وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III





Our Fathers used Lent as an opportunity for preaching.
During this time people were more spiritual and were ready to accept it. Indeed, preaching is set for the whole year but the sermons of Lent have a more profound effect. That is why many of Saint John Chrysostom's books were sermons that he delivered during Lent. In the same way the books of Saint Augustine. Even the Church made these days of Lent a period for the preparation of those accepting the Faith.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







It prepared them through preaching to accept the grace of baptism.


Classes for those new to the faith were held during the fast and sermons were delivered to teach and confirm them in the principles of Faith, They were then baptised on Christening Sunday, to join the faithful for the following week’s Palm Sunday, in the Passion Week prayers, and in the Easter celebrations.
Saint Kirollos of Jerusalem for example, held sermons to prepare those attending to accept the Faith and explain to them the creed and the principle of faith on the days of Lent.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







The Church considers Lent of such importance that it has laid for it special rites.
It has its own special tunes, longer period of abstention, special readings and responses, a special rite of burning the morning incense, and special prostration in the Mass before absolving the deacons.
During Lent, a special Katamarus of biblical readings is used and contains readings from the Old Testament to create a special spiritual atmosphere all of its own.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







In order that faithful are prepared for the sacred forty days of Lent, the Church set the preparatory week so that people may not start the sacred period unprepared. It is also a way to make up for the Saturday when an abstinence period is allowed.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







Furthermore, the Church established the fast of Jonah also in preparation for Lent.
The fast of Jonah or Nineveh occurs two weeks before Lent and has the same rite and tunes. It heralds the coming of Lent and prepares the congregation to repentance which is the essence of the fast of Nineveh.
In the same way that the Church has taken pains to prepare the its offspring for Lent. We should do our part by receiving it with the same concern.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III







If Jesus Christ observed this fast for us, though He did not need to, we should therefore fast it for ourselves since we are in great need of fasting to fulfill all righteousness, in the same way as Christ did.
The Church allocates so much importance to this fast that It calls it Lent which means the "Great" fast.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III








It is "Great" because of its duration and sanctity.
It is the longest of all fasts as it extents for fifty-five days, and it is the greatest in its sanctity as it is Christ’s fast and commemorates His sacred suffering.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III








That is why a sin committed during Lent is most offensive.
It is true that a sin is a sin, but it is more horrible during Lent than during normal days because he who sins during any fast in general, and during Lent in particular, is actually committing a double sin. The offence of the sin itself and in addition the contempt shown for the holiness of those days. Therefore, they are two sins, not just one.

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III








Carelessness for the sanctity of those days is indicative of the heart's cruelty, for a heart that is not affected by the spirituality of those sacred days is undoubtedly a cruel one from a spiritual point of view. He who sins during this fast is subject to the Lord Jesus Christ words who said: “If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matt 6:23).
If these sacred and inspiring days are a period of darkness, then how much more are the normal days?

[Mary Naeem]

Pope Shenouda III








Saintly monks beheld the Great Lent. Their whole lives were days of fasting, but the days of Lent were of special sanctity for the first generations of monks who used to leave the monasteries during the sacred forty days and live in isolation on the mountains. An example is found in the story of Saint Zosima and his encounter with the repentant Saint Mary the Copt.
The same zeal was found in the monasticism of Saint Shenoudah, chief of hermits, and in many of the Ethiopian monasteries.