Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center Holy and Glorious Pascha Preparation Twentyeighth Day - Great Lent - Fourth Sunday: Commemoration of Our Holy Father John Climacus (13th Day before the Transition Period)

Sundays of Great Lent or Pascha Cycle
Sunday	Name	Day of Great Lent	Day before Transition Period	Apostolos	Gospel	Saint
4	Commemoration of Our Holy Father John Climacus	28th day of Great Lent	13th day before Transition Period	Heb. 6:13-20	Mk. 9:17-31	Our Holy Father John Climacus

Our Holy Father John Climacus is commemorated because he wrote "The Ladder of Virtue" / "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" / "The Ladder of Paradise" / "The Stairway to Heaven". This book is available on the Internet is read in monasteries during Great Lent. Our Holy Father John Climacus wrote "The Ladder of Virtue" to instruct monks on how to live a life of asceticism and penance. In this book, Our Holy Father John Climacus teaches souls how to ascend to the summit of union with God in a step a step manner through the practice of virtues. Each chapter has an exposition of a virtue. Our Holy Father John Climacus starts with the practical virtues and progresses to the theoretical or mystical virtues. "The Ladder of Virtue" describes Christian life like climbing a ladder from earth to heaven.

"The Ladder of Virtue" has 30 chapters. The reading of "The Ladder of Virtue" would be completed on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent. That is the reason why we honor him on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent.

Our Holy Father John Climacus is also called "St John Climakos", "St John Klimakos", and "St John of the Ladder". His name "Climacus" is from the title of his book, "The Ladder of Virtue". "Climax" is the Greek word for the American word "ladder".

Epistle

Hebrews 9:11-14 The reading is from St Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews. This reading reminds us that Holy God's promises can be believed because Holy God doesn't swear by any created thing to support his promise. He swears by Himself, unchangeable and unchanging.

Gospel

St Mark 10:32-45 In this reading, the father of the demon-possessed child asks Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ to help him, "if you can do anything." Holy God the Son within the Holy Trinity / Our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ answers that "all things can be done for someone who believes."
If we are together with Holy God in faith and prayer, all things can be done for us.

Kontakion, Troparion, Exapostilarion, and Vespers Sticheron or Doxastikon

KONTAKION (TONE 1)
O wise and blessed John, you gave us your teachings as fruits ever ripe to liven the hearts of those who hear them well. Your doctrine is like a ladder that leads to heavenly and everlasting glory the souls of those who honor you.

Eparch Cyrille Bustros's Message, Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Eparchy of Newton, Roslindale, Massachusetts, United States

2006

Pascha Cycle

The Sundays of Great Lent are within the Pascha Cycle. The Sundays of Great Lent are between the Fourth Sunday of the Triodion: Sunday of Cheese fare - Forgiveness and the Transition Period between Great Lent and Great and Holy Week. Great Lent begins on Clean Monday and ends on the Friday after the Fifth Sunday of Lent.

How to determine when the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent occurs

Great Lent is Forty Days.
A count back from the date of Pascha is made.

Sundays of Great Lent or Pascha Cycle
Sunday	Name	Day of Great Lent	Day before Transition Period	Apostolos	Gospel	Action	Saint
Vespers of Clean Monday	Service of Forgiveness	Vespers of 1st day of Great Lent	Eve of 40th day before Transition Period			Forgive
Clean Monday	1st day of Great Lent	1st day of Great Lent	40th day before Transition Period	1 Cor. 3:18-23	Lk. 21:8-36
1	Sunday of Triumph of Orthodoxy	7th day of Great Lent	34th day before Transition Period	Heb. 11:24-26, 32-40, 12:1-2A	John 1:43-51	Procession with holy ikons and presentation for veneration
2	Sunday of Veneration of Holy Relics Gregory Palamas	14th day of Great Lent	27th day before Transition Period	2nd Cor. 4:6-15	Mk. 2:1-12	Procession with holy relics and presentation for veneration	All Saints have Relics St. Gregory Palamas
3	Sunday of Veneration of Holy Cross	21st day of Great Lent	20th day before Transition Period	Heb. 4:14-5:6	Mk. 8:34-9:1	Procession with Holy Cross and presentation for veneration
4	Commem- oration of Our Holy Father John Climacus	28th day of Great Lent	13th day before Transition Period	Heb. 6:13-20	Mk. 9:17-31		Our Holy Father John Climacus
5	Commem- oration of Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt	35th day of Great Lent	6th day before Transition Period	Heb. 9:11-14	Mk. 10:32b-45		Our Venerable Mother Mary of Egypt
Friday after Fifth Sunday	Last day of Great Lent	40th day of Great Lent	1st day before Transition Period	Eph. 2:4-10	Mt. 4:1-11

Traditions

Traditions of Great Lent and Holy Week Melkite Greek Catholic Church Eparchy of Newton

More Information

Saint Ignatios of Antioch Melkite Greek Catholic Church Then click on Resources. The first category is Lenten Information.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Lent But Were Afraid to Ask St. George Melkite-Greek Catholic Church, Sacramento, CA

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on The Triodion Celebrations for Great Lent

Ikon

Fourth Sunday of Great Lent Saint Joseph Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Lawrence, Massachusetts, Click on The Triodion Celebrations for Great Lent

Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center
Martha Liles
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Melkite Greek Catholic Church Information Center is dedicated to my cousins: Bucky (Richard C. Liles), Shirley (Shirley Jean Liles Buck), and Donna (Donna Bertha Liles Campbell). Bucky fell asleep in the Lord on Dec. 12, 2000, Shirley fell asleep in the Lord on Nov. 8, 2001, and Donna fell asleep in the Lord on March 9, 2020.
O God of all spirits and of all flesh, who have destroyed death, overcome the devil, and given life to the world: grant, O Lord, to the souls of your servants Bucky and Shirley, who has departed from this life, that it may rest in a place of light, in a place of happiness, in a place of peace, where there is no pain, no grief, no sighing. And since You are a gracious God and the Lover of Mankind, forgive him/her every sin he/she has committed by thought, or word, or deed, for there is not a man who lives and does not sin : You alone are without sin, your righteousness is everlasting, and your word is true. You are the Resurrection and the Life, and the repose of your departed servants Bucky and Shirley. O Christ our God, and we send up glory to You, together with your eternal Father and your all-holy, good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and for ages upon ages. Amen.

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