On Sunday we begin the Lenten Triodian and the preparatory weeks leading up to Great Lent.

On Sunday we begin the Lenten Triodian and the preparatory weeks leading up to Great Lent. Unlike the Western practice of entering the Great Fast "cold turkey" (i.e. going immediately from the Bacchus-like feasting of Fat Tuesday to the stark solemnity of Ash Wednesday), the Orthodox Church eases us into the Lenten process much as one would ease themselves into a hot bath. In other words, we don't just plunge in, but slowly acclimatize ourselves to the waters: first with a Fast-free week, then a last week for eating meat, and finally a last week for consuming dairy products. One might also consider these preparatory weeks as a training period prior to embarking upon the actual Lenten Journey which is often referred to in the Church as a "spiritual marathon."

Fr. John