Lent and Forgiveness

one

Our thoughts are beginning to turn toward Lent. We begin to think about the traditional things around prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, but for most people, Lent is about “what we are going to give up” and for those a bit more mature we even begin to ask ourselves about “what am I going to add”, usually concerning prayer. One central tenant of Christianity is often neglected as we prepare to head-off into our own deserts: Forgiveness. It is here that we can learn a lot from our brothers and sisters in the Catholic Churches of the Byzantine Rite. For a few million people in the Catholic Church, their Lent actually begins tonight with a special evening prayer service called “Forgiveness Vespers”. St John Paul II always said Western Christians could learn much from our Eastern brothers and sisters and that the Church needed to breathe with both lungs. So, let’s reflect on why it might be good for us to begin our Lenten Pilgrimage reflecting on and actually forgiving one another.

two

Fr Alexander Schmemann says it best in his book Great Lent:

“Lent is the liberation of our enslavement to sin, from the prison of “this world”. And the Gospel lesson from this last Sunday (Matt 6:14-21) sets the conditions for that liberation. The first one is fasting – the refusal to accept the desires and urges of our fallen nature as normal, the effort to free ourselves from the dictatorship of flesh and matter over the spirit.”

You see Lent is the recognition that while this world is good, it is very much fallen. We are very much fallen. God from the beginning made Adam for dominion, that we would be over the creation, not that we would be mastered by it. As Lent begins we recognize that we are very much like Adam having just been expelled from paradise. The good news is that if we are open to it, by grace and effort, we will become like Christ, our souls prepared for our heavenly homeland.

three

Schmemann continues:

“The second condition is forgiveness – “If you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you.” The triumph of sin, the main sign of its rule over the world, is division, opposition, separation, hatred. Therefore, the first break through this fortress of sin is forgiveness: the return to unity, solidarity, love. To forgive is to put between me and my “enemy” the radiant forgiveness of God Himself. To forgive is to reject the hopeless “dead-ends” of human relations and to refer them to Christ. Forgiveness is truly a “breakthrough” of the Kingdom into this sinful and fallen world.”

So often we don’t realize our resentments, grudges, and tiny feuds are keeping us from experiencing the Kingdom. Even worse, we need to take Christ’s words to heart because these are the things that are not only keeping us from experiencing it, they are the things which may keep us from being in it in the end.

four

Because Forgiveness is so important, it gives the vespers service at the beginning of Lent I mentioned earlier incredible depth and beauty. In these Byzantine churches there are a lot of tears shed. There are a number of very ancient Christian hymns sung about our beginning of the Great Fast and our sinfulness. Many of them ask for not only forgiveness, but to give us real sorrow for our sins. One of the stichera, similar to antiphons in the west, says, “When I think upon the wicked things I have done, I flee for refuge to Thy Tender mercy, like the Publican, and the Harlot with her tears, and the Prodigal Son. Condemn me not, O God, but spare me and have mercy upon me.” The prayers and hymns continue in this way until the end of the service. The priest then comes out in front of the whole parish and asks for everyone’s forgiveness. In many instances, the priest will actually be specific about how he he has fallen short in leading the church the past year. Then, much like the line for communion, you approach the priest, looking in his eyes you say, “God forgives you and I forgive you. Will you forgive me?” The priest then says, “I forgive you.” You and the priest then give the kiss of peace, usually in the style of Europeans putting your head to each side, and finally hugging. You then take your place next to the priest. After the next parishioner does the same with the priest, you and he, or she, exchange forgiveness with each other, forming a long receiving line, until everyone in the church has looked each other in the eye, not only has each person asked for and received forgiveness from each other, but also has forgiven everyone there. It is a powerful sign and a foretaste of the Kingdom.

five

So I want to encourage you to begin Lent this way. You probably can’t have a parish evening prayer service, but you can surely forgive those who have hurt you. You can also ask forgiveness of those around you and offer them the same forgiveness you seek. This is how my family and I begin Lent and I hope you will join us in it.

As we close I want to leave you with a hymn from Forgiveness Vespers:

“Let us set out with joy upon the season of the Fast, and prepare ourselves for spiritual combat. Let us purify our soul and cleanse our flesh; and as we fast from food, let us abstain also from every passion. Rejoicing in the virtues of the Spirit may we persevere with love, and so be counted worthy to see the solemn Passion of Christ our God, and with great spiritual gladness to behold his Holy Passover.”