The Church and our Holy Fathers have constructed a Church Calendar that is full of what Archbishop Kallistos Ware describes as a “inner coherence and unity”. This page highlights many of the key events and key changes that occur during this critically important preparation period for Lent. The simple idea is our Lenten journey is enhanced and enlarged by how we prepare. Hopefully, this page will help us deepen our awareness and practice of how we can prepare ourselves.
Preparing for Great Lent in the Spirit of St. Silouan and St. Sophrony
This wonderful talk is the perfect way to begin our Lenten Journey, and is so rich and profitable that you may wish to revisit it often. Archimandrite Zacharias discusses the spiritual lessons of the pre-Lenten Sundays and the significance of each Lenten Sunday in our journey to Pascha.
Archimandrite Zacharias is from St John the Baptist Monastery in Essex, England, and is the disciple of St. Sophrony (canonized in 2019) who was himself the disciple and biographer of St Silouan the Athonite.
Archimandrite Zacharias is a prolific author of many outstanding books that include Enlargement of the Heart, Hidden Man of the Heart, Remember Your First Love, Man Target of God, The Engraving of Christ in Man’s Heart, and his most recent At the Doors of Holy Lent. Here is his author’s page on Amazon.
General Pre-Lent Insights & Guidance
- The Liturgical Structure of Lent
- Triodion – CheeseFare Week – Themes Preparing Us For Great Lent
- Last Judgment – Father Alexander Schmemann from his book ’Great Lent’
- Sunday of the Last Judgment – Homily by Archpriest Symeon Lev
- What are you relying on?
- What do I truly treasure?
- By The Waters Of Babylon Psalm 137 – Recording and Father Seraphim Rose Homily
- Open To Me The Gates Of Repentance – Song & Lyrics
- Open To Me The Gates of Repentance – Ancient Faith- Homily on Pharisee & Publican – Father Patrick Reardon
- Taking the Lenten Journey – Ancient Faith – Father Ted Paraskevopoulos
- Psalm 137 – Ancient Faith – Father Thomas Hopko
- Pharisee & Publican – Triodion Synaxarion Reading
- Pre-Lent – OCA Faith Series – Volume II Worship – The Church Year
Zacchaeus Sunday
- The Sunday of Zacchaeus – Homily by Father Alexander Schmemann
- Zacchaeus Homily Feb 4th – Prologue of Ohrid – St. Nikolai Velmirovich
- What does Zacchaeus have to teach us about repentance – St. Nikolai Velimirovic
- 2018 Homily Zaccheus Sunday – Holy Cross Monastery Abbot Seraphim
Publican & Pharisee
Adult Education Class Publican & Pharisee
- Triodion – CheeseFare Week – Themes Preparing Us For Great Lent
- The Danger of Judging Others – Father Luke Veronis
- Sunday of the Last Judgment – Homily by Archpriest Symeon Lev
- Revelation & Knowledge of God In Humility – Archimandrite Aimilianos
- What does the Triodion for this week Sunday of the Publican & Pharisee have to teach us?
- What is pride and how is it central to what separates us from God and each other?
- What are you relying on?
- Why is humility the ’mother of all virtues’ ?
- What do I truly treasure?
- What is the condition of my heart?
Prodigal Son
Sunday of Prodigal Son Adult Education Class
- Each of us has become our own Adam
- Triodion – Why do we fast? – Archbishop Kallistos Ware
- Triodion – CheeseFare Week – Themes Preparing Us For Great Lent
- Bearing the Shame of Confession – Extract from the book ‘Remember thy First Love’ by Archimandrite Zacharias Zacharou
- Sunday of the Last Judgment – Homily by Archpriest Symeon Lev
- Prodigal Son Adult Education Class – February 20th 2022
- Key Triodion Quotes / Messages from Sunday of Prodigal Son
- What does the elder son in the Prodigal Son parable have to teach us?
- Revelation & Knowledge of God In Humility – Archimandrite Aimilianos
- How does facing our shame in confession enhance our repentance
Sunday of the Last Judgement
Sunday of Last Judgment Adult Education Class
- Triodion – CheeseFare Week – Themes Preparing Us For Great Lent
- Sunday of Last Judgement Adult Education Class
- A Sensitive & Loving Heart
- The Danger of Judging Others – Father Luke Veronis
- Last Judgment – Father Alexander Schmemann from his book ’Great Lent’
- Sunday of the Last Judgment – Homily by Archpriest Symeon Lev
- Orthodox Saints on Repentance
Forgiveness Sunday
Expulsion of Adam from Paradise / Forgiveness Sunday Class
- Adam’s Expulsion From Paradise & Forgiveness Sunday Adult Education Class
- Adam’s Lament – Saint Silouan of Mt Athos
- What is the meaning of Forgiveness Sunday?
- How can the lesson of Adam help me accept my sinfulness before God; not justify it?
- What does Adam have to teach us about spiritual rebirth?
Sunday of Orthodoxy
Sunday of Orthodoxy Adult Education Class
- Sunday of Orthodoxy Adult Education Class
- Become a Living Icon: Homily for Sunday of Orthodoxy
- Beginning of Great Lent 2022
- The Death of Christ & the Life of Man
Second Sunday of Lent – St. Gregory Palamas
Second Sunday of Lent Adult Education Class
- 2nd Sunday of Lent Adult Education Class
- How essential is prayer?
- St. Gregory Palamas and the Healing of our Paralysis – Second Sunday of Lent
- On the subject of the Paralyzed Man – Homily by St. Gregory Palamas
- Finding Our True Selves in Christ
- St Gregory Palamas – 2nd Sunday of Lent
- Triodion Reflections – Tuesday in the Second Week
- Get Real for Lent – Father Stephen Freeman
Feast of the Annunciation
- 3rd Sunday Of Lent Adult Education Class – Annunciation with the Cross
- How to Say Yes to God: Homily for the Feast of the Annunciation
- The Annunciation & Our Conciliar Salvation
- What does the Annunciation teach us about a grateful heart?
Third Sunday of Lent – Veneration of the Holy Cross
Third Sunday of Lent – Annunciation with the Cross – Adult Education Class
- Hopko on the Cross of Christ
- 3rd Sunday Of Lent Adult Education Class – Annunciation with the Cross
- Surrender Ourselves To God’s Grace – Archimandrite Aimilianos
- 3rd Sunday Of Lent Veneration of the Cross
- Glorifying What Is Not Of This World – The Kingdom Of God Through The Divine Sign Of The Cross In Our Hearts
Fourth Sunday of Lent – St. John Climacus
Fourth Sunday of Lent Adult Education Class
- 4th Sunday of Lent – ‘Lord I Believe; Help My Unbelief’ Adult Education Class
- “Lord I Believe ; Help My Unbelief”- Homily for 4th Sunday of Lent
- Finding ‘God With Us’
- Part I & II in the Steps of the Ladder of Divine Ascent
- Who is St. John Climacus and what is ’The Ladder of Divine Ascent’?
Fifth Sunday of Lent – St. Mary of Egypt
Fifth Sunday of Lent Adult Education Class
- The Essence of the Passions
- Fifth Sunday Of Lent Adult Education Class
- Preview Next Weekend – Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday
- Humble Repentance or Paralyzing Guilt – Homily Fifth Sunday of Lent
- Great Lent And The Mystery of the Cross & Resurrection – Short Reflection
- Putting All of the Fifth Week of Lent Together – Father Thomas Hopko
- Why is the Great Canon done in its entirety in the 5th week of Lent
- St. Symeon the New Theologian – His Lessons on Humility & Joyful Sorrow
Lazarus Saturday & Palm Sunday
- The Victory of the Cross – By Father Dumitru Staniloae
- Fifth Sunday Of Lent Adult Education Class
- Preview Next Weekend – Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday
St John’s Adult Education 