wfn.org | [GOAA] Encyclical of Archbishop Demetrios for 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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