Lent: Starting the Journey

As we begin the journey towards the joy of the resurrection we have some tools the church has given to enable the Metanoia (conversion) of our lives we are called to.  

1. Prayer
   • Great Canon of St. Andrew, Wednesday 7pm March 13th @ St George Lower Hall (17 Regency St) 
   • Akathist Friday 7pm @ Reader Michael's Home (16 Kenmark Blvd steps away from Kennedy Station)
   • Our usual Typica at 9:30 Sunday @ St George Lower Hal
   • Sunday of Orthodoxy vespers at 7pm St. Volodymyr's (400 Bathurst St, Toronto,)
   • Join us every Wed and Friday of Lent for Pre-Sanctified and Akathist respectively.  Remember that you'll miss lent if you only come on Sunday
   • Personal Prayer, try to take some of the time freed up by simplicity of life to pray, especially the Prayer of St Ephrem.  Follow the daily Old Testament story of mans fall (Genesis), way of life (Proverbs), and prophecy of salvation (Isaiah).
2. Fasting and Simplicity
   1. In Lent we ascetically fast from meat & cheese in anticipation and preparation of the Resurrection.   In addition, try to joyfully and soberly feast when we do eat.  This can reset your relationship with food.
   2. Take some time to simplify your life and seek chasity;  What is controlling you, instead of serving you?  Some suggestions are social media, news, and other entertainment media.  Try to replace it with beautiful things, such as relationships and prayer. 
3. Alms Giving and Service
   1. Who is weakest in your life, and could use some attention or help?    Is there a place that serves the poor that is in your heart that you could give to?   How can you alleviates someones suffering and give them some joy?
   2. We fast so others can have, how can that time and money saved by cooking a large simple meal for multiple days be used for His glory.

Remember these tools can be a sword or a scalpel depending on how you use them. The four Sundays before lent are our guide to how to use these tools:

• Humility - the sinful cry of the Publican versus to the false righteousness and hypocrisy of the Pharisee
• Repentance - the coming to “his self” of the prodigal son versus the cold righteousness of the older brother
• Love of the least - the fruit of true repentance by which we will be judged at the Last Days
• Forgiveness - how to enter the Gates of the Kingdom and Paradise

Some Other Announcements

• Home Akathist services - sign up online via the link emailed out and/or speak to Reader Efraim
• No Service in Toronto on March 24 due to the ordinations, please speak to Dn. Paul and Theda if you need a ride or place to stay in Ottawa!  Click here to let us know if you're coming.
• Phos will be held after the meal is wrapping up in the back stage, please tone down conversations when we start
• Please wait until after the communion prayers to setup the church, we must all adjust to having a shared temporary space.  
• Dont forget to reach out to anyone that may seem to be sitting or standing alone .
• We continue to need peoples help to setup for the services, please come around 8:45pm on Sunday and 30 minutes before other services if you can. 
• Do see Nick and Aubrey if your interested in Youth Group
• Want to help out in any way, have ideas?  Please see Theda.