In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Clean Monday is the Monday before Ash Wednesday. Clean Monday is actually the Monday before Great Lent.(Apparently that was an adaptation that my research applied to the Roman Catholic Calendar.) It is a day of strict fasting from midnight til noon. The idea is to begin Lent with a clean heart and pure intentions. The following prayer is prayed on Clean Monday, as well as the 40 days of Lent.
The Prayer of Saint Ephrem the Syrian
"O Lord and Master of my life, keep from me the spirit of indifference and discouragement, lust of power and idle chatter. [kneel/prostration]
"Instead, grant to me, Your servant, the spirit of wholeness of being, humble-mindedness, patience, and love. [kneel/prostration]
"O Lord and King, grant me the grace to be aware of my sins and not to judge my brother; for You are blessed now and ever and forever. Amen. [kneel/prostration]"
3 comments:
That leaves Fat Tuesday out in the cold!
Hey, we've got 5 unopened boxes of ice cream in the freezer. We try to purge the house of sweets before Lent. Though an unopened box of ice cream can linger in the back of the freezer till Easter. Opened would be a problem.
Clean Monday is actually the first day of Great Lent in the Orthodox Church. Though we don't have Ash Wednesday like our Roman Catholic brethren, we have Forgiveness Sunday the day before Lent begins - it is a time for us to ask the forgiveness of those we have offended and offer our forgiveness for those who have offended us during the year. It is a great way to start the fast! Our Lent begins on March first this year and our Easter (Pascha) is the week after yours.
Emma,
Thanks for clarifying. I think the site I got this from must have tried to "borrow" clean Monday and fit it into the Roman calendar. I have adapted it to my family's needs - we are geariing up for Lent by cleaning house and setting our minds for a quieter season. We have a particulary loud and rambunctious group, so the practice day is helpful!
Post a Comment