FIRST DAY OF HOLY AND GREAT LENT – KATHARA DEFTERA OR “CLEAN MONDAY”

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

FIRST DAY OF HOLY AND GREAT LENT – KATHARA DEFTERA – OR "CLEAN MONDAY"

THE FIRST WEEK OF HOLY AND GREAT LENT: Monday to Friday.

At Απόδειπνον Το Μέγα (Great Compline) on the FIRST FOUR DAYS OF Holy and Great Lent, the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete is read, divided into Four Sections; on the Thursday in the Fifth Week it will be read again, this time in continuous form. With its constant refrain, ‘HAVE MERCY UPON ME, O GOD, HAVE MERCY UPON ME,’ the Great Canon forms A PROLONGED CONFESSION OF SIN, AN UNREMITTING CALL TO REPENTANCE. At the same time, t is A MEDITATION ON THE WHOLE BODY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE, EMBRACING ALL THE SINNERS AND ALL THE RIGHTEOUS FROM THE CREATION OF THE WORLD TO THE COMING OF CHRIST. Here, more than anywhere else in the Triodion, we experience Holy and Great Lent AS A REAFFIRMATION OF OUR ‘BIBLICAL ROOTS.’ Throughout the Great Canon the TWO LEVELS, the historical and the personal, are skilfully interwoven. ‘THE EVENTS OF THE SACRED HISTORY ARE REVEALED AS EVENT OF MY LIFE; GOD’S ACTS IN THE PAST AS ACTS AIMED AT ME AND MY SALVATION, THE TRAGEDY OF SIN AND BETRAYAL AS MY PERSONAL TRAGEDY.’

KATHARA DEFTERA "CLEAN MONDAY"

The FIRST DAY OF HOLY AND GREAT LENT is a day of FASTING and PRAYER that marks the beginning of Holy and Great Lent a 40-day period leading to the All-Holy Pascha and the Glorious Celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Kathara Deftera "Clean Monday" is a national holiday in Greece. It is a day to purify the body in preparation for Holy Lent. The Sunday before the commencement of Holy Lent is the Sunday of Forgiveness. All Orthodox Christians are asked to forgive all and to renew Christian agape.

The Holy Scripture speak about the necessity of forgiving our enemies. Our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ in His Prayer says: "And forgive us our debts, As WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS" [Matthew 6:12]. By using the plural, Our Lord Christ directs each of us to pray for the Father’s forgiveness of all, and for ALL OF US TO FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER. Although God’s forgiveness is primary, Jesus clearly teaches that there is a reciprocal relationship between Divine and human forgiveness. We request God to be to us as we are to our neighbors. "DEBTS" refers to SPIRITUAL DEBTS: WHEN WE SIN, WE "OWE" RESTITUTION TO OUR OFFENDED NEIGHBOR AND TO GOD.

And in the Holy Gospel of Saint Mark we are exhorted: "And whenever you stand praying, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST ANYONE, FORGIVE HIM, THAT YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN MAY ALSO FORGIVE YOU YOUR TRESPASSES. BUT IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE, NEITHER WILL YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN FORGIVE YOUR TRESPASSES" [Mark 11:25-26]. FAILURE TO FORGIVE–IS THE GREATEST HINDRANCE TO KNOWING GOD. Not only does unforgiveness cripple our prayers, but even the "Father in heaven" does NOT "FORGIVE" THE UNFORGIVING. As the fig tree is rejected for bearing NO FRUIT, SO ARE UNFORGIVING PEOPLE REJECTED.

The Greek custom on Kathara Deftera (Clean Monday) is families and friends gather and celebrate the beginning of Holy and Great Lent with fasting foods and go on a picnic. Fasting foods consist of olives, taramasalata, halva, vegetable, legumes and seafood, such as calamari, octopus, lobsters, crabs, shellfish: oysters, cuttlefish, mussels, Fish is prohibited except on two occasions on the 25th of March (Annunciation of the Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary, and Palm Sunday. It is also the tradition for children and adults to fly kites, a symbol of the Resurrection. The understanding for Clean Monday that the Orthodox Christian is that the believer leaves behind all sinful attitudes, thoughts, and practices.

Unfortunately there are some people whose heart is not in it and they attempt to circumvent and undermine the Lenten tradition by coming up with all kinds of things to compromise the fast. By doing so they are not only mocking the faith, but they are defeating the whole purpose, spirit, and goal of the fast which is to bring them closer to Christ. An Orthodox Christian is not compelled or forced to practice the faith or tradition. The Orthodox Christian is free to choose what is best for his/her soul and salvation. Also, NO Orthodox Christian is permitted to criticise another person on his fasting practices and whether he fasts strictly or not. The Holy Apostle Paul says clearly, "For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does NOT eat, and let NOT him who does NOT eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls…He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks" [Romans 14:2-6]. The passage emphasizes that people should NOT judge each other regarding fasting rules and regulations.

HOW TO FAST

According to our Lord Who said: "When you fast do NOT be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I SAY TO YOU, THEY HAVE THEIR REWARD. But you, when YOU FAST, ANOINT YOUR HEAD, AND WASH YOUR FACE, SO THAT YOU DO NOT APPEAR TO MEN TO BE FASTING, BUT TO YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN THE SECRET PLACE; AND YOUR FATHER WHO SEES IN SECRET WILL REWARD YOU OPENLY" [Matthew 6:16-18]. Jesus rejects hypocrisy and external display. During seasons of fasting, the hymns of the Orthodox Church call the faithful TO WASH AND ANOINT THEIR FACES. FASTING IS NOT MERELY ABSTAINING FROM EATING. Physical fasting WORKS TOGETHER WITH SPIRITUAL FASTING, OR SELF-DENIAL: IT IS A LIBERATION OF THE SPIRIT FROM ITS VOLUNTARY ENSLAVEMENT TO SINFUL PASSIONS. FASTING IS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, NOT TO IMPRESS PEOPLE AROUND US.

MAY ALL OF YOU HAVE A SPIRITUALLY UPLIFTING AND BLESSED HOLY AND GREAT LENT!

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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George