Happy Lent!

  • Thread starter Thread starter bpbasilphx
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
B

bpbasilphx

Guest
On another forum, someone asked if others found Lent to be gloomy.

Here’s my reply. I was intending to post something like this here anyway.
Oh, heavens, no!

As Fr. Alexander Schmemann put it, Lent is a time of “bright sadness” and “joyful mourning.”

In the Byzantine Tradition, the Tridion (Book for Pre-Lent and Lent) is full of texts to the effect, “Oh, goody, goody, goody! Lent’s coming!”

And then on Pure Monday (when Eastern Lent begins), we sing, “Let us begin the fast with joy!” And another: “The Lenten spring has come. The flower of repentance begins to open.”

In our tradition, the most beautiful services, especially the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, are reserved for Great Lent!

Hooray! It’s Lent!
 
bpbasilphx said:
On another forum, someone asked if others found Lent to be gloomy.

Here’s my reply. I was intending to post something like this here anyway.
Oh, heavens, no!

As Fr. Alexander Schmemann put it, Lent is a time of “bright sadness” and “joyful mourning.”

In the Byzantine Tradition, the Tridion (Book for Pre-Lent and Lent) is full of texts to the effect, “Oh, goody, goody, goody! Lent’s coming!”

And then on Pure Monday (when Eastern Lent begins), we sing, “Let us begin the fast with joy!” And another: “The Lenten spring has come. The flower of repentance begins to open.”

In our tradition, the most beautiful services, especially the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, are reserved for Great Lent!

Hooray! It’s Lent!
Click to expand...
👍👍👍

It’s an opportunity to come closer to God! That should be a happy time. And remember…don’t fast and gives alms with a gloomy face…that’s what the hypocrites do. Who said that??? 😃
 
I remember growing up in my mothers house, Lent fasting lasted for 40 days and we would attend Chuch at every Mass and especially during the Holy Week, were were there at all times.

And then on Holy Saturday, we would attend midnight Mass and then we would go home with our candles still lit, to a specific meal mom had already prepared.

Nothing too heavy because Easter Sunday would be the Feast… 😃

For 40 days all we ate was fruit, veggies and fish type seafood meals which mom called “Lenten” foods.

All were meatless, no butter, no eggs, no cheese, no fat, no sweets… you get it.

It was all fruits, veggies and seafood. Even as a kid I didn’t think anything of it like it was “gloomy” or anything like that.

Nice thread! 👍
 
jakasaki said:
I remember growing up in my mothers house, Lent fasting lasted for 40 days and we would attend Chuch at every Mass and especially during the Holy Week, were were there at all times.

And then on Holy Saturday, we would attend midnight Mass and then we would go home with our candles still lit, to a specific meal mom had already prepared.

Nothing too heavy because Easter Sunday would be the Feast… 😃

For 40 days all we ate was fruit, veggies and fish type seafood meals which mom called “Lenten” foods.

All were meatless, no butter, no eggs, no cheese, no fat, no sweets… you get it.

It was all fruits, veggies and seafood. Even as a kid I didn’t think anything of it like it was “gloomy” or anything like that.

Nice thread! 👍
Click to expand...
That’s funny…we just had noodles and broccolli (sp) for supper before Mass. Friday I would love to suffer through broiled lobster tails…but I’m working the evening shift and will settle for a tuna sandwich! 😃
 
That’s right; Lent really isn’t a gloomy occasion (aside from a few hunger pangs now and then, that is). I think it’s a great season, a wonderful chance to purify yourself before God.
A very joyful and blessed Lent to you all.
 
spn82756 said:
That’s funny…we just had noodles and broccolli (sp) for supper before Mass. Friday I would love to suffer through broiled lobster tails…but I’m working the evening shift and will settle for a tuna sandwich! 😃
Click to expand...
But was it “gloomy” for you, as a kid and also growing up?

For me it wasn’t. I just want to know how was it for you?

Hugs! :o
 
Silyosha said:
That’s right; Lent really isn’t a gloomy occasion (aside from a few hunger pangs now and then, that is). I think it’s a great season, a wonderful chance to purify yourself before God.
A very joyful and blessed Lent to you all.
Click to expand...
Yes indeed and same to you and yours! 👍
 
I just watched a video today of a priest talking about Lent… his greeting was “happy lent” and he was talking about how Lent isn’t gloomy. It was a good video, but I can’t find it anymore. Happy Lent 👍
 
jakasaki said:
But was it “gloomy” for you, as a kid and also growing up?

For me it wasn’t. I just want to know how was it for you?

Hugs! :o
Click to expand...
Hmmmm…I went to Catholic School through 3rd grade. And every Friday was for eating fish. So…I knew nothing else until they changed the “rules”.

Now…being hard core Portuguese I really don’t mind fish at all…so it wasn’t too bad.

Hugs to you too my dear friend
Steve
 
“Let us begin the fast with joy!”
bpbasilphx said:
As Fr. Alexander Schmemann put it, Lent is a time of “bright sadness” and “joyful mourning.”…

In our tradition, the most beautiful services, especially the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts, are reserved for Great Lent!

Hooray! It’s Lent!
Click to expand...
AMEN!

I think our services in Great Lent are an incredible gift and fundamnetal to the joy in the East, often found less in the West. Not to say we do not also have a great focus on an awareness of our sinfulness and on actively beseaching God’s mercy. As always there is the great both/and going on in such a perfect way.

Heading out now for Compline and Canon 👍
 
bpbasilphx said:
As Fr. Alexander Schmemann put it, Lent is a time of “bright sadness” and “joyful mourning.”
Click to expand...
Apropos “bright sadness” Holy Trinity in San Francisco made a CD called “Bright Sadness Orthodox Christian Rite of Burial” which if a wonderful CD. It was given to me and I’ve tried to find other copies without success, although their bookstore may have it. I don’t know of other CDs of the Panikhida in English.
 
I’m glad I found this forum! I’m a Latin rite Catholic, and I follow the proscriptions against meat on Fridays in Lent. By choice, I also don’t eat meat on Wednesdays during Lent. This year, I was thinking about cutting out eggs and dairy products as well on Fridays, and my first thought was, “What am I going to eat?”

But anyway, have a happy Lent everyone!

O Lord and Master of my life,
Grant not unto me a spirit of idleness,
of discouragement,
of lust for power,
and of vain speaking.

But bestow upon me, Thy servant,
the spirit of chastity,
of meekness,
of patience,
and of love.

Yea, O Lord and King,
grant that I may perceive
my own transgressions,
and judge not my brother,
for blessed art Thou
unto ages of ages.
Amen
 
I really love Lent Too! Prayer, fasting, and giving alms. It brings us closer to God. It makes us better human beings.
 
I love Lent, for me it not just about removing things and fasting it is also about adding. Last year and this year I am doing it too, I give up listening to my regular secular music on my drive to work and I have started listening to pray-as-you-go podcast (this year and last), liturgy of the hours morning pray(this year) and I have discovered some great catholic musicians (spiritandsong.com). Last year I kept Wednesday as my “praise and worship” day when I replaced my regular music with the podcast and gospel.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top