Prayers During the Great Lent

“Make us worthy, O Lord God, by Your abundant grace, for the remission of sins and forgiveness of debts on this holy day which is the beginning of Your Holy Fast. Grant us with clean heart, to ask forgiveness from one another, and forgive one another, according to Your Teachings; so that by observing this Fast with purity, we may partake of Your Holy Mysteries in sincerity, our Lord and our God, forever.”

“O Lord, Lord of all, have mercy upon us. On whose door, but on Yours, shall we knock, O our compassionate Lord have mercy upon us. Like the sinful woman we cry out, and like the publican we entreat You, O Lord and Lord of all, have mercy upon us.”

“O love, how sweet you are, blessed be your tree! (Note 1) Wherever You are, there tranquility abounds. By You, our Lord entered Abraham’s home. By You, the priests approached the sanctuary and by You, the apostle Paul was crying and saying: Neither tribulation, nor tortures and persecutions shall separate me from the love of the Lord, Halleluiah. Blessed be He who gave it to us. Concerning love, Paul wrote, that nothing can compare with it. Blessed be he who attains it, for he shall behold the Lord. By, love Moses saw Him in the court. By love, the Church saw Him on the Cross. Behold, she offers Him glory day and night, Halleluiah, Halleluiah. The Son of God commands us, if your brother offends you, bear no enmity against him. Remember that you too have your faults. And just like him, you are need of forgiveness. Go therefore, be reconciled with your brother and be his friend, that both of you may cry, saying: Glory to You, O lord, Halleluiah, Halleluiah.”

Let us receive with joy, O faithful, the divinely inspired announcement of Lent. Like Nivevites of old, like harlots and publicans who heard John preaching repentance through abstinence, let us prepare for the Master’s communion performed in Zion. Let us wash ourselves with tears for its divine purification. Let us pray to behold the fulfillment of Pascha, the true Revelation. Let us prepare for adoring the Cross and Resurrection of Christ our God! Do not deprive us of our expectation, O Lover of Humankind.

Note 1: The tree means that the embodiment of real love manifested on the tree, the Cross, which is the culmination of the forty day lent and Passion-week.

See Also:

Lent - Resources

Excerpts from the Lent Evening Service - Syrian Orthodox Church

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