Archpriest
Andrew Lemeshonok, the spiritual father of St. Elisabeth Convent, answers
various questions of the parishioners.
Is it true that it is not allowed to read
akathists during the Great Lent?
According
to the rubrics, the services during the Great Lent are special. However, we do
serve several akathists in our Convent during the Great Lent. We read akathists
to the Pantanassa icon of the Mother of God because there are so many ill
people who need prayer, especially during the Lent. It is not a solemn or festive
prayer. It is a call for help. We also read an akathist to the Inexhaustible
Chalice icon of the Mother of God.
If your
heart wants to read an akathist at home, if you find it useful, you can read it
but be watchful.
What does total abstinence mean? Is it when
you are not allowed to drink even water, or is it something deeper than that?
I believe
it is deeper than that. First of all, abstinence means vigilance of one’s mind
and heart, and then, of course, abstinence from certain kinds of food. For instance,
total abstinence is recommended during the First Week of the Lent, when an
individual is strongly advised not to eat anything till Wednesday or Friday. He
that is able to receive it, let him receive it. (Matthew 19: 12).
Anyway,
abstinence consists not only of food. It entails control over our thoughts,
eyes, ears, and tongues.
What should we be thinking about when we
approach the Crucifix located in the centre of a church during the Veneration
of the Cross Week?
The Cross
is a weapon against the devil. It is the lighthouse that helps us find our way
in the sea of earthly troubles. The Cross is love that enables us to live and
learn to love one another. The Cross is the mountaintop of love: we carry our
little crosses and attempt to ascend it like our personal Golgotha to crucify
our flesh with the affections and lusts (Cf. Galatians 5: 24) and to be born
into the new life.
March 14, 2018
St.
Elisabeth Convent
CONVERSATION