I want to go back for a moment, back to this past Sunday, the Sunday of Forgiveness. The Vesper service that evening is a beautiful beginning to the Lenten season. To actually come before our fellow church members and ask for forgiveness is a powerful and cleansing thing to do. But there is something that we may not be aware of about this service, usually because it doesn't always happen in a parish.
The Lenten Triodion, the Lenten service book of the Church, prescribes that the Easter Canon be sung quietly while the the faithful are exchanging the kiss of peace and offering forgiveness. It seems strange, no, that here as Great Lent has just begun, we are already hearing the words of the Canon sung at the Resurrection Service, the Matins of Pasha. But you see, that is the beauty of the Church. In her wisdom, she gives us a glimpse of the reward that will come at the end of this journey. It is as if we can look off in the distance and already see the hill of Golgatha, already see the blinding white light of the Resurrected Christ, already see His glorious Ascension into heaven. What a gift the Church gives to us to bolster our effort for the Lenten Season.
The whole season of Great Lent is a constant movement towards the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a step by step, day by day journey of making the effort to turn ourselves back to God. Hopefully we learn and realize how far we have strayed from God, the Church even our own spiritual lives. And we do this not to make ourselves guilty, but simple to know, so that we can make a new effort to get back to where we are supposed to be, under the shelter of His wings.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:6)
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