Meatfare Sunday (of the Fearful Judgement), Tone 3; The Holy Martyrs Pamphilus the Priest (c. 309); and Porphyrius and Their Companions
Read
1 Corinthians 8:8-9:2; Matthew 25:31-46
As its name indicates, this is traditionally the final day for eating meat until Pascha. This additional week of abstinence from meat comes from the Monastery of Saint Sabbas, near Jerusalem. The monks are thought to have introduced the practice in expiation for a sin of the Emperor Heraclius when he recaptured Jerusalem from the Persians. But this is a historical matter of no particular importance and is not even mentioned in the Triodion.
The real theme of this Sunday is the Last Judgment, which we read about in the Gospel at the Divine Liturgy (Matthew 25:31-46).
Fasting is a discipline, an aid to repentance. Repentance itself is the object of the exercise. Just before the Great Doxology on this Sunday we sing “If you fast, do not deceive your neighbour! If you abstain from food, do not judge others!”
Even Lent has its temptations: we may be tempted to believe that our religious practice of Lent somehow entitles us to look down on others, or somehow excuses us from serving others. Just the opposite is true. And this “Sunday of the Last Judgment” should keep before our eyes, all through Lent, the primary importance of caring for the needs of others, of recognizing in those in need, Christ Himself. Lent should teach us humility; God forbid that Lent would become an occasion of pride!
The week following this Sunday, the last week before Lent itself has some interesting features. Wednesday and Friday are “aliturgical days,” which means that no celebration of the Divine Liturgy is foreseen by the calendar, and there are no readings from the Scripture for the Divine Liturgy. Saturday, the day before Forgiveness Sunday, is kept in honour of the monastic saints, the Holy Ascetics because particularly during Lent we strive to follow their good example.
In Orientale Lumen, Pope John Paul II devotes much attention to our tradition of monasticism, (see Orientale Lumen , 9-10, 12-15) which the Holy Father calls “a reference point for all the baptized, according to the gifts offered to each by the Lord” ( Orientale Lumen , 9). I should like to encourage all the clergy and faithful of the eparchy to read Orientale Lumen during Lent. It is the monastics who have given us much of our Lenten practice, and this Saturday just before Lent is a moment when we offer the monastic saints our thanks for all that they have done, for all that they mean to the Church. This Saturday also is a reminder to our contemporary monastics, including even those who serve in our own diocese, that they are the heirs and custodians of a most glorious spiritual heritage which the Church expects them to cultivate and share.
This Saturday, finally, reminds us of Pope John Paul II’s exhortation:
“With regard to monasticism, in consideration of its importance in Eastern Christianity, we would like it to flourish once more in the Eastern Catholic Churches, and that support be given to all those who feel called to work for its revitalization. In fact, in the East an intrinsic link exists between liturgical prayer, spiritual tradition and monastic life. For this reason, precisely, a well-trained and motivated renewal of monastic life could mean true ecclesial fruitfulness for them as well. Nor should it be thought that this would diminish the effectiveness of the pastoral ministry which in fact will be strengthened by such a vigorous spirituality, and thus will find once more its ideal place. This hope also concerns the territories of the Eastern diaspora, where the presence of Eastern monasteries would give greater stability to the Eastern Churches in those countries and would make a valuable contribution to the religious life of Western Christians” (Orientale Lumen, 27).
In response to this teaching of the Holy Father, we should pray for an abundance of monastic vocations, and for the strong, authentic monastic witness which Orientale Lumen describes.
Excerpt from Our Paschal Pilgrimage. A Guide for the Great Fast for Ukrainian Catholics by Bishop Basil Losten