Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha is a comprehensive website produced by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. They also publish a guidebook called Journey to Pascha that can be downloaded in .pdf file format for you to view and print.
The Antiochian Archdiocese website also contains some helpful Lent and Pascha articles, including “Making Lent Great For Your Family” and “Why Do You Eat So Much Peanut Butter?” Be sure to visit their Great Lent 2008 Resource Center, a guide for our collective journey to Holy Pascha on April 27, 2008.
Lent is also a time for introspection, repentance, and confession. Repentance is an act of reconciliation, of reintegration into the Body of Christ, which has been torn apart by sin. For “if one member suffers, all suffer together” (1 Corinthians 12.26). “Therefore, confess your sins to one another … that you may be healed” (James 5.16). Confession is the Sacrament through which our sins are forgiven, and our relationship to God and to others is restored and strengthened. Confession is part of our total spiritual preparation during this fast period leading to Holy Pascha.
O Lord and Master of my life, take from me the spirit of sloth, faintheartedness, lust of power, and idle talk. But give rather the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love to your servant. Yes, O Lord and King, grant me to see my own sin and not to judge my brother, for You are blessed from all ages to all ages. Amen.
+ The Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian
