Please note that Great Lent began this year on February 23. During Great Lent we abstain from meat and dairy products including fish (although fish is allowed on Palm Sunday – April 5). Let us recall that fasting is a tool given to us by God to aid us spiritually. For some it is easy to fast, for others it is difficult. However, what is most important is that we make a sincere effort to follow the fast. Why? Simply because the fast helps us to see our sins by helping us to focus spiritually. Eating “light” foods, or perhaps rather, abstaining from “heavy” foods such as meats and cheeses, allows us to be less focused on our stomachs and more focused on our souls, and of course, in this season when we undergo our journey to the Resurrection of our Lord we dearly wish to improve ourselves spiritually that we might meet the risen Christ better than we were when we began Great Lent. St. John Chrysostom writes that we abstain from meats that we might abstain from our sins. This nicely sums up the reason the Holy Church, as a loving mother, gives us the gift of fasting. Pascha is April 12 – may God grant us all a spiritually profitable Great Lent!

The March Vladcast is up on our You Tube channel! See it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj_H1AtgU1I

We promised in the Vladcast that we would publish the Presanctified Liturgy tip sheet here - and here it is:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/pamphlets ... gytips.pdf

Please find an edifying sermon by St. Tikhon at the link below. Included in this sermon are these very helpful words:

"Unfortunately, brethren, we do not like to acknowledge our transgressions. It would seem natural and easy for a person to know his own self, his own soul and his shortcomings. This, however, is actually not so. We are ready to attend to anything but a deeper understanding of ourselves, an investigation of our sins. We examine various things with curiosity, we attentively study friends and strangers, but when faced with solitude without extraneous preoccupation even for a short while, we immediately become bored and attempt to seek amusement..."

Read the entire sermon here:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/68746.htm

Please join us in welcoming two representatives from the very active St. Elizabeth Convent in Minsk, Belarus tonight and tomorrow at St. Vladimir's. After Liturgy tomorrow (and most likely after Vigil tonight) items from the convents' workshops will be available for purchase. Those interested in liturgically sewn items such as Podrazniks can also be measured by the representatives - the convent has an excellent sewing shop. Please plan to join us tonight and tomorrow for this special visit and to support the convent as you are able.

Link to the St. Elizabeth Convent Web Site (you may choose "English" on the top right of the home page):

http://www.obitel-minsk.by/

The schedule of services and activities will be held as planned this afternoon beginning with Bell Ringing/Choir/Altar Servers practice at 4:00 p.m., Church School at 5:00 p.m., and Vigil at 6:00 p.m.

We thank you all for your patience and understanding while Fr. Gregory was ill the last few days. And we thank you for your prayers. He seems to be better, but reports that he would appreciate your continued prayers on his behalf.

Liturgy is canceled this morning because Fr. Gregory is ill.We ask your forgiveness for the inconvenience!

Please find information pertaining to the first Saturday of Great Lent at this link:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/45261.htm

Please find several edifying readings at this link for Friday of the first week of Great Lent:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/60297.htm

This year, with the blessing of His Grace Bishop Peter, we will celebrate the beautiful Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts throughout Great Lent on Wednesday evenings. Matins begins at 3:00 p.m. Liturgy will begin at approximately 6:30 p.m. Following each of these services our St. Xenia Sisterhood will organize a light Lenten dinner. Please contact our Head Sister, Ksenia Nikulshina (headsister@stvladimiraami.org or see her in church) if you would like to help with the dinner. We have excellent Lenten recipes to share if you’d like to try something new! Please join us for these remarkably beautiful and meaningful Lenten evening services and for mid-week fellowship with your parish family at the meal afterwards!

Wednesday, March 11
Wednesday, March 18
Thursday, March 26 – NOTE THIS IS A THURSDAY
Wednesday, April 1

The Liturgical Fast for those communing begins after breakfast for the 6:30 p.m. services. In other words, you may eat breakfast, but eat or drink nothing further after that. Parents should use their best judgment regarding their children, as always. Those who confessed on the weekend prior to the Wednesday Presanctified need not confess again on/before Wednesday.

PLEASE NOTE! There are MANY OTHER Presanctified Liturgies throughout Great Lent that begin with Matins at 8:00 a.m. and Liturgy about 11:30 a.m. - mostly on Fridays. Please consult the schedule of services on our web site for more details:

http://www.stvladimiraami.org/calendars ... lendar.pdf

Please find several edifying readings here for Thursday of the first week of Great Lent:

http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/68969.htm