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Published by the
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America,
March 14, 2005
Encyclical of
Archbishop Demetrios for
Great and Holy Lent |
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Protocol 20/05
March 14, 2005
Great and Holy Lent
Come, let us enter the inner chamber of our soul
offering prayers to the Lord and crying aloud:
Our Father, who art in heaven, remit and forgive
our debts,
for You alone are compassionate.
(Matins Hymn of Tuesday in the First Week)
To the Most Reverend Hierarchs, the Reverend
Priests and Deacons, the Monks and Nuns, the
Presidents and Members of the Parish Councils of
the Greek Orthodox Communities, the Day,
Afternoon, and Church Schools, the Philoptochos
Sisterhoods, the Youth, the Hellenic
Organizations, and the entire Greek Orthodox
Family in America
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we begin the holy Lenten period, it is
important to affirm that we are entering a very
sacred time of the year that has tremendous
spiritual potential for our souls, our
relationship with God, and our life in His
Kingdom. Lent is not merely a chronological
marking of the days and weeks that lead to the
commemoration of the Feast of Feasts. It is a
gift, a spiritual treasure, a special opportunity
to direct our full attention to the cultivation of
the soul through repentance and prayer.
Over the past few weeks the commemorations of our
Holy Orthodox Church have guided our hearts and
minds in the way of repentance. We have been led
to contemplate the great mystery of God’s
forgiveness that is offered to anyone who calls
upon His mercy through sincere and humble prayers.
Through the parables and words of our Lord, we
have been asked to look within ourselves, to enter
into the “inner chamber of our souls,” to come to
ourselves as the Prodigal Son, and to recognize
the condition of our lives and our need for God’s
grace.
This act of self-examination, of coming to
ourselves, and our journey through Great Lent
leads us to the Cross, the place where our sins
are ultimately forgiven by Jesus Christ. Here, He
waits for us to return in repentance. He waits to
hear our humble cries that pour forth from our
souls. Our compassionate Lord is waiting to
embrace us at the end of a Lenten journey that
will guide us through confession, prayer, and
fasting to a blessed and saving union with Him.
At the beginning of Great Lent, therefore, we must
commit ourselves to the way of repentance. We must
use the powerful means given to us by God and His
Holy Church as means of opening our lives to Him,
asking Him for forgiveness, and attaining union
with Him. First, we are led to confession by the
act of entering into the chamber of our souls and
acknowledging our need for repentance. The Church
calls each one of us to the Sacrament of Holy
Confession so that we might receive the guidance
and assurance needed to turn from sin and return
to the Father. Second, Great Lent guides us in
regular and genuine prayer. Through personal
communion with Him and participation in the
services of the Church, God leads us from the
gates of repentance into the glory and blessings
of life in His Kingdom. It is through prayer that
we enter into the “inner chamber of our souls,”
see our need for salvation, and call upon His
compassion for forgiveness of our sins. Third, it
is also during Great Lent that a more intense
observance of the discipline of fasting helps us
in our journey of repentance. This gift is offered
to us by the Church to aid us in overcoming
temptation and the forces that seek to thwart us
from communion with God. Through repentance and
through these tremendous spiritual resources of
our faith, we can turn from sin and our desire for
what is earthly and temporal, and direct our souls
toward what is heavenly and eternal.
As we begin the unique spiritual journey of Great
Lent, I ask each of you to commit yourselves to
the way of repentance. Enter into the depths of
your soul and contemplate the condition and needs
of your life. Affirm your need for the grace of
God by returning to Him through repentance. Place
before your soul the Cross of our Lord, and
experience its redemptive power and God’s
transforming love. And may our good and gracious
God strengthen you in confession, prayer, and
fasting as we journey through Lent and all of life
toward eternal communion with Him.
With paternal love in Christ,
+DEMETRIOS
Archbishop of America
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