Teacher of wisdom, Giver of understanding, Reprover of the foolish and Protector of the weak, strengthen and enlighten my heart, O Master. You give me words of wisdom, Words of the fathers: Do not forbid my mouth to call upon You: Merciful, have mercy on me, who have fallen. (Kondak)

The last preparatory week before Great Lent is dedicated to the commemoration of the Exile of Adam. The hymnography of this week commemorates the fall of our forefathers, Adam and Eve, which explains the necessity of the feat of fasting. Adam and Eve did not observe the first fast, and fell through intemperance and disobedience, and now, through the voluntary acceptance of the feat of abstinence and obedience to the Church, we can rise up and regain the paradise bliss that they lost. At the Liturgy, the Gospel is read, which suggests that we forgive the sins of our neighbors and that we fast not only for others to see but for our own purification. The fourth and final stage of our preparation is forgiveness. The Gospel clearly tells us that if we do not forgive each other's sins, the Lord will not forgive us our sins. Also, in the Lord's Prayer, we pray that the Lord will forgive us as we forgive others.

Father Alexander Schmemann speaks about the importance of forgiveness: "Forgive another, receive forgiveness from another! This is a true return from alienation to unity, from hatred to love, from division to union. Because forgiving another is not easy at all. We often talk about how we no longer “even pay attention” to other people’s shortcomings – and even worse – that we have “given up our hands on other people”. So isn’t that indifference, isn’t that contempt and isn’t that cynicism? Only someone who has felt and understood with their whole being all the horror of the absence of love in the world, all the bottomless sorrow of human loneliness to which man has condemned himself with his self-love and his pride, can forgive another and receive forgiveness from another. All of this is contained in the prayer that the Church addresses to God on Forgiveness Sunday: “Do not turn your face away from me, for I am sorrowful…”. (from the book Mysteries of the Feasts)

This Sunday, the Church reminds us of all the bright examples of the saints of God who shone through fasting and asceticism, so that we too may follow their example. The divine service is adapted to the theme of forgiveness as the final stage of our readiness to begin the Lenten journey.

We thank You, Christ our God, that You have directed the present time of Lent for our salvation, and in a short time You have skillfully healed our greatest spiritual wounds and stripped us of the multitude of sins.

We pray to You, all-good One, to remove from us, during the time of Lent, all Pharisaic hypocrisy and Jewish hardness. Drive away (from us) the arrogance of abstinence and remove every forbidden deed, word and thought. Fill us with the Holy Spirit, the light and truth that You have legislated. Strengthen us in the fight against passions; strengthen us in the war against sin. Prepare us to abstain from food and to abstain from evil deeds, so that we may follow You, Who through fasting has shown us victory over the devil, and be partakers of death and resurrection, and enjoy the eternal life that You have prepared for those who hunger and thirst for Your righteousness.

Strengthen our race, through fasting and faith in You, in the fight against every enemy.

For You are our God and Savior, and to You is due glory, with the beginningless Father and Your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen

(Forgiveness Sunday Prayer)

In all our churches on the evening of Holy Week, the so-called Vespers are served, which also contains some peculiarities in its order. Until the evening entrance to Vespers, it is customary, and after the prayer of the Holy Silence, a great Lenten prokeimenon is sung, which we will alternate with another great Lenten prokeimenon, to be sung during Holy Lent, also at Sunday Vespers. During the singing of this prokeimenon, the presbyter takes off his ceremonial vestments and puts on a purple or violet epitrachil, and from this moment the order of Vespers acquires a Lenten character, which means that we have already entered the great and holy period of Holy Lent in terms of worship. At the end of the service, we ask forgiveness from each other and forgive each other, so that, fully prepared and reconciled with everyone, we may embark on the path of asceticism.

Archbishop Averkiy (Taushev) mentions a beautiful monastery practice: In the Holy Land, many ascetics would go away after the Lenten Vespers to spend the entire Great Lent in the desert, and would return to their monastery only on Lazarus Saturday. Many would not even experience the return. It was precisely for such people that it was accepted to sing the Easter sticheras during this touching rite of mutual forgiveness: “May God be risen” and “The Holy Pascha has appeared to us today.” The singing of these songs is still customary in many monasteries. It invigorates the weakness of people, who seem to be afraid of the long days of strict fasting, and brings us to the very border of the bright celebration of the feast of the Resurrection of Christ.

The spring of Lent has come! The flower of repentance;

Let us cleanse ourselves, brothers and sisters, of all evil,

Crying out to the giver of light, Glory to you, Lover of Man! Let us begin the joyful season of Lent,

Preparing for spiritual feats. Let us cleanse our souls,

Let us cleanse our bodies. Let us abstain from both food

and all passions, delighting in the virtues of the spirit,

so that, perfecting ourselves in them with love, we may all be worthy to see in spiritual joy the most honorable suffering of Christ God and His Holy Resurrection!

(Stikhiras on I Called the Lord, Sunday Evening Sermons)

Source: Serbian Orthodox Church

Forgiveness Sunday – video Недеља праштања – видео