Great Lent

This unpretentious little book of meditations based on Scripture, ancient hymns, and writings from Church Fathers will nourish the souls of reflective seekers during the forty-day period of Great Lent. Authors of each meditation have delved deeply into the sins and shortcomings of their own hearts, enabling readers to share in a collective human experience-from darkness to light, from despair to hope, and from isolation to commonality in the body of Christ-as they move steadily toward our Lord's Resurrection. The first edition of this book (titled A Journey through Great Lent, edited and authored by Archpriest Steven John Belonick, with coauthors Michele Constable and Michael Soroka), was published by Light & Life Publishing in 1998.

The Lenten Triodion exhorts us, "Let us observe a fast acceptable and pleasing to the Lord." Using hymns from the Triodion and the Scripture readings appointed for the season, Meditations for Great Lent shows us how to make our fast acceptable: to fast not only from food but from sin; to fast with love and humility, as a means to an end and not an end in itself. Keep this gem of a book with you to inspire you for the Fast and to dip into for encouragement as you pursue your Lenten journey.

“Like many evangelicals who love the gospel, I had my doubts about Lent.” It’s true, Lent can often seem like an empty ritual. But what Aaron Damiani came to find, and what he describes inside, is something else entirely. Something exceedingly good. In The Good of Giving Up, Anglican pastor Aaron Damiani (who comes from a low-church background) explains the season of Lent, defends it theologically, and guides you in its practice. You’ll learn: The history and purpose of Lent How to practice it with proper motivation Ways it can reform your habits and convictions How to lead others through it, whether in the home or church Lent has been described as a “springtime for the soul,” a season of clearing to make room for growth. The Good of Giving Up will show you why, encouraging you to participate in what many know as a rich spiritual journey. “When I was finally ready to take the plunge, I learned that observing Lent is not a forced march of works-righteousness. But it was good medicine for [my soul], for the painful split between what I knew about God and what I experienced of Him.”

The Eternal Sacrifice appeared originally in Fr. Steven's blog ?Orthodox Truth? as a series of daily commentaries on the passages from Genesis read at Vespers every weekday of the Orthodox Great Lent. The present volume provides the texts of the Scripture readings themselves along with the author's commentary, which aims at giving an authentic patristic reading of the text while providing contemporary advice to the Orthodox layman living in the world. Not only Eastern Orthodox readers, however, but also Eastern Rite Catholics who follow the Byzantine lectionary, as well as all those who seek life-changing truth in the Scriptures, will find The Eternal Sacrifice an engaging and accessible invitation to go more deeply into the first book of the Bible.

The Great Lent is divided into seven weeks, each commencing with a significant event on Sunday. Each week holds a significant event in the life of Christ from which we can extract meaning and apply a practical message to our own lives.