Lenten Journey

“A long, beautiful day of spiritual labor is coming soon,” begins Diocesan Primate Fr. Mesrop Parsamyan, in a message to the faithful. “That day marks the beginning of Great Lent: the yearly journey our church undertakes. It will be a time of fasting for our bodies; of prayer for our spirits; of performing acts of charity and mercy in the world around us.”

In Armenian and English-language videos released to coincide with the start of Lent, Fr. Mesrop encourages us to enter the season with purpose and attention: “To make it a time of real growth for yourself”—and for your personal relationship with our Lord. “However close you feel to God, He wants to have an even deeper relationship with you: a communion with you—with all of us. He wants to pour out His love and mercy upon us, and fill our hearts with grace. And He wants us to respond in kind.”

Find links below to watch and read the Primate’s Lenten message.

To help our faithful realize a more meaningful experience of Great Lent, the Eastern Diocese has created as number of resources, available online and through our local parishes.

An online discussion series is meeting each week of Lent, as part of the Diocese’s VEMKAR digital ministries program. The sessions meet Tuesday evenings, from February 21 through March 28, at 7 p.m. EST, over the Zoom video platform. Click the following links to find the schedule of speakers and topics, and to join the online gathering at the appointed times.

Also, the Diocese has published a beautiful resource for families and parishes: a Lenten Family Calendar, to guide young people day by day through the spiritual journey of Lent. See the item below under “Diocesan News” for details. On the horizon is a new booklet on Holy Week, shortly to be released by the Diocesan Department of Ministries.

The Diocesan website and Facebook page are frequently updated with thought-provoking essays, images, and information on the theme of Lent. For example, here is a feature on the first Sunday of Lent: the Sunday of the Expulsion.

Lenten Retreats for young adults have been organized by the ACYOA in the Midwest, Southern, New England, and New York/New Jersey regions of the Diocese. And Lenten Clergy Retreats are ongoing throughout the season. See the respective items below under “Youth” and “Diocesan News” for details.

In addition, many Diocesan parishes are holding Lenten services and lectures throughout the coming weeks. Scan the Calendar listings below, or check with your local parish for details.

As our Primate urges us, through these and other activities, “Let us open ourselves to the consolation of God’s love, to the promise of His forgiveness, and to the reality of His presence.”

Click the following links to: