The Beginning of Great Lent or Cheesefare Week

Today was the beginning of Great Lent or Cheesefare Week depending on which Church you may attend.  Welcome to My Orthodox Life.  This is my first post on this blog and I want it to be a place where people can visit, spend a bit of time, maybe learn something or share something, and leave with a good feeling.

For me, today is the beginning of Great Lent since I currently attend a small American Coptic Orthodox parish and I am so excited to once again be a participant in lent along with my church family. 

I had a hard time finding a parish home after moving a few years ago.  But, our Lord and Savior never gave up on me and once again, I feel at home.

I'm a convert.  My background in Orthodoxy began in the Eastern Orthodox Church over 13 years ago.   You may know me from my other blog,  Lilly My Cat, where I'm known as Lilly's Mom or Pat.  I will be writing this blog as Martha, the name given to me at my Chrismation.  There has been so many negative things written in blogland lately. I love to read positive things; things that can help me on my path to salvation.  That's why I felt the need to share these things on My Orthodox Life.

 There's more to my story but I will keep that for another time.  

February 21, 2017 Gospel Reading:

Matthew 9:10-15

Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to His disciples, "Why does your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?"
When Jesus heard that, He said to them, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."
Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"
And Jesus said to them, "Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.

 Arabic Gospel Reading:
وَبَيْنَمَا هُوَ مُتَّكِئٌ فِي الْبَيْتِ إِذَا عَشَّارُونَ وَخُطَاةٌ كَثِيرُونَ قَدْ جَاءُوا وَاتَّكَأُوا مَعَ يَسُوعَ وَتَلاَمِيذِهِ. 11 فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ الْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ قَالُوا لِتَلاَمِيذِهِ: «لِمَاذَا يَأْكُلُ مُعَلِّمُكُمْ مَعَ الْعَشَّارِينَ وَالْخُطَاةِ؟» 12 فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ يَسُوعُ قَالَ لَهُمْ: «لاَ يَحْتَاجُ الأَصِحَّاءُ إِلَى طَبِيبٍ بَلِ الْمَرْضَى. 13 فَاذْهَبُوا وَتَعَلَّمُوا مَا هُوَ: إِنِّي أُرِيدُ رَحْمَةً لاَ ذَبِيحَةً لأَنِّي لَمْ آتِ لأَدْعُوَ أَبْرَاراً بَلْ خُطَاةً إِلَى التَّوْبَةِ». 14 حِينَئِذٍ أَتَى إِلَيْهِ تَلاَمِيذُ يُوحَنَّا قَائِلِينَ: «لِمَاذَا نَصُومُ نَحْنُ وَالْفَرِّيسِيُّونَ كَثِيراً وَأَمَّا تَلاَمِيذُكَ فَلاَ يَصُومُونَ؟» 15 فَقَالَ لَهُمْ يَسُوعُ: «هَلْ يَسْتَطِيعُ بَنُو الْعُرْسِ أَنْ يَنُوحُوا مَا دَامَ الْعَرِيسُ مَعَهُمْ؟ وَلَكِنْ سَتَأْتِي أَيَّامٌ حِينَ يُرْفَعُ الْعَرِيسُ عَنْهُمْ فَحِينَئِذٍ يَصُومُونَ.  متى 9 : 10-15

Asking for Your Prayers,

Martha