First Week, marked by 10-hours daily of church services and one meal a day, culminated with the Triumph of Orthodoxy, reinforcing the purpose of our Lenten struggle as the means by which we fully incorporate ourselves into “the Faith that has established the universe.” To amplify the solemnity of this celebration, seminarians and monastics participated in hierarchical vespers and liturgy with Bishop Jerome (Shaw), a former seminarian at Holy Trinity Seminary and one of the major translators of Russian Orthodox liturgical texts into English and Slavonic.

Before the service of the Triumph of Orthodoxy, including the anathemas that can be recited only in the presence of a bishop, Bishop Jerome reminded the congregation that the anathemas are not curses but are outlines that define the boundaries of the Church. They act as a guide that functions not negatively, by creating opposition to outsiders, but positively, preserving and protecting those inside the Body of Christ, deepening our understanding of the uniqueness of our divinely transmitted tradition.

With the first week of Lent completed, we pray that the Lord will preserve us and all the faithful for the remainder of this season so that we can successfully participate in His Resurrection on Pascha.