We just returned from Forgiveness Vespers, the formal start of Great Lent for the Orthodox. It's an amazing service. Here's what I wrote about it last year. Excerpt from that post:
Thus began one of the most remarkable rituals I've ever seen, much less been a part of. We all went around the church, in circular receiving lines, asking forgiveness of each other. The way it worked was like this: two congregants stand facing each other. Then both make the sign of the cross, fall to their knees, bow humbly to each other, touching their heads to the floor, then stand. Each one says, "Forgive me, brother (or sister)." Then they embrace, kiss each other three times on the cheek, and say to each other, "God forgives you, I forgive you," or some slight variation on that.Imagine doing that over 100 times. With every single person in church. The ones you love. The ones you know you should love. The ones who have hurt or offended you. The ones you've not befriended. The ones you've done wrong in some way. Every single man, woman and child. It's astonishing to watch a priest fall to the ground and ask a little girl to forgive him. To see mothers and fathers fall down in front of their children and ask for (and offer) forgiveness.
But it happened tonight.
There's nothing quite like watching an 85 year old archbishop, in full episcopal regalia, fall to his knees in front of a child and ask the little one to forgive him. That's Christianity.
In that spirit, I'd like to ask all of you for your forgiveness for the ways I have offended you in this past year. I don't ask for forgiveness for holding beliefs you don't hold, and I don't think most of you would expect me to. We can't always agree, obviously. But I do ask your forgiveness for the many, many times I spoke (wrote) harshly, nastily, cruelly or rashly. It is important for me to proclaim and defend what I believe to be the truth, but it's also important for me to do so in love, not anger or vindictiveness. I know my temper and pride are big problems for me, and I ask you to forgive me and to pray that I will conquer them.
A blessed fast to you all.
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AAJD, it is not for nothing that St. John Chrysostom said the streets in hell are paved with the skulls of bishops. I ask forgiveness of anybody here that I have offended.
The bishop whom I quoted was speaking facetiously, as I would have hoped was clear.
Wow. I didn't know you were Orthodox. Here, here. My attention span just went up.
It truly is an incredible service. Eventhough it's repeated every year, it never gets old. The older I get, the more profound of an impact it makes.
Fr. Alexander Schmemann had some beautiful things to say about it. I posted them on my blog: http://gailbhyatt.wordpress.com/.
Thanks sharing your thoughts with us.
Warm regards,
Gail Hyatt
AAJD, had it not been for sorry examples such as His lamentable Grace Nikolai of Alaska, and His lamentable Beatitude Herman, I might have thought your Ukrainian bishop was joking from the get-go. Sadly, there are many in the OCA who would find your account to ring all too true, and not funny at all.
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