Great Lent & Passion Week

16 / 29 January
Tone VIII

Sunday of Zacchaeus

• On Zacchaeus - A homily by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh.

23 January / 5 February
Tone I

Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee

• 'Not like other men' - A reflection on the Gospel reading of the Publican & Pharisee and its application to the spiritual journey leading into Lent, particularly with regard to judgement.
• Homily by St Cyril of Alexandria on the Publican and the Pharisee - A homily by the saint on the day as revealing a single-minded virtue all Christians must obtain.
• Discourse of St Gregory Palamas on the Publican and the Pharisee.
• NOTE: In the week following the Sunday of the Publican & Pharisee, there is no fasting on any day, in remembrance of the Publican who was saved through his humility.

30 January / 12 February
Tone II

Sunday of the Prodigal Son

• Triodion hymns for the Prodigal Son - The hymns and texts from the Triodion for the services of this Sunday.
• Homily by St Cyril of Alexandria on the Prodigal Son.
• 'All to no purpose have I left my true home' - A reflection on the hymongraphy and meaning of the Sunday of the Prodigal Son as an entrance into Great Lent.
• The spirit of exile and the sin of man - A new reflection for this Lent, written in the past year, on the state of exile described in the account of the Prodigal Son, rather than a fall, as the Church's principal vision of man's sinful condition.
• NOTE: Normal fasting (i.e. on Wednesday and Friday) resumes this week; wine is permitted on both days, and fish on Friday

5 / 18 February (Sat)

Commemoration of the Departed

• Texts from the services for the departed - A collection of texts from the hymongraphy of the day dedicated to the universal commemorated of the dead, with a brief reflection.

6 / 19 February
Tone III

Sunday of the Last Judgement (Meat Fare)

• Triodion hymns for the Last Judgement - The hymns and texts from the Triodion for the services of this Sunday.
• On the Christian fear of God: the Last Judgement - Reflection upon the references to fear, judgement, wrath and expectation in the hymns and services of the Last Judgement, and the place of these in the Lenten preparation.
• NOTE: From the Sunday of the Last Judgement, no meat is eaten until Pascha. However, in the week following this Sunday, all other foods are allowed on every day of the week (i.e. normal fasting rules for Wednesdays and Fridays are relaxed).

• Commemoration of the Holy Ascetics

13 / 26 February
Tone IV

Forgiveness Sunday (Cheese Fare), which is properly the Sunday of the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise

• Forgiveness Sunday: At the threshold of the Fast - Reflections on the Sunday of Forgiveness, starting from the day's main commemoration—the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise—and investigating the interrelatedness of the theme of exile with the need for mutual forgiveness before beginning the Fast.
• The Rite of Mutual Forgiveness - The hymns and texts service of Evening Vespers on Sunday, including the forgiveness rite.
• Quotations from the Fathers on Forgiveness
• Fr Alexander Schmemann on Forgiveness Sunday: 'Neither will your Father forgive you...'
• NOTES: This is the final weekend on which we sing 'By the rivers of Babylon...' until next year; and it marks the final celebration of the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom until the Sunday of Palms. It is also the final day on which we eat milk, cheese, eggs, and other dairy products until Holy Pascha.

Beginning of Great Lent (Clean Week)

• Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete, pt. 1

15 / 28 February (Tue)

Tuesday in Clean Week

• Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete, pt. 2

16 / 29 February (Wed)

Wednesday in Clean Week

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts
  Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete, pt. 3

17 February / 1 March (Thu)

Thursday in Clean Week

• Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete, pt. 4

18 February / 2 March (Fri)

Friday in Clean Week

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts
• Small Compline with Akathist (chairetismoi)
• Canon of the Great-Martyr Theodore

20 February / 4 March (Sun)
Tone V

Sunday of the Triumph of Orthodoxy

• 'Farewell homily' bt St Tikhon of Moscow, on the Sunday of Orthodoxy, 1907 - A new translation of St Tikhon's final sermon in America, given on the Triumph of Orthodoxy.
• Service of the Triumph of Orthodoxy - The text of the service commemoration the restoration of the holy icons, including the anathemas, memory eternal, and many years.
• Homily on the Triumph of Orthodoxy by St Tikhon - A sermon by St Tikhon the New-Confessor on the Triumph of Orthodoxy and the missionary zeal to which it calls every member of the faithful.
• On the Holy Icons - A text by St Gregory Palamas on the holy icons, from his larger New Testament Decalogue.

23 February / 7 March (Wed)

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts

• Commemoration of the Second Finding of the Precious Head of St John the Forerunner and Baptist

25 February / 9 March (Fri)

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts
• Small Compline with Akathist (chairetismoi)

26 February / 10 March (Sat)

• Commemoration of the Departed (see text for first Saturday of the Departed)

27 February / 11 March (Sun)
Tone VI

Sunday of St Gregory Palamas

• New for 2012: Reading from the Synaxarion for St Gregory Sunday - The reading of the Saint's Life from the service books.
• St Gregory Palamas: Knowledge, Prayer & Vision - A study of the theology of St Gregory, one of the Church's greatest expositors of hesychast spirituality.
• St Gregory Palamas: An Historical Overview - A study of the historical activities of St Gregory's life, with a thorough timeline.
• New for 2012: A brief overview of the place of St Gregory Palamas in the cycle of Lenten commemorations - drawn from the Church books.

1 / 14 March (Wed)

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts

3 / 16 March (Fri)

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts
• Small Compline with Akathist (chairetismoi)

5 / 17 March (Sat)

• Commemoration of the Departed (see text for first Saturday of the Departed)

5 / 18 March (Sun)
Tone VII

Sunday of the Adoration of the Precious Cross

• Hymns on the Adoration of the Cross - A selection of texts from the hymnography for the day.
• New for 2012: Homily on the Sunday of the Cross by Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh - tying together themes of universal forgiveness and an entry into the life of Christ.

8 / 21 March (Wed)

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts

• Commemoration of the Holy 40 Martyrs of Sebaste

10 March / 23 March (Fri)

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts
• Small Compline with Akathist (chairetismoi)

11 March / 24 March (Sat)

• Commemoration of the Departed (see text for first Saturday of the Departed)

12 March / 25 March (Sun)
Tone VIII

Sunday of St John Klimakos (John of the Ladder)

• St John Klimakos: On repentance that leads to joy - A glimpse into St John's Ladder of Divine Ascent, and especially his teaching on joy-creating sorrow and its place in the ascetic life of the Church.

15 March / 28 March (Wed)

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts (AM)
• Matins (PM) with Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete (Full); reading of the Life of St Mary of Egypt

17 March / 30 March (Fri)

Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts
• Matins (PM) with Akathist to Mother of God (Full)

18 March / 31 March (Sat)

• Saturday of the Akathist Hymn (service generally done on Friday evening, as above)

19 March / 1 April (Sun)
Tone I

Sunday of St Mary of Egypt

• The Life of St Mary of Egypt - St Sophronius' Life of St Mary, the great desert ascetic and example of true repentance, to whose memory the Sunday of the fifth week of Lent is dedicated; also includes additional information on the saint.

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts

24 March / 6 April (Fri)

• Hours and Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts
• All-Night Vigil for the Feast of the Annunciation (incorporating the hymnography of Matins (PM) for Lazarus Saturday, otherwise served on this day)

25 March / 7 April (Sat)

Feast of the Annunciation to the Theotokos, combined in 2012 with Lazarus Saturday

• Kontakion on the raising of St Lazarus - The great Hymn of St Romanos the Melodist on the raising of Lazarus—one of the most moving reflections upon Christ's gift of new life to His friend and to all the faithful, by tending to the 'tears of Mary and Martha'.

26 March / 8 April (Sun)

Festal Tones

The Entrance of Our Lord into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)

• About the services of Palm Sunday

• Matins (PM) of the Bridegroom