Before we number the Sundays of Great Lent, let us recall once more that fasting is a time of abstinence, of prayer and of spiritual cleansing. It is a season in which a person withdraws from the vanity of the world in order to draw nearer to God. As it is said in Holy Scripture:
„But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret“ (Matthew 6:17–18).
The Sundays of Great Lent
First Sunday – Paregentan (Բարեկենդան)
Paregentan (Բարեկենդան) marks the beginning of the fasting season. It is the threshold between everyday life and spiritual concentration. A person becomes aware of the need for change and for repentance.
„Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand“ (Matthew 4:17).
This Sunday calls us to enter the fast with humility and a sincere desire for spiritual renewal.
Second Sunday – Artaksman (Արտաքսման)
Artaksman (Արտաքսման) – „of the Expulsion“ – recalls the driving out of Adam from Paradise.
„Therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden“ (Genesis 3:23).
This Sunday reminds us of the consequences of sin, but also of God’s mercy. Though a person may fall, God always leaves a way back to return and to be saved.
Third Sunday – Anaragin (Անառակին)
Anaragin (Անառակին) – „of the Prodigal Son“ – reveals to us the power of repentance.
„For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found“ (Luke 15:24).
God’s love is without limit. When a person repents sincerely, they find forgiveness and a new beginning.
Fourth Sunday – Tndesin (Տնտեսին)
Tndesin (Տնտեսին) – „of the Steward“ – teaches the faithful wisdom and spiritual responsibility.
„Who then is a faithful and wise servant?“ (Matthew 24:45).
A person is the steward of the gifts God has given – time, ability, faith. This Sunday calls us to use them wisely and with gratitude.
Fifth Sunday – Datavorin (Դատավորին)
Datavorin (Դատավորին) – „of the Judge“ – reminds us of perseverance in prayer and of the justice of God.
„And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him?“ (Luke 18:7).
This Sunday encourages us not to grow weak in prayer, and to believe that God hears every sincere turning towards Him.
Sixth Sunday – Galstyan (Գալստյան)
Galstyan (Գալստյան) – „of the Coming“ – is dedicated to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
„And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory“ (Matthew 24:30).
This Sunday calls us to spiritual watchfulness, to hope, and to readiness to meet the Lord with a pure heart.
On the Saturday the Raising of Lazarus is commemorated:
„I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live“ (John 11:25).
Seventh Sunday – Tsaghkazard (Ծաղկազարդ)
Tsaghkazard (Ծաղկազարդ) – Palm Sunday – commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
„Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord“ (Matthew 21:9).
It is a day of joy and of the acknowledgement of Christ as King, but also the beginning of the road towards the Passion and the Cross.
Eighth Sunday – Harutyun / Zatik (Հարություն / Զատիկ)
Harutyun, or Zatik (Հարություն / Զատիկ) – the Resurrection of Christ – is the crown of the Lenten journey.
„He is not here: for he is risen“ (Matthew 28:6).
The Resurrection is the victory of life over death, of light over darkness. It is the hope of every believer and the meaning of Great Lent.
Great Lent is a spiritual journey – from repentance to joy, from the fall to salvation. It teaches us that true change begins in the heart and is completed in the light of the Resurrection.