THE SUNDAYS OF GREAT LENT

Each Sunday of Great Lent has two themes, two meanings. On the one hand, each Sunday is part of a continuous journey in which the rhythm and spiritual "dialectic" of Great Lent are revealed. On the other hand, due to the historical development of the Church, almost every Sunday of Lent has acquired a second theme.

Thus, on the First Sunday of Lent, the Church celebrates the Triumph of Orthodoxy.

On the Second Sunday, dedicated to Saint Gregory Palamas, we celebrate the condemnation of his opponents and the defense of his teachings, which is considered a second Triumph of Orthodoxy.

The Third Sunday is dedicated to the Veneration of the Holy Cross.

The Fourth Sunday honors Saint John of the Ladder.

The Fifth Sunday commemorates Saint Mary of Egypt.

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT (Sunday of Orthodoxy)

The first Sunday of Lent is called the Sunday of Orthodoxy because, on this day, we celebrate the restoration of the Holy Icons and the triumph of our Orthodox faith over the heresy of the Iconoclasts—those who refused to venerate holy icons and accused such veneration of being idolatry. This conflict lasted for more than 100 years until Empress Theodora and her son Michael ended it by restoring the icons in the churches.

We commemorate this restoration with processions of the icons on this day because we, as Orthodox Christians, honor and glorify the Saints and Angels, and above all, the Most Holy Theotokos. However, we offer worship only to the Triune God—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Worship is distinct from honor and veneration, which are not directed toward the material icon itself but rather pass through it to the prototype it represents, that is, the person depicted.

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

On this day, we commemorate Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, who was a foremost teacher of Orthodox doctrine, an invincible opponent of false teachings, and a preacher of divine grace. The grace of God, as an energy for the salvation of humankind, is uncreated. This uncreated grace can only be experienced and lived, just as one can sense and live in the presence of a holy elder. The grace of God reaches humanity through the Mysteries (Sacraments) of the Church, but it also seeks a response from us; only then does it become active and bear fruit.

Saint Gregory was raised in the imperial court of Constantinople, where he received an excellent education before choosing to live an ascetic life on Mount Athos. He participated in the Councils held in Constantinople in 1341 against Barlaam and in 1347 against Barlaam’s supporter, Akindynos. In these councils, he valiantly defended Orthodoxy. In 1346, he was appointed Archbishop of Thessalonica, a position he held for 13 years. He reposed in the Lord in 1359 at the age of 63, leaving behind numerous writings. His sacred relics are preserved in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Thessalonica. The Church honors him on this second Sunday as a continuation and extension of the previous one, as a kind of "Second Sunday of Orthodoxy," since his victory over the heretical doctrines of the West was regarded as equivalent to the victory over the Iconoclasts.

THIRD SUNDAY OF LENT (Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross)

On this Sunday, which falls at the midpoint of Lent, the Church presents the veneration of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross. As the physical exhaustion of fasting begins to weigh upon us and difficulties increase, the Holy Church places before us, at the halfway point of our Lenten journey, the Most Holy Cross as our help, the joy of the world, the strength of the faithful, and the hope of sinners. By venerating the Precious Cross, we receive grace and strength to continue and complete the fast, chanting:

"We venerate Your Cross, O Master, and we glorify Your holy Resurrection."

Whoever does not seek and feel the power of the Holy Cross, unfortunately, becomes a victim of deception. On the other hand, those who do recognize its power wear the Cross on their chest, make the sign of the Cross correctly, and do not fall into the temptation of seeking help from mediums, magicians, or anyone promising "salvation and deliverance" by means other than those prescribed by Christ and His Church.

The scheduling of this feast may have been influenced by the commemoration of the discovery of the Holy Cross, recorded in the Menaia on March 6. According to the Typikon of Saint Sabbas, the veneration of the Holy Cross is not limited to Sunday but continues on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of the following week.

FOURTH SUNDAY OF LENT

Today, we commemorate Saint John Climacus, author of The Ladder of Divine Ascent, who was a preacher of repentance and fasting. Born in Palestine around 523, he dedicated himself to ascetic struggles from a young age. He became the abbot of the Monastery of Sinai and wrote The Ladder, a work consisting of thirty chapters, each dedicated to a particular virtue, arranged from the easiest to the most difficult, guiding the reader toward spiritual perfection. Because of this structure, the work was named The Ladder of Virtues. He reposed in 603.

Although his feast day is March 30, the Church commemorates him again on this Fourth Sunday of Lent to present an example of a person, like us, who through ascetic struggle reached great spiritual heights. More importantly, Saint John is honored at this time because, after the three major Sundays of Lent—which establish the doctrinal foundations of our faith and ensure the correct worship of God—and after the strengthening presence of the Holy Cross, this fourth Sunday introduces another crucial aspect: the methodological instruction for spiritual renewal. The Ladder provides the theological foundation for inner transformation, achieved through the ascetic and penitential life described in his book. This is why The Ladder is read in monasteries during this period.

Starting tomorrow, Monday, the fifth week of Lent begins, marking the liturgical climax of the Lenten season. This week bears the burden of the final stretch, as the Great and Holy Week follows with its dense schedule of long services, morning and evening.

With great wisdom, the Holy Fathers added two special services to this week:

On Thursday, the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete, and

On Saturday, the Akathist Hymn.

This arrangement provides a brief liturgical and spiritual respite before entering Great and Holy Week fully prepared.

FIFTH SUNDAY OF LENT

On this Sunday, we honor Saint Mary of Egypt, who, although officially commemorated on April 1, is presented today as an inspiration for sinners and the spiritually sluggish to repentance. At the age of twelve, Mary began living a life of debauchery. When she was twenty-nine, she traveled to Jerusalem to venerate the Holy Cross but found herself unable to enter the church. She felt an unseen force preventing her. Realizing her sinfulness, she repented and vowed to change her life. With the help of the Theotokos, she was finally able to venerate the Holy Cross. She then withdrew into the desert beyond the Jordan, where she lived for forty-seven years—seventeen in severe struggles and temptations, and the remaining thirty as a celestial being on earth.

What we know about her comes from Saint Zosimas, who encountered her in the forty-sixth year of her solitude. The following year, he gave her Holy Communion, and soon after, he found her lifeless body with a message inscribed in the sand:

"Abba Zosimas, bury here the body of the wretched Mary. I died on the very day I received the Immaculate Mysteries. Pray for me."

Saint Mary of Egypt, along with Saint Pelagia, Saint Moses the Ethiopian, Saint Augustine, and others, stands as a living testament to the transformative power of repentance. Let us not despair, for by the grace of God, we too can become as pure as angels—if only we repent, as Saint Mary did.