View source for Forgiveness Sunday

[[Image:Expulsion from Eden.JPG|frame|right|Expulsion from Eden]]
'''Forgiveness Sunday''', also called '''[[Cheesefare Week|Cheesefare]] Sunday''', is the final day of [[Lenten Triodion|pre-Lent]]. It is the [[Sunday]] after [[Meatfare Sunday]] and the Sunday before the [[Sunday of Orthodoxy]].  

==Significance of the day==
 
On this last Sunday before [[Great Lent]], the last day that traditionally Orthodox Christians eat dairy products until [[Easter]],  the Church remembers the expulsion of [[Adam and Eve]] from Paradise. [[God]] commanded them to [[fast]] from the fruit of a tree (Gen. 2:16), but they did not obey. In this way Adam and Eve and their descendants became heirs of death and corruption. 

On Forgiveness Sunday many attend [[Vespers#Special_Forms|Forgiveness Vespers]] on the eve of Great Lent. They hear on the Lord's teaching about fasting and forgiveness and enter the season of the fast forgiving one another so that God will forgive them. ''If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your heavenly Father forgive you your trespasses'' ([[Gospel of Matthew|Matthew]] 6:14).

The [[Gospel]] reading of the day also gives advice on fasting.  ''Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face,  so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.'' (Matthew 6:16-18).

==The Rite of Forgiveness==
After the dismissal at Vespers, the priest stands beside the [[analogion]], or before the [[ambon]], and the faithful come up one by one and [[venerate]] the [[icon]], after which each makes a [[prostration]] before the priest, saying, "Forgive me, a sinner."  The priest also makes a prostration before each, saying, "God forgives. Forgive me." The person responds, "God forgives," and receives a blessing from the priest.  Meanwhile the choir sings quietly the [[irmos|irmoi]] of the Paschal Canon, or else the Paschal Stichera.  After receiving the priest's blessing, the faithful also ask forgiveness of each other.

==Hymns==
[[Kontakion]] (Tone 6) 
:Master, Teacher of wisdom,
:Bestower of virtue,
:You teach the thoughtless and protect the poor:
:Strengthen and enlighten my heart.
:Word of the Father,
:Let me not restrain my mouth from crying to you:
:Have mercy on me, a transgressor,
:O merciful Lord!

==See also==
*[[Cheesefare Week]]
*[[Lenten Triodion]]

==External links==
* [http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=7 Sunday of Cheesefare Expulsion of Adam from Paradise] from [[OCA]] website
* [http://www.orthodox.net/questions/forgiveness_sunday_1.html Questions on Forgiveness Sunday] from the parish website of St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church of Dallas, Texas ([[ROCOR]])
* [http://www.schmemann.org/byhim/forgivenesssunday.html Forgiveness Sunday] by [[Protopresbyter]] [[Alexander Schmemann]]
* [http://lent.goarch.org/forgiveness/learn/ Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheesefare Sunday)] from [[GOARCH]] website
* [http://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints_view?contentid=1002&PCode=CHEESES&D=S&date=3/17/2013 Forgiveness Sunday] from GOARCH website
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/services/forgivenessvespers_horologion.doc Forgiveness Vespers Horologion Text (DOC)]
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/rub/forgivenessvespers.htm Variable Portions of Forgiveness Vespers for the current year] (Old Calendar)

[[Category:Feasts]]
[[Category:Lent]]
[[Category:Liturgics]]

[[fr:Dimanche de l’expulsion d’Adam du Paradis]]
[[mk:Сиропусна недела]]
[[ro:Duminica Izgonirii lui Adam din Rai]]