03 March 2012

Great Lent as a Tithe

"The universal precept promulgated in the Mosaic law for all the people is: 'You shall offer your tithes and firstfruits to the Lord, your God.' And so, since we are ordered to offer tithes of what we own and of our produce, all the more necessary is it that we offer tithes of our very lives, of our human activity and of our works, which is very obviously accomplished in the reckoning up of Lent. For the tithe of the entire number of days which complete the turning year is thirty-six and a half days. Now if the Sundays and Saturdays are subtracted from seven weeks, there remain thirty-five days assigned for fasting. If the day of the vigil is added, however, on which the fast is prolonged until cockcrow on Sunday morning, not only is the number of thirty-six days arrived at but, in regard to the tithe of the five days that seemed to be left out, nothing will be wanting to complete the whole sum if the period of night that has added be included in." - Abba Theonas (21.25.2-3)


May we tithe to the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit from our hearts during Great Lent and the rest of our lives.

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