Showing posts with label Great Lent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Lent. Show all posts

Friday, March 10, 2017

Fraction Prayers (Coptic)

Fraction Prayers to the Father during the Great Lent:

O Master, Lord God the Pantocrator, who sent His Only-Begotten Son into the world; He taught us the Law and commandments written in the Holy Gospel. 
And He taught us that fasting and prayer cast out demons, when He said, "This kind cannot come out by anything, but by prayer and fasting." 
Fasting and prayer are those which raised Elijah to heaven and saved Daniel from the lions´ den. 
Fasting and prayer are those which Moses pursued until he received the Law and Commandments written with the finger of God. 
Fasting and prayer are those which the people of Nineveh pursued until God had mercy on them and forgave them their sins, and lifted His wrath away from them. 
Fasting and prayer are those which the prophets pursued, and prophesied concerning the advent of Christ many generations before His coming. 
Fasting and prayer are those which the apostles pursued, until they preached to all nations and made them Christians, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 
Fasting and prayer are those which the martyrs pursued until they shed their blood for the Name of Christ, who confessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate. 
Fasting and prayer are those which the righteous and the just and the cross-bearers pursued until they dwelt in the mountains and deserts and holes of the earth because of their great love for Christ the King. 
And we too, let us fast from all evil, in purity and righteousness, and let us proceed forth to this Holy Sacrifice and partake of it with thanksgiving, so that with a pure heart, an enlightened soul, an unashamed face, a faith unfeigned, a perfect love, and a firm hope,
we may dare with boldness, without fear, to pray to You, O God, the Holy Father, who are in the heavens, and say, "Our Father ..."

Sunday, March 5, 2017

As We Progress though the Great Lent

"Vices sometimes have an appearance of a sort of pleasure, or, as the holy fathers say, they bring people ephemeral pleasure. But in the final analysis, this all turns into disasters, sorrows, and pain for people. Thus, embarking on the path of virtues means embarking upon the path that leads us to a happy life; and walking the path of sin means walking right into trials, sorrows, and misfortune. Therefore, those who over the course of these past seven days have made the decision to change their lives from sinful to virtuous have made the right decision. But those who have not made that decision, especially with regard to certain more painful vices, should make that decision over the course of Great Lent."

-H.H Patriarch Kirill