The period of Great Lent in the Armenian Church begins
with the Monday following the Eve of Great Lent, and continues to the Saturday
preceding Holy Week. Each Sunday during this period is named after a parable
embodying some spiritual truth, and the Scriptural readings for each Sunday
underscore the day's lesson.
The first Sunday of Lent is called Poon Paregentan or The
Sunday of Good Living. It is the day before the 40-day period of abstinence and
fasting begins. On the Eve of Lent, a black curtain closes off the altars of
Armenian churches: the first visual appearance of Lent in the church. This the
last opportunity for the faithful to eat and drink abundantly, which symbolizes
the spirit of innocent joyfulness during man's days in Eden. Paregentan
festivities on this day, with food, dancing and drinking, are common among
Armenians.
The second Sunday of Lent is named The Sunday of the
Expulsion—a reference to the exile of Adam and Eve from Paradise. This day
reminds us of the loss of man's happiness due to his disobedience. During this
day's service the hymn of St. Nersess the Graceful, Vor Zorenes Serpoutian,
describes man's Fall: how Adam and Eve experienced the bitterness of sin and
death, how they first felt "fear" in their hearts, and "hid
themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees in the garden."
Thereafter, the re-establishment of the friendship between God and man had to
await God's entry into our lives. Through this act of grace, man is able to
search his heart, perceive his condition as an exile of "Paradise
lost," and see that God has given human beings the opportunity to regain
their former status.
The third Sunday of Lent is known as The Sunday of the
Prodigal Son. The parable told by Jesus (Luke 15:11-32) is a familiar example
of a child rebelling against its parent; but in Jesus' telling, the parent is
accepting and understanding, regardless of the child's previous actions or
mistakes. The two key words in this parable are "lost" and
"found," and in a way, the entire Lenten period might be thought of
as a search for our own lost selves. The prodigal son stands as a symbol for
lost and demoralized humanity; the father figure helps us grasp the depth of
God's love for mankind.
The fourth Sunday of Lent, The Sunday of the Steward,
involves another parable told by Jesus (Luke 16:1-13); its great lesson is the
power of salvation. We learn that we are responsible to God for all of our
works and deeds-and responsible, too, to utilize the gifts He has given us. We
should all be prepared, for one day we will be called to give an accounting of ourselves
to God.
Lent's fifth Sunday is known as The Sunday of the Judge.
This Sunday's parable (Luke 18:1-8) involves an unjust judge who refuses to
hear a widow's plea. But because of the widow's persistence to be vindicated
against her adversary, even this hard, godless judge gives in and conducts a
trial. This parable assures us that God, our just and loving judge, will not
turn a deaf ear to the pleas of His children; but we learn, too, the need for
perseverance in the Christian life.
The Sunday of Advent is the sixth and last Sunday of
Lent, when the church recalls the revelation of our Savior, who sacrificed His
life for mankind. This day is devoted to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, our
eternal Lord and King; as such we are reminded that, just as everything once
began with God, so too will everything one day end with Him.
Great Lent ends with Lazarus Saturday, which recalls how
Jesus raised His friend from the dead (John 11:1-44). This episode foreshadows
Christ's own Resurrection and serves to remind us of Christ's promise of new
life to those who love Him.
The following day, Palm Sunday, celebrates Christ's entry
into Jerusalem, when He was hailed as the Messiah and King of Israel. Since
Christ was greeted with palm fronds and olive branches on that day, we observe
this occasion by distributing palm leaves to the congregation. During the Palm
Sunday liturgy, the service of "The Opening of the Doors" takes
place. The priest and faithful pray for entry once again into God's glorious Kingdom
and wait for the church to symbolically open Her doors (by opening the black
curtains) just as Christ paved the way for the resurrection of humanity.
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