The second Sunday of Lent is dedicated to St Gregory Palamas.
Click here for the text of Vespers, Orthros, and the Divine Liturgy variables.
Click here for the Typica service. (When reading Typica instead of attending Liturgy, you will need both the Typica and Divine Liturgy texts.)
Lenten Sunday Vespers is here.
Theme
On the Second Sunday of Lent the Orthodox Church commemorates our Holy Father Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, the Wonderworker. The feast day of Saint Gregory Palamas is November 14, however, he is commemorated on this Sunday as the condemnation of his enemies and the vindication of his teachings by the Church in the 14th century was acclaimed as a second triumph of Orthodoxy.
Story
The Spring of Light now leadeth to light unwaning
The Light’s own truly great and resplendent herald.
This divine father was born in Asia and was brought up from infancy in the royal palace of Constantinople. When he was of age, Gregory left the palace and gave himself to asceticism on Mount Athos. He eventually moved to Thessalonica to seek cure for the diseases he contracted because of his asceticism and piety. In 1349, he was elevated to the episcopacy, tending to his people in an Apostolic fashion for 13 years. He is glorified as an ascetic, a theologian, a hierarch and a miracle-worker, who forsook a prominent, secular lifestyle to take up his cross and follow Christ. The Most-Holy Theotokos, St. John the Theologian, St. Demetrius, St. Anthony the Great, St. John Chrysostom and angels of God appeared to him at different times.
Observance of the Week
The feast day of Saint Gregory Palamas is November 14, the day of his repose, however the Orthodox Church commemorates the Saint on the Second Sunday of Lent. As a Sunday of Great Lent, the commemoration is celebrated with the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil the Great, which is preceded by a Matins (Orthros) service. A Great Vespers is conducted on Saturday evening.