Lenten Reading List, Part 1

 

Dear Parish Faithful,

Looking ahead to Great Lent (March 18), I would like to begin recommending some excellent Orthodox literature that would clearly deepen your understanding, and even practice, of this unique liturgical season. Such a list always begins with Great Lent, as you will read below. If you are new to the Orthodox Church, or have not read this book if even a long-standing member of the Church, I consider this book a "must read." 

+  Great Lent - Journey to Pascha by Fr. Alexander Schmemann. Recommended by Arch. Kallistos Ware as the best single volume about Lent in English, this book has become a “classic” that should be read by one and all. After reading this book, you will never approach the Lenten services in exactly the same way. In fact, you just may want to come to church more often during Great Lent. This book includes the great appendix chapter, “Taking Lent Seriously” which you will do even more so after reading this book!

+ The Lenten Spring by Fr. Thomas Hopko. Also already something of a “classic.” This is a series of forty three-four page meditations on a variety of lenten themes. A wonderful use of the Scriptures and the Church’s Lenten hymnography, together with Fr. Hopko’s endless stream of great insights.

+ Prayer: An Encounter With the Living God by Metropolitan Ilarion Alfeyev. A relatively new book by one of today’s most prolific and gifted theologians/spiritual directors. Short straightforward chapters that yield many insights into the practice of serious and effective prayer. Very practical and quite helpful for that very reason.

+ The Passion of Christ by Veselin Kesich. This was my New Testament professor at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. A compact and clearly-written account of the Lord’s death on the Cross. Prof. Kesich walks you through the Lord’s earthly ministry and all of the factors that led to the Lord’s Passion. In only about a hundred pages, this book will illuminate a great deal for you as we move toward Holy Week during Great Lent.

+ The Power of the Name: The Jesus Prayer in Orthodox Spirituality by Archbishop Kallistos Ware. Certainly the best short introduction to the Jesus Prayer by a lifelong student and practitioner of the great “prayer of the heart.” Arch. Ware distills years of study and practice into an unforgettable forty-page treatise. Yes – another classic!

To be continued...