As the sun sets on the final Sunday before Great Lent, Orthodox Christians around the world gather in their churches to commemorate a deeply moving and essential moment in the story of humanity: the Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. This Sunday, also known as Forgiveness Sunday, marks the culmination of the four-week period of preparation leading into Lent. It is a day that bridges the past and the present, reminding us of both humanity’s tragic loss and our invitation to return.
To those unfamiliar with the Eastern Orthodox calendar, this Sunday is the final stepping stone before we enter the great fast of Lent. Over the past three weeks, the Church has guided us through the stories of the Publican and the Pharisee, the Prodigal Son, and the Last Judgment, each calling us to self-examination, repentance, and humility. Now, we stand before the gates of Lent, much as Adam stood before the gates of Eden, and we are called to recognize our own exile—our own spiritual distance from God—and to take the first step home.
Adam’s Exile and Our Own
In the opening chapters of Genesis, we read of a world that was whole, a Paradise where humanity lived in direct communion with God. Adam and Eve were given only one commandment—to fast from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil—but in their disobedience, they lost not only the beauty of Eden but the very intimacy they once shared with their Creator:
“So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:24)
St. Basil the Great reminds us that “since we did not fast, we fell from Paradise; let us, therefore, fast so that we may return.” The Church does not simply present Adam’s story as history but as our story. Each time we choose self-will over God’s will, we re-enact Adam’s fall. Every day we live selfishly, hold onto resentments, or fail to love, we participate in the exile. Yet, the good news is that the path to return has already been laid before us.
The Journey Back: Fasting and Forgiveness
This Sunday, the Church gives us two essential tools to begin our journey home: forgiveness and fasting. The Gospel reading for the day, from Matthew 6:14-21, is Christ’s direct instruction to us as we prepare for Lent:
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
Forgiveness is not an optional add-on to the Christian life—it is the very condition for receiving God’s mercy. St. Nikolai of Ohrid captures the urgency of this moment:
“By fasting, a man lifts his soul… to the light of God’s Kingdom, to his own true homeland. But how can we begin the journey if we carry the heavy burden of resentment?”
On this evening, Orthodox churches hold a profoundly beautiful service known as Forgiveness Vespers. At the conclusion of the service, each person approaches their fellow parishioners and asks, “Forgive me, a sinner,” to which the response is given, “God forgives, and I forgive.” It is a moment of great humility and healing, a foretaste of the reconciliation that Christ offers to the world.
Reversing the Fall: The Call to Fasting
St. Gregory Palamas reminds us that fasting was the very first command given to man. Adam’s failure to fast led to death and exile, but Christ, the New Adam, fasted in the wilderness to restore what was lost. The Church now invites us to take part in this restoration through the Lenten fast—not as a mere dietary restriction, but as a reorientation of our hearts.
Fasting is not about deprivation but about transformation. We abstain from certain foods and pleasures not because they are evil, but because our unchecked desires have led us astray. In choosing to say “no” to ourselves in small things, we learn how to say “yes” to God in greater things.
Since we did not fast, we fell from Paradise; let us, therefore, fast so that we may return.
The Hymns of Exile and Return
The hymns of the Church on this day express Adam’s sorrow, which we are called to make our own:
“Adam sat before Paradise and wept: ‘Woe is me! By evil deceit was I persuaded and led astray, and now I am cast out in bitter exile. O merciful and compassionate Lord, call me back to Yourself!’”
Yet the Church does not leave us in despair. The same Lord who closed the gates of Eden has reopened them through His death and resurrection. Lent is not just about mourning what was lost—it is about preparing for what has been regained in Christ.
A Call to Action: Make This Lent a True Return
If you have never kept Lent before, or if you have only done so in a minimal way, let this year be different. Do not let another Lenten season pass as a mere religious routine. Instead, make it a genuine return.
- Engage in the services of the Church – There is no greater help on the Lenten journey than the prayers, hymns, and sacraments of the Church.
- Commit to fasting with purpose – Fast not only from food but from sin, from distractions, from everything that keeps you from God.
- Forgive freely – Do not enter Lent carrying the burden of resentment. Make the effort to be reconciled with others.
- Seek confession and prayer – Come before God with a heart ready to be healed. The door of Paradise is already open; we only need the humility to step through it.
As Metropolitan Kallistos Ware puts it:
“Lent is the liberation of our enslavement to sin, the gradual return to Paradise. It is an Exodus from the land of spiritual bondage to the Promised Land of the Kingdom of God.”
The choice is now ours. Will we remain outside the gates in self-imposed exile, or will we take the steps necessary to enter into God’s presence? The journey begins now. Forgive, fast, and return. The gates of Paradise are open—let us walk toward them together.
“Let us set out with joy upon the season of the Fast, and prepare ourselves for spiritual combat.” (Lenten Triodion)
Lent is the liberation of our enslavement to sin, the gradual return to Paradise. It is an Exodus from the land of spiritual bondage to the Promised Land of the Kingdom of God.
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