Forgiveness Sunday - Yesterday, I had the opportunity to look each person I worship with in the eye and ask their forgiveness at Vespers – it is the traditional way we enter into Lent. While I blogged about it last year (see the fourth post down) I really must commend to you Molly’s excellent article (and, Belladonna - I did check the link, sorry about that again)
Knowing how judgemental and abrupt I can be, and how easy it is for me to overlook the feelings of those around me, I ask each and every one of you to forgive me for those things I have done to offend.
Photo from an Alaskan Parish's 2006 Forgiveness Sunday Vespers.
posted by Mimi @ 2/19/2007 08:07:00 PM
14 Comments
14 Comments:
Mimi, have a blessed Lent.
God grant each and every one of us His Forgiveness and Grace.....
God forgives, my sister, God forgives.
Have a blessed Lent, Mimi. Thanks for the excellent links once again.
Dear Mimi,
You do not really need to ask forgiveness in anyway towards me that I could ever know of, yet I think this is such a beautiful tradition to carry out, so therefore I ask God to forgive us all for the big and the little things we wonder that we may have done wrong. God bless you and yours. Suzanne
Have a blessed Lent.
God forgives Mimi!
How blessed we are for that!
Have a peaceful and prayerful Lent.
with love,
Molly
Wow, that would be very powerful.
We're getting ready for Lent at home too, Max wanted to know if he could give up Lent as his offering. LOL
We attended our first Forgiveness Vespers. Wow. In a few more days I *may* find some words to write about it! Blessed Lent.
Mimi;
Thank you so much for the link to Molly's words. I've read many of her past postings this evening and have been so touched by the eloquence of her spirit.
Yet whether in plain speech or fine prose, simply being able to connect with others who are attempting to walk by the light of Christ to the best of their understanding lifts me up in ways that strengthen my soul.
I guess for a long time I have accepted that God forgave the sins of the world - but to fully personalize it and come to terms with the very specific sins in my own heart and behavior in need of forgiveness is very humbling indeed.
While I have no sanctified service like your Vespers, I am doing what I can to deliberately seek forgiveness from those I worship with as well as others in my life.
The flip side of that is acknowledging the areas of my deepest heart where perhaps I have not fully forgiven others who I felt had wronged me at some point in the past. Letting go of some of those hurts comes easy and with sweet relief. Sadly though, there are some things my rebellious soul stubbornly clings to...it will take more fasting and tears to relinquish those ancient pains that have been polished into hard kernels of grief and stinging chagrin .
How foolish to cling to those things...
for this too I must seek forgiveness.
I forgive as God forgives Mimi!!
I think in response to Belladonnas questions, we Orthodox are very much humbled by our practices.
My son Yianni was explaining this to my cousin the other day. He said the major difference between us and his wifes fundamentalist church was humility.
We expect to stumble and fall throughout our"journey." Other religions think they are "saved" and that is that.
That is why we constantly question ourselves, our motives, our relationships etc.
Our beloved Father Elias, memory eternal, told me once that it is a great journey that only ends when we die. And then in a sense, finally begins.
Hope this makes sense. I have a little migraine this morning!!
This year it was fun for me to watch Andrew, our 2 year old, as he would look at the person who would ask his forgiveness... he would look back at them and just nod his head.
Our kids are never too young to participate (though they may be a bit of a hassel for us as parents.) I would like to think that Andrew will "get it" better than I ever will because he grew up in it.
A blessed Lent to you, and your family, my sister.
That sounds very touching and meaningful.
Mimi, forgive me, a sinner.
My thoughts and prayers for a blessed Lent to you and yours.
God forgives, so I forgive. Forgive me a sinner.
Blessed (Great) Lent to you and yours, Mimi!
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