The Liturgy of Presanctified Gifts has become the Lenten Service of the Orthodox Christian Church par excellence. Including Old Testament readings and penitential prayers, this liturgy helps Orthodox Christian believers to prepare themselves for the celebration of Pascha (Easter). We examine the Fall of Mankind in our readings from the Book of Genesis, and aniticpate Christ’s Passion and Resurrection that saves us from the consequences of the Ancestral Sin. The particular feature of this service is that the Holy Gifts of the Eucharist are held over or reserved from Sunday, hence the name ‘Presanctified Gifts’.
Father Deacon Alexei Vassiouchkine, of Christ the Saviour Orthodox Catherdral in Toronto, will explain the basic structure and theology of this Lenten rite. His talk will take place on Thursday, Mar 26, 2009, during our OCF meeting at 6:30pm, immediately following the Daily Vespers service. As usual, the meeting will take place at Wycliffe College Chapel, at 5 Hoskin Ave.
