SUNDAYS OF PREPARATION
Three weeks before Lent proper begins we enter into a period of pre-Lenten preparation. It is a constant feature of the Orthodox tradition of worship that every major liturgical event—(Christmas, Easter, Lent)—is announced and prepared in advance. Knowing our lack of concentration, the "worldliness" of our life, the Church calls our attention to the seriousness of the approaching event, invites us to meditate on its significance. Thus, before we can practice Lent, we are given its meaning.
This preparation includes four consecutive Sundays preceding Lent, each one of them dedicated to some fundamental aspect of repentance.