On the last 10 days of Lent, a similar schedule is kept, beginning with Lazarus Saturday and going through Agape Vespers at the end of Pascha. We, again, become monks for those last 10 days, or as close as we can get, given our working schedules.
As Orthodox, we recognize how important it is to take that time out of the world. It helps to keep us renewed, to call our minds, our hearts, our souls, our spirits, to remember God, to return to God, to let ourselves be changed by God.
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