Monday of Cheese Week

The gateway to divine repentance has been opened: let us enter eagerly, purified in our bodies and  observing abstinence from food and passions, as obedient servants of Christ who has called the world into the heavenly Kingdom.  Let us offer to the King of all a tenth part of the whole year, that we may look with love upon His Resurrection.--Sessional Hymn at Orthros after the 2nd reading from the psalter in the first tone

Let us make haste to wash away through fasting the filth of our transgressions, and through acts of mercy and compassion to the needy let us enter into the bridal chamber of the Bridegroom Christ, who grants us the Great Mercy.--Sticheron at Psalm 140 at Vespers in plagal fourth tone.

Selections of the First Kathisma of the Spiritual Psalter of St. Ephraim the Syrian, First Stasis

Blessed is he who loves repentance; which saves all sinners, and does not delight in sin, that he might not appear ungrateful before God our Saviour.-- Spiritual Psalter # 1

I bow down to Thee, O Master; I bless Thee, O Good One; I beseech Thee, O Holy One; I fall down before Thee, O lover of mankind; and I glorify Thee, O Christ; for Thou, O Only-Begotten Master of All, O Only Sinless One, was, for the sake of me, an unworthy sinner, given up to death on the cross in order to free the soul of a sinner from the bondage of sin.--Spiritual Psalter # 2

Thus, as Thou hast always heard me, so now do not scorn my prayer.  For Thou seest that my mind, like a prisoner, seeks Thee, the Only True Saviour.--Spiritual Psalter # 3