Greek Orthodox Christians Prepare for Lent

Geoffrey Orens

February 9, 2004

For communicants at the ornate Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, February brings the holy season of Lent -- a time of fasting, prayer, and self-reflection -- in preparation for Easter, when the church celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.

Orthodox Christians celebrate Lent, the 40 days during which Christians take stock of their lives and relationships, in various ways. In the Russian Orthodox Church, priests perform Lenten services behind large icons known as the iconostasis away from the view of the congregation. In such churches as the Armenian and Assyrian churches, priests conduct the entire service behind a massive curtain and communion is not given.

In all Orthodox bodies priests prescribe fasting from meat during Lent as well as complete fasting is recommended on Wednesdays and Fridays. Some in the church also recommend abstaining from dancing, movies, alcohol, and sex. For most communicants at Holy Trinity, Lent also provides an opportunity for introspection.

"Fasting is actually the least important part," said Olga, an employee at the Holy Trinity bookstore. "The most important thing is to look within and see what needs to be worked on there."

The primary teachings of Lent in the Greek Orthodox Church reflect the Christian faith: humility, desire for God, returning from spiritual exile, remembering the dead and forgiveness. Parishioners hear these teachings in the Gospel readings, chanted in Greek every Sunday.

On the first Sunday in Lent the Gospel tells the story of Zacchaeus, a man called sinful in the Gospels, yet who wanted to see Jesus so much he climbed a tree. On the third Sunday worshippers hear Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, who left home with his inheritance only to lose it all recklessly and return home asking for and receiving forgiveness.

"In these stories and parables our Lord teaches us themes of penitence, renunciation, forgiveness, and self-knowledge," the dean of the cathedral, Father Roger Stephanopoulos, said in a slight Greek accent. "Themes of looking into ourselves to discover if there is anything there to offer to the Lord." According to Stephanopoulous, a white bearded man who is the father of former Clinton White House advisor George Stephanopoulos, Lent is also period where good and charitable works should be done.

During this holy month, the Greek Orthodox Church uses readings from the Old Testament books of Genesis, Isaiah, and Proverbs. Communicants also use a special liturgical book -- The Lenten Triordan. It consists of Lenten hymns and biblical readings for each day of the holy month. During weekday services, priests read a prayer twice by St. Ephrem the Syrian at the end of the ceremony. The church considers the prayer so central to Lent that it has been dubbed "the Lenten prayer." After each reading of the prayer congregants prostrate. They bow twelve times at its conclusion.

During a Lenten week Greek Orthodox worshippers and clergy are forbidden to celebrate their common service or give communion. However, communion is given on Wednesday and Friday evenings at special services. A prayer group led by Stephanopoulos meets every Thursday to discuss questions that have arisen during the season.

"While I try to abstain from meat and wine during Lent, I'm not going to deny that I occasionally will indulge," Olga said. "But that really is minor. That's the external. The most important thing is that I fast from negative things inside. Father Roger is very clear about this."

According to Stephanopoulous and Olga, one focuses on the inner self through a combination of reflection, prayer and wisdom. Stephanopoulous aid in his sermon that Lent brings with it a great opportunity to clearly see the holes that communicants have dug themselves into every day.

"Follow the teachings of Christ," he implored his congregation, "stop digging and follow in his way."

According to some Eastern theologians, Lent should be viewed as a spiritual journey to the time before Jesus' death.

It is a time, Stephanopoulous said, "to recognize that we are indeed in alienation, in spiritual exile of our Lord. Only by faith and by searching and by effort and by vast recognition of ourselves can we return."

Priests hope church attendance increases during Lent, especially during the first and last weeks. In the first week priests tell communicants that increased attendance of church services will place the parishioner in the "Lenten mood."

Stephanopoulous asked his congregation on this Sunday to look at their lives and see where they had gone astray from Jesus' messages. He noted that through this process, "we can enter into creation of the holy for which we were intended."

(Updated April 24, 2004)