Lenten Quotations for the Third Week of Great Lent (from The Lenten Triodion)

Dear Brethren and Friends of St Elizabeth’s,

Below in this post are some of the stichera (verses) from the services of Matins and Vespers for the third week of Great Lent. They are taken from The Lenten Triodion, which is the special liturgical book used during this season of the year for our worship and edification. The verses chosen focus on how fasting, prayer, and practicing the Christian virtues are essential for our spiritual lives, which is being “refocused” during Great Lent.

With much love in Christ,
Fr Mark

Monday of the Third Week of Great Lent:

“With grateful souls let us accept the Fast: for by the power of the Spirit it makes the stubborn passions wither, and gives us strength to do the works of God; it makes our mind ascend to heaven, and gains for us the forgiveness of our sins from the God of all mercy.”

“Come, let us all greet the time of holy abstinence with cymbals and with songs of praise; for through the Fast spiritually we trample underfoot the serpent, from whom all evil takes its origin. Therefore let us cry with boldness unto Christ: Grant us, Savior, without condemnation to look upon Thy precious Cross and to venerate it, keeping joyful feast with psalms and hymns.”

Tuesday of the Third Week of Great Lent:

“Gladdened by the Fast and greatly rejoicing in song, gaining mastery over all the passions through our prayers, let us trample underfoot the snares of the devil, and cry aloud with one accord to Christ: Count us worthy to look upon Thy Cross, in Thy compassion granting us great mercy.”

“Moses, having found in fasting a means of purification, spoke with God who alone is pure. O my soul, be purified by fasting, and so draw near to the God of love.”

“May the Fast bring light to our souls, O Lord, and do Thou count us worthy uncondemned and with rejoicing to behold Thy Cross, and to worship it with fear; and in Thy love for man grant us to attain Thy voluntary passion.”

Wednesday of the Third Week of Great Lent:

“As we continue the joyful celebration of the Fast, we cry aloud: Keep us all in peace, O Lord, deliver us from every snare of the enemy, and in Thy surpassing love count us worthy to venerate with fear Thy precious Cross, through which Thou grantest to the inhabited earth Thy mercy, O Thou who alone art merciful.”

“O Cross of Christ, thou art our light, our holy token and ensign of victory. Make abstinence sweet for us and count us worthy to venerate thee.”

“Thy lifecreating Cross, O Lord, is my seal unto salvation: for by its virtue I overthrow the adversary and praise Thee as God mighty in power.”

Thursday of the Third Week of Great Lent:

“O divine apostles, stars that shine on all the world, give light to us who sing your praises as we keep the Fast. We pray that we may all be counted worthy to look upon the wood of the lifegiving Cross with pure eyes, and to embrace it with pure lips, crying aloud with joy: O Lord, glory to Thee.”

“O my soul, thou hast not cleansed thyself from evil nor avoided the lusts that corrupt thee. Why art thou filled, then, with unjustified rejoicing, because thou hast observed the Fast? For such is not the fast the Lord has chosen, who desires our true amendment.”

“Count us worthy, Christ the Word, after passing through the third week of the Fast, to look upon the wood of Thy lifegiving Cross and to venerate it with holy reverence. Grant us rightly to sing and magnify Thy power, to praise Thy Passion, and to come with pure hearts to Thy glorious and holy Resurrection, the mystical Passover whereby Adam is restored again to Paradise.”

Friday of the Third Week of Great Lent:

“With our flesh cleansed by abstinence and our souls filled with light by prayer, count us worthy, O Lord, to look upon Thy precious and venerable Cross and to reverence it with fear, singing hymns and saying: Glory to Thy lifegiving Cross; glory to the holy spear that pierced Thee, whereby we are restored to life, O Thou who alone lovest mankind.”

“O Lord through abstinence enable us to run swiftly to Thy saving Cross, the Light of the faithful, and to behold and venerate it for our sanctification; that so through the Cross we may magnify Thee.”