At today’s evening service in the Trinity Cathedral of the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery, the matins of Thursday was served, otherwise known as the Standing of Mary.

This divine service is performed only once a year with the reading of the Great Penitential Canon of St. Andrew of Crete and the life of St. Mary of Egypt, an ascetic of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, being read in full.

The canon contains all the motives to fasting and repentance. Today, the Holy Church repeats it again in its entirety to breath new strength in us to successfully complete the period of Lent.

The Orthodox Church teaches that we should not despair when we realize our sinfulness and cites the example of the Venerable Mary of Egypt who through the power of repentance rose from the abyss of sin to an angelic state.