By the time that this article is published, the Triodian period (time of preparation for Great Lent) will have ended and Great Lent will be upon us. For the entirety of Lent, I will focus each of my articles on the theme of the Sunday of the previous week, beginning with this week by reflecting on the three weeks of the Triodian we have just passed through.

The week of the Publican and the Pharisee (see Luke 18:9-14) clearly gives the devout Christian a lesson in the triumph of humility over pride and arrogance. We are taught that fasting for the sake of fasting and prayer for the sake of prayer are not good; but rather that these things are meant to transform us into God’s image and likeness, thus causing us to realize our own need for repentance and God’s mercy. It is for this reason that the Publican, realizing this, cries out, “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” This is the attitude that we are to bring to our faith with God in order to prepare for Christ’s resurrection.

The week of the Prodigal Son (see Luke 15:11-32) is meant to demonstrate that we must be willing to repent from our evil deeds by acknowledging our mistakes and turning back to God. This is a process that is not meant to occur only time to time but is meant to continue throughout our entire lives. We must realize the love that God the Father has for us, the prodigals who have wasted our inheritance in sin and idleness, and accordingly swallow our pride in order to ask for forgiveness. This is difficult work that we struggle to accomplish by God’s grace.

Finally, the week of the Last Judgement (see Matthew 25:31-46) gives us a view of the humanity and importance of our fellow-man, who are all icons of Jesus Christ Himself. We are to treat everyone like we would treat Christ in the hope of being numbered among the sheep on the last day and not among the goats. It is for this reason that Orthodox Christians pray for a good defense before the awesome judgment seat of Christ at every Divine Liturgy. Again, the only response we are to have at our failure to love our brothers and sisters and see the image of Christ in them is the response of humility and repentance.

These themes of humility and repentance that are found throughout the Triodian are meant to prepare us to enter into Great Lent with the love of God in our hearts and the realization that we cannot accomplish this work without the help of Jesus Himself, who became Man for the salvation of humanity. This work of repentance is not meant to be burdensome or arduous but is rather meant to free us from the heavy yoke of our own sins and temptations that we find lurking in our hearts. Christ Himself says, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). We are not to despair of our own inability to accomplish this, for Christ Himself gives us His strength. As it is written, “I have said this to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). God has conquered death; pardon has shown forth from the grave. We await the resurrection of Christ, the coming of the One Who is, Who was, and is to come.

Let us, therefore enter into the joy of Great Lent with the expectation of the resurrection of that which is dead inside of us. May God grant us His peace and mercy throughout the journey.