Last hour prep. for Holy Week

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Grand_Duchess-Elizaveta

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Holy Week begins in a matter of hours, and I've done it again this year. I've wasted most of Great Lent and have not prepared myself as I ought. I finish every Great Lent (though this is only my second as a chrismated Orthodox person) feeling like a failure.

Holy Week is one of the only times I feel the great heaviness of my own sin and failures. Tonight is confession for me, and I sorely need it.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, this week we will all gather at the cross together and see our Lord crucified. We will mourn for Him at His funeral, and we will stand vigil at His tomb. Thankfully it does not end here, we will also rejoice in His resurrection together, but right now, in these final hours of preparation, I am lamenting the vast misuse of my time, my neglect of prayer, my lack of love for Christ (which is the root of all laziness and disobedience).

Since sinning against God is also sinning against His Church, I ask your forgiveness. I wanted to get this off my chest before confession this evening.
 

Akathist

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Holy Week begins in a matter of hours, and I've done it again this year. I've wasted most of Great Lent and have not prepared myself as I ought. I finish every Great Lent (though this is only my second as a chrismated Orthodox person) feeling like a failure..

I feel much the same way. I had such plans for how this was going to be a better Lent than last years (which was really a bad one for me on many levels.) But it was only slightly better and I am so very disappointed in myself.

Holy Week is one of the only times I feel the great heaviness of my own sin and failures. Tonight is confession for me, and I sorely need it.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, this week we will all gather at the cross together and see our Lord crucified. We will mourn for Him at His funeral, and we will stand vigil at His tomb. Thankfully it does not end here, we will also rejoice in His resurrection together, but right now, in these final hours of preparation, I am lamenting the vast misuse of my time, my neglect of prayer, my lack of love for Christ (which is the root of all laziness and disobedience).

Since sinning against God is also sinning against His Church, I ask your forgiveness. I wanted to get this off my chest before confession this evening.

God forgives dear one!

Please also forgive me for the same thing.
 
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Philothei

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Every time you feel like a failure pick up your cross and continue. Ask for forgiveness, in prayer, and go on. We all fail one way or another but it is important not to give up...I believe this week calls us to be extra vigilant. The theme of the 10 watchfull virgins always gets me every year.
I often times before the service contemplate on the readings. That helps me with the "themes" of the services.

Dear Elisaveta you are also in a different situation and I would not worry too much on the "rule' or fasting. I happen to be pregnant during the forty day fast and i was feeling lousy. The doctor told me not to fast and I observed it to the best of my ability. I delivered Bright week ....lol praying hard as a got a false alarm on Holy Friday during the 3pm service! May God help us all to remain Christ-centered, anger- free and vigillant during this time of our Lord's Passion and Resurrection.

(Sorry for rambling on)

God bless,
Philothei
 
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rusmeister

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I was just reading an article in the Russian mag "Foma" , an interview with the Russian actor Evgeny Mironov on Confession. He rightly said that it is equally good, after Confession, to feel relief or to not feel relief. The issue's main topic is Confession, but I'd have to translate the darn thing!

From my first Eucharist I was aware of a desire to generate feelings in the face of a Sacrament. I call it "The factory of feelings". I remember in Lewis's "Screwtape Letters" this phenomenon is referred to.

Don't forget that no matter what way feelings go, even if they go nowhere, the Sacrament is still a Sacrament!
 
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