Second Sunday of the Great Fast (St. Gregory Palamas)

In the Great Fast, we imitate Jesus our Lord, who fasted for forty days in the desert following his baptism. Our observance of the Great Fast, therefore, is our renewal of our baptismal fervor.

Each Sunday of the Great Fast has a particular commemoration. On the Second Sunday of Lent, we commemorate St. Gregory Palamas, the father of hesychasm, that is, silent prayer or prayer of the mind (nous).

In addition to celebrating St. Gregory Palamas on this Sunday, we receive an edifying reminder of the importance of earnest effort and persistence as we continue through Great Lent. This theme builds off the theme of Faith that we saw during the First Sunday of Great Lent. The Gospel according to Mark, chapter 2, verses one to twelve, describes the healing of the paralytic in Capernaum. We see four men trying to wrestle a crowd to get their friend to Jesus for healing. The crowd is simply too large but instead of abandoning hope, they decide to enter the house through the roof. They persist. With this story, we can see how we are similar to the paralytic and in need of spiritual and physical healing. We are also reminded that we should take time and make an effort to help those in need, and never tire of seeking Christ’s mercy.