Our first parents did not fast from the tree of knowledge, as the Creator had commanded them. Because of their disobedience, they harvested the fruit of death, being banished from the Tree of Life and the delight of Paradise. Therefore, O faithful, let us fast from food that perishes and from the passions that destroy us, that we may reap life from the divine Cross, returning with the Good Thief to our ancient fatherland and receiving great mercy from Christ our God.

To You I have lifted up my eyes, to You who live in heaven. Behold: the eyes of the servants are turned to the hands of their masters, and the eyes of the maid-servants to the hands of their mistresses: thus do out eyes watch the Lord our God until He takes pity on us.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we have been filled with shame: our soul has been filled to overflowing. May scorn befall detractors, and humiliation come to the proud.

O wondrous martyrs, you renounced the good things of this life as you nobly endured your torments, and your hopes for blessedness were not in vain. You have received the Kingdom of Heaven as your inheritance. Since you have the power to intercede before our God who is so good, entreat Him to grant peace to the world and great mercy to our souls.

Seeing her Lamb once hastening to the slaughter, the Mother Ewe hurried to accompany Him and cried aloud: “Where are You going, O my most-beloved Son? O long-suffering Christ, O most beloved Jesus, O sinless and merciful Lord, for whose sake are You running this course without resting? Speak a word to Your handmaid, O my Son; O compassionate God, do not pass me by in this frightening silence, for I am the Mother who gave You birth, O Giver of Life, who grant the world great mercy!”

Keeping a spiritual fast, O brethren, let us speak no lies with our tongue nor give our brothers and sisters cause for scandal. But through repentance, let us make the lamp of our soul burn brightly, and let us cry with tears to Christ: “Forgive us our trespasses in Your love for mankind.”

To You have I lifted up my eyes, to You who live in heaven. Behold: the eyes of the servants are turned to the hands of their masters, and the eyes of the maid-servants to the hands of their mistresses: thus do our eyes watch the Lord our God until He takes pity on us.

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us, for we have been filled with shame: our soul has been filled to overflowing. May scorn befall detractors, and humiliation come to the proud.

O Martyrs worthy of all praise, although the earth did not conceal your bodies in burial, Heaven has welcomed you. The gates of Paradise were opened to you, and there you rejoice in the Tree of Life. Intercede with Christ that He grant our souls peace and great mercy!

O Virgin, most worthy of our hymns, Moses foresaw your mystery with his prophetic eyes: it was the bush which burned without being consumed; for the Fire of the God-head did not burn your pure womb. Thus we entreat you, the Mother of our God, to grant peace to the world.

During Great Lent we Orthodox celebrate the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts. A tip of the kamilavka to Fr. Thomas Hopko for the following:

The usual Divine Liturgy is not served during the weekdays of Great Lent because of the paschal character of the Liturgy itself. In its place the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated. The Liturgy is prescribed for Wednesday and Friday evenings during Great Lent. (Present practice here is to serve the Liturgy only on Wednesday). This liturgy is the solemn Lenten Vespers with Holy Communion added to it. The Communion is received from the Sacramental Gifts of bread and wine offered and sanctified at the Divine Liturgy of the previous Lord’s Day.

At the Lord’s Day Liturgy, the priest prepares a “lamb” (the bread which becomes Christ’s Body at the Divine Liturgy) which is then consecrated together with the wine and is kept for the Presanctified Liturgy. During the chanting of the Psalms the night of the Liturgy, the priest places the Presanctified Gifts on the diskos. He carries them in solemn procession around the back of the altar table to the table of oblation.

The evening reception of Communion at the Presanctified Liturgy is fulfilled after a day of prayer and fasting. The Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is one of the great masterpieces of Orthodox piety and liturgical creativity.

After each stanza of the prayer we make a Great Metania. This is great prayer of penance and also sets our mind aright as we continue this journey of Great Lent. Add this to your prayer routine of you do not already use it.