The essence of Forgiveness Sunday

“How can I not have the pleasure of forgiving my neighbor’s debts, spiritual and material, when the Lord forgives me countless of them?” said St. John of Kronstadt.

Is it easy to hurt another person or offend yourself? Very easy. Is it easy to forgive? Hard, difficult, uncomfortable, heart does not lie... But church It teaches us that we need to forgive. The hardest thing is repentance.





Forgiven Sunday in 2021 On the last day of Maslenitsa, the day before Lent, Orthodox Christians celebrate Forgiveness Sunday. In 2021, this day falls on March 14. The tradition of forgiving and asking for forgiveness came about for a reason. If there is no mutual repentance, then the high meaning of fasting is lost, it is reduced to the usual abstinence from food.

Today. "Site" It will tell you why Forgiveness Sunday is a very important day. On this day, put aside worldly affairs, ask forgiveness from God and people for all the troubles that willy-nilly caused them during the year.





Unfortunately, a lot of people don't even know, What is Forgiveness Sunday? And what's the point of the holiday? Seeing a beautiful picture in social networks, an icon in a frame with a simple rhyme, they immediately remember: “Today you need to forgive everyone!” and send a message to ten more friends. That's a really good idea! He forgives everyone and saves time.

One thing about this event is bad - there is no sincerity and real remorse. The essence of Forgiveness Sunday It is to realize your imperfection, forgive the offender, admit your guilt and ask forgiveness. Not to forgive, but to forgive. To forgive is to admit that this or that I did not do on purpose, by accident, well, who does not happen? To forgive is to accept. Accept your guilt, accept your sin.





It is even more difficult with those who have offended, deceived, insulted, rude, humiliated us. All these people have wittingly or unwittingly hurt you. We are all sinners, and you could have done the same and forgotten about it. But the Church teaches us that it is necessary to act on the call of our Savior – we must forgive. Only by wishing good to the offender can you get spiritual healing.

“Forgiveness is a choice. Forgiving is hard, not forgiving is even harder, says psychologist Robert Enright. And false forgiveness in the form of automatic sending of messages is nothing but arrogance, pride, indifference and pride.





Of course, it is impossible not to take into account the case that a person is offended and does not want to see or hear you. There’s no way to look in the eye and talk about your regrets. Then you can write. Suddenly this message is the only chance to build a relationship. The main thing in the email is yours. sentimentIt's not a standard newsletter with other people's thoughts.

Be prepared for the fact that forgiveness does not always lead to reconciliation, it is only a step towards it. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you have to go back to your old relationship. Only time will put everything in its place. Forgiveness does not mean that you are obligated to let the wrongdoer do his wrongdoing. This attitude gives forgiveness the wrong appearance, one begins to think that to forgive is to allow oneself to be humiliated by violence.

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It is very difficult to accept the offense and live without paying attention to the pain. The Holy Fathers say that in this case you need to understand yourself, in your role in the current situation. You have to understand that if you have been hurt, you have every right to feel hurt and anger. Only a reluctance to accept these emotions creates obstacles to forgiveness.

Purpose of forgiveness Heal a person from emotional experiences, free him from emotional imprisonment and put him on a new path of life. It is only in your power to repent and forgive your neighbor. Learn to forgive, remembering the words of the apostle Paul: “Be not defeated by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).





As we have already mentioned, the Great Lent begins on Monday. It is equally important to ask forgiveness from those who are not with us. You don’t have to go to the cemetery to repent before the dead. Pray for his repose in the temple and remember him in daily prayer. God will recognize your true intentions.

Try to make peace with the living. To overcome your fear and tune in to the right way, go to church morning worship. Think about your actions and admit your mistakes. In the evening, attend a special service. pardonAfter the sermon, the priests ask forgiveness from parishioners and from each other.

The parishioners follow the example of the clergy and admit their guilt, ask forgiveness from the people in the temple, as well as from those who are not there, and promise not to repeat mistakes.





What not to do on Forgiveness Sunday
  1. Do not deny anyone who asks for forgiveness, it is a great sin.



  2. It is forbidden to swear, be angry, quarrel, be offended and get involved in conflicts. The Holy Fathers explain: “If you are offended, ridiculed, hurt, do not answer them.” Even if it seemed very offensive and unfair. No need to justify or argue. Just be silent, in this holy time the enemy is tempting us.”

  3. Put off the hard work for a weekday. On Sunday, you can cook and take care of your pets.



  4. You can not eat meat and drink alcohol. According to tradition, pancakes were baked for breakfast and lunch on this day. Dairy products, dishes from fish and vegetables are allowed. If there is a lot of food left in the house after an olive week, it can be distributed to the homeless or fed to animals.
  5. Do not leave food (pancake, bread, alcohol) at night on the table for the dead. Instead, prayer.
  6. Do not go to bed late on the eve of Lent.





Forgiveness Sunday The preparatory day, the day of spiritual purification before Lent. Ask forgiveness from your family and friends. No need to list your offenses and misdeeds, just say: “Forgive me!”, and when you hear this phrase in your side, answer: “God forgives, and I forgive!” Try to say these words thoughtfully, sincerely and without hypocrisy.





Orthodox holidays and fasting are an opportunity to purify the soul, repent and draw closer to God. Therefore, it is important to know what dates the main church holidays of 2021 fall on. For that. "Site" It is recommended to use the Orthodox calendar. It is convenient and practical, it celebrates all the main holidays and fasts of 2021. What does it mean to you? Forgiveness Sunday?

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