Spiritual Reading For Lent
By Else Tennessen

Reading can be a means to draw near to God, for did He not choose a Book to tell us His Story? During the quiet, contemplative time of Lent, read a spiritual book to grow in the Faith. Here are some suggestions for this season.

First Fruits of Prayer: A Forty-Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew By Frederica Mathewes-Green. A guided retreat—ideal for the Lenten season—through the classic Great Canon, a wise, ancient, Orthodox text that will enrich your experience of spirituality and prayer.

Great Lent By Fr. Alexander Schmemann. Here is all the richness and depth of the liturgical experience of Great Lent in the Church. Every Orthodox layperson should read this book for Lent.

Great Lent Unplugged: The Funny, Terrible, Wonderful Journey to PaschaBy Jean Hoefling. Here is Lent with a sense of self-deprecating humor--an antidote to the human propensity to overdo personal spiritual loftiness.

Orthodox Lent, Holy Week and Easter By Hugh Wybrew. This book describes the observance of this season in the Orthodox Christian tradition by presenting selected liturgical texts and commentary from the services. Excellent material for meditation and personal prayer.

Let Us Attend: Reflections on the Gospel of Mark for the Lenten By Fr. William C. Mills. If we pay close attention to the Lenten prayers, hymns, and Scripture readings, we begin to realize that we are called to lay down our life for our neighbor.

These titles can be ordered online from www.amazon.com, www.light-n-life.com, www.svspress.com or www.conciliarpress.com.

And for a longer list of books for Lent, please visit the School of the Seventy bulletin board in Fellowship Hall.

May your reading be blessed!