Cheesefare Sunday and Forgiveness Vespers

[Hesychios]

Sunday, February 6 of this year is Cheesefare Sunday, or “the expulsion of Adam from the Paradise of Bliss”. Byzantine-rite Catholics who are able will have dairy products and eggs this last day before Pascha Sunday, March 27, 2005.

Our Orthodox brothers and sisters will do the same on March 13, with Pascha on May 1.

Sunday evening is Forgiveness Vespers, and the beginning of Great Lent.** “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses…” Mark 6:14-15**

As part of the practice of Vespers this night we ask forgiveness of any and all we might have offended in any way, knowingly or unknowingly. This is an awesome and inspiring experience, we make full prostrations, ask forgiveness of each other and pray together.

** “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Rom 13:11**
*
Brothers and sisters,*
*Forgive me if I have offended you in any way, in my words or my actions, knowingly or unknowingly in the past even until this very moment.

Pray for me, a most unworthy sinner, that our Lord Almighty might have mercy upon my soul.

I freely forgive all, with unreserved love.

Michael, that sinner
*
"Let us begin the fast with joy! Let us prepare ourselves for spiritual efforts! Let us cleanse our soul and cleanse our flesh! Let us abstain from every passion as we abstain from food! Let us rejoice in virtues of the spirit and fulfill them in love! That we all may see the passion of Christ our God, and rejoice in spirit at the holy Pascha!"

 

[Edwin1961]

To My Brothers and Sisters on the CA Forums:

I to extend an hand in forgiveness, if Ihave offended anyone out of ignorance or anyother action.

And I accept anyone wishing to extend forgiveness for whatever you may have done toward me as well.

Michael, I senten my self to you for anything I may have written here on these Forums.

+++++++++++
This is an awesome time in the Byzantine Rite to attend a Forgiveness Sunday Vesper Prayer service. In our parish, we are having this directly after the Divine Liturgy today.

God IS with Us!
Edwin

 

[StMaryofEgypt]

Thanks for reminding everyone of this beautiful practice in the Eastern rite and Orthodox Churches. I only wish I had a Church nearby so I could attend Sunday of Forgiveness Vespers. It truly sets the tone of repentance for the Lenten season.

I too ask forgiveness for any offenses in thought, word or action either intentionally or unitentionally. And please pray for me, a poor sinner.

In His mercy,
Marie

 

[puzzleannie]

if I haven’t said so before, thank you to all our Eastern Rite brethren, and also to our comrades in Christ in the Orthodox churches, for sharing your practices and traditions on this site. did not know eggs were forbidden fare in Lent, could that be one of the reasons Easter eggs became a popular symbol and food?

 

[Mickey]

StMaryofEgypt:

Thanks for reminding everyone of this beautiful practice in the Eastern rite and Orthodox Churches. It truly sets the tone of repentance for the Lenten season.

I too ask forgiveness for any offenses in thought, word or action either intentionally or unitentionally. And please pray for me, a poor sinner.

I also ask forgiveness from all I have offended on this forum in thought, word or deed whether intentionally or unintentionally. I am a wretched sinner.

 

[mtr01]

puzzleannie:

if I haven’t said so before, thank you to all our Eastern Rite brethren, and also to our comrades in Christ in the Orthodox churches, for sharing your practices and traditions on this site. did not know eggs were forbidden fare in Lent, could that be one of the reasons Easter eggs became a popular symbol and food?

I agree with annie. This is a beautiful tradition, and in the same spirit I would also like to beg forgiveness of those that I have intentionally or unintentionally offended here (I hope it is not inappropriate for me to do so).

I also have a question. I attended my first Byzantine (Ruthenian) Divine Liturgy a week ago lasst Sunday, which was Meatfare Sunday. Since I am a babe in my knowledge of the Eastern Churches, is this pretty much the same as was described concerning Cheesfare Sunday (except concerning meat, of course)?

 

[Mickey]

mtr01:

I
I also have a question. I attended my first Byzantine (Ruthenian) Divine Liturgy a week ago lasst Sunday, which was Meatfare Sunday. Since I am a babe in my knowledge of the Eastern Churches, is this pretty much the same as was described concerning Cheesfare Sunday (except concerning meat, of course)?

The parable of the Publican and Pharisee is taken from St. Luke and its central theme is a lesson in humility and its spiritual benefits. The next Sunday, we hear the parable of the Prodigal Son from St. Luke, which presents us with a comprehensive, step by step, unfolding of the process of repentance and confession. The period then moves on to THE MEATFARE SUNDAY, otherwise know as the SUNDAY OF THE LAST JUDGMENT. Meatfare (apokrea) because that is supposed to be the last day of meat until Pascha. The last judgement because the gospel lesson from St. Matthew speaks about the events of the day of judgement as they will be determined by our use or abuse of Christian love. The last Sunday of the pre-Lenten period is known as CHEESEFARE SUNDAY, the last day for dairy products until Pascha. However, the real theme of this Sunday is **FORGIVENESS **as the gospel from St. Matthew reminds us.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Lent offically started for us Byzantines with Forgiveness Vespers. We do not have Ash Wednesday. This Wednesday will be the first Presanctified Liturgy.

I also wish to beg forgivness from any and all I may have offended knowingly and unknowingly and also please know that I freely forgive.

 

[Edwin1961]

Mickey:

The parable of the Publican and Pharisee is taken from St. Luke and its central theme is a lesson in humility and its spiritual benefits. The next Sunday, we hear the parable of the Prodigal Son from St. Luke, which presents us with a comprehensive, step by step, unfolding of the process of repentance and confession. The period then moves on to THE MEATFARE SUNDAY, otherwise know as the SUNDAY OF THE LAST JUDGMENT. Meatfare (apokrea) because that is supposed to be the last day of meat until Pascha. The last judgement because the gospel lesson from St. Matthew speaks about the events of the day of judgement as they will be determined by our use or abuse of Christian love. The last Sunday of the pre-Lenten period is known as CHEESEFARE SUNDAY, the last day for dairy products until Pascha. However, the real theme of this Sunday is **FORGIVENESS **as the gospel from St. Matthew reminds us.

Yet, this year we skipped ZACCHEUS SUNDAY (because the 40 day celebration of Christmas ran into the preparation for the Great Fast). Usually Zaccheus Sunday reminds us that Christ wants us to come to Him to be born anew in spirit. Each of the Five Pre-Lenten Sunday helps us get ready for the Great Fast which we are Now in.

God IS with Us!
Edwin

Forgiveness Sunday is something that HAS to be experienced and is the most beautiful Vespers that I have ever experienced. It’s been my third one.

 

[Mickey]

Edwin1961:

Yet, this year we skipped ZACCHEUS SUNDAY (because the 40 day celebration of Christmas ran into the preparation for the Great Fast). Usually Zaccheus Sunday reminds us that Christ wants us to come to Him to be born anew in spirit. Each of the Five Pre-Lenten Sunday helps us get ready for the Great Fast which we are Now in.

God IS with Us!
Edwin

Forgiveness Sunday is something that HAS to be experienced and is the most beautiful Vespers that I have ever experienced. It’s been my third one.

Good point Edwin. I forgot about Skipping Zaccheus Sunday this year. And yes, Forgiveness Vespers is beyond description. It must be experienced!
Glory To Jesus Christ! Glory Forever!

 

[akemner]

did not know eggs were forbidden fare in Lent, could that be one of the reasons Easter eggs became a popular symbol and food?

No-it has little to do with the symbology of the egg. Lenten fasting has been since the times of the apostles very strict (as well as Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year). Lenten Abstainence comprises of abstainence from meat (anything with a backbone-including fish), animal products (milk, cheese, eggs), alcohol, sex, and oil (nothing fried or flavored with olive oil). In monasteries and stricter communities (like Russian Old Ritualist groups), there are prohibitions against cooking food on certain days (like the first five days of the Great Fast).

Lent is about repentance and conversion-returning to the life that God wants us to have, and for which we were created. This means fasting on all levels-not only dietary prescriptions, but also from the passions and hatred. We must empty ourselves and love one another. So fasting is just not abstainence-it is also prayer, and almsgiving. So this is a time not pray more-both in private and in the Church, as well as pay closer attention to the needs of others.

The hymns of the Church teach us:

O faithful, while fasting bodily, let us also fast in spirit. Let us loosen every bond of injustice; let us tear apart the strong chains of violence; let us rip up all unjust assertions; let us give bread to the hungry and welcome the poor and homeless to our houses, that we may receive from Christ our God his great mercy.

Elijah ascended in the divine chariot of his virtues, and by his fasting he was carried to the heights of heaven in glory. Strive, O my humble soul, as he did, fast and shed all evil, malice, envy, and corrupting luxery so that you may be delivered from all eternal pain of death and cry out to Christ: O Lord, glory to you!
from Vespers of Wednesday of the First Week.

O Lord, grant repentance to me a sinner, for You wish to save your unworthy servant; I prostrate myself before You and implore your immense goodness: Humble my heart in this holy Fast, for in You alone I find refuge and compassion. Apostichon from Matins, Thursday of the First Week.

O, the power of the Cross! It has made self-denial flourish in the Church; it abolishes the intemperance of Adam in Paradise, which brought sin into the world; and it makes immortality gush forth for all, as another river in Eden. When You made the living water and the stream of blood flow from your side, you gave life to all the world. In this Fast, grant that we may taste your joy and sweetness, O God of Israel, the source of grace and mercy.
Stichera at Psalm 140-Vespers from Thrusday of the First Week.

In Christ,
Adam

 

[Elisavet]

The Orthodox do have the traditon of eggs being the last item eaten on Forgiveness Sunday and it is the first meal you eat. There is a saying “With an Egg I will coles my noth, and with an Egg I will open it.” The priests distributes blessed eggs that are dyed with a special bright red.

There are a traditional stories of eggs -

“After the Resurrection, St. Mary Magdalene went to Rome. Tradition teaches that when Mary first met the Roman emperor, Tiberius Caesar, she held a plain egg in her hand and greeted him with the words, “Christ is risen!” Tiberius exclaimed: “How can someone rise from the dead? This is hard to believe. It is just as likely that Christ rose from the dead as it is that the egg you are holding will turn red.” Even as he spoke, the egg turned a brilliant red! She then preached the good news of Jesus Christ to the emperor and the imperial household.”

“In Italy Mary Magdalene visited Emperor Tiberias (14-37 A.D.) and proclaimed to him Christ’s Resurrection. According to Tradition, she took him a red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection, a symbol of new life with the words: “Christ is Risen!” Then she told the emperor that in his Province of Judea the unjustly condemned Jesus the Galilean, a holy man, a miracleworker, powerful before God and all mankind, had been executed at the instigation of the Jewish High Priests, and the sentence confirmed by the procurator appointed by Tiberias, Pontius Pilate.”

There are other stories the Mary Magdalene had a basket of eggs that turned red when she said “Christ Is Risen!” before Tiberius. There are even stories that Mary the Theotokos (Mother of God) picked up the tear of Christ which became a red egg or that the Theotokos’ own tears became red eggs.

An egg can symbolize life and resurrection - only by breaking the egg will the life emerge.

Eggs have also been used to help catechumens visualize the Triune nature of God. St. Gregory of Nyssa used an apple to show the three parts of one whole when heretics said there must be three gods or the Trinity theology is false.

 

[jimmy]

Elisavet:

The Orthodox do have the traditon of eggs being the last item eaten on Forgiveness Sunday and it is the first meal you eat. There is a saying “With an Egg I will coles my noth, and with an Egg I will open it.” The priests distributes blessed eggs that are dyed with a special bright red.

There are a traditional stories of eggs -

“After the Resurrection, St. Mary Magdalene went to Rome. Tradition teaches that when Mary first met the Roman emperor, Tiberius Caesar, she held a plain egg in her hand and greeted him with the words, “Christ is risen!” Tiberius exclaimed: “How can someone rise from the dead? This is hard to believe. It is just as likely that Christ rose from the dead as it is that the egg you are holding will turn red.” Even as he spoke, the egg turned a brilliant red! She then preached the good news of Jesus Christ to the emperor and the imperial household.”

“In Italy Mary Magdalene visited Emperor Tiberias (14-37 A.D.) and proclaimed to him Christ’s Resurrection. According to Tradition, she took him a red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection, a symbol of new life with the words: “Christ is Risen!” Then she told the emperor that in his Province of Judea the unjustly condemned Jesus the Galilean, a holy man, a miracleworker, powerful before God and all mankind, had been executed at the instigation of the Jewish High Priests, and the sentence confirmed by the procurator appointed by Tiberias, Pontius Pilate.”

There are other stories the Mary Magdalene had a basket of eggs that turned red when she said “Christ Is Risen!” before Tiberius. There are even stories that Mary the Theotokos (Mother of God) picked up the tear of Christ which became a red egg or that the Theotokos’ own tears became red eggs.

An egg can symbolize life and resurrection - only by breaking the egg will the life emerge.

Eggs have also been used to help catechumens visualize the Triune nature of God. St. Gregory of Nyssa used an apple to show the three parts of one whole when heretics said there must be three gods or the Trinity theology is false.

That is a beautiful tradition Elisavet.

 

[LilyM]

Edwin1961:

Yet, this year we skipped ZACCHEUS SUNDAY (because the 40 day celebration of Christmas ran into the preparation for the Great Fast).

You mean your Christmas celebrations run for 40 days? Where do I sign up to change rites?

Seriously, though, it sounds like a beautiful tradition, and I too would like to beg forgiveness of anyone I have knowingly or unknowingly hurt on these forums, and ask you to pray for me, for I too am a sinner. :bowdown2: :bowdown2: