Triodion Meditations

By Priest Marco Mannino Giorgi

“While we fast with the body, brethren, let us also fast in spirit. Let us loose every bond of iniquity; let us untie the knots of every contract made by violence; let us tear apart all unjust agreements; let us give bread to the hungry and welcome into our homes the poor who have no roof to cover them, so that we may receive great mercy from Christ our God ” (Stichera at Vespers on Wednesday of the First Week).
During Great Lent, the liturgical services take on a distinctive atmosphere, characterized by unique hymns and texts that immerse us in a reflective and penitential state, while also motivating us toward physical and spiritual discipline. This transformation is largely attributed to the Lenten Triodion, the fundamental liturgical book of this sacred season. Attentive participation in the services guided by the Triodion reveals that Lenten efforts should not lead to despondency; on the contrary, they are meant to uplift and invigorate our spirits. The Triodion portrays Great Lent as a time of brightness and gladness, in which genuine repentance is interwoven with joy.
But what makes the Triodion such an essential guide to repentance?
What spiritual treasures does this book conceal? And why is engaging with it privately during Lent—especially when weekday services are out of reach—so enriching? This article aims to shed light on these questions.
The term Triodion derives from the Greek Τριῴδιον, meaning “three odes.” This liturgical text
contains prayers (in particular, unique canons of three odes) and paremiae (scriptural readings from Genesis, Exodus, Proverbs, and Job) for Great Lent, Holy Week, and the three weeks preceding Lent. Its counterpart, the Paschal Triodion, or Joyful Pentecostarion, serves the liturgical needs of
the Paschal season.
Over time, the Triodion has evolved, with additions and revisions enriching its content. The hymns of the book—some dating from the 5th to the 14th centuries—were composed by around twenty authors, including venerated saints such as Andrew of Crete, John of Damascus, and Cosmas of Maiuma. These hymns have their roots in the refrains early Christians used to accompany the chanting of the biblical Psalms.
The meaning of the Triodion’s texts was a concern for Alexei Dmitrievsky, a prominent Russian
liturgist of the early twentieth century, who lamented the growing disconnect between Christians
and the true essence of Great Lent. He attributed this disconnect to a lack of familiarity with the
texts of the Triodion—a problem that persists to this day. Without regular participation in weekday Lenten services or personal reading of the Triodion, many laypeople miss the profound beauty and depth of Lent’s primary liturgical resource.
The Lenten Triodion intricately weaves penitential themes together with the anticipation of Paschal joy, echoing Christ’s teachings on fasting (Matthew 6:16–17). It presents fasting not as a mere ritual obligation, but as a spiritual celebration, inviting Christians to live Lent as a time of inner renewal and joyful preparation for the Resurrection.
Confronting our inner truth in order to change, the Lenten Triodion serves as a guide to repentance, exposing our spiritual shortcomings and offering a proper perspective on life. At the beginning of Cheesefare Week, it warns against a superficial approach to Lent focused solely on dietary abstinence:
“In vain do you rejoice in not eating, O soul! For you abstain from food, but are not
purified of the passions. If you have no desire for improvement, you will be despised as
a lie in the sight of God. You will be likened to evil demons, who never eat. If you persist in sin, you will perform a useless fast; therefore, remain in constant struggle,
that you may stand before the crucified Savior—or rather, that you may be crucified
with Him who died for your sake. Remember me, O Lord, when You come in Your
Kingdom!”
It challenges us to confront our presumed righteousness, urging deeper introspection and authentic repentance:
“In the course of my life, O Savior, there has been no sin, no deed, no evil thing that I
have not committed. I have sinned as no one ever has before, in mind, in word, and in
intention, in purpose, in action, and in thought.”
(From Ode 4 of the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete)

Embracing the joyful heart of Lent.
Understanding the true joy of Lent requires re-examining common perceptions that view this period merely as an “inconvenience” or a means of earning “merit” for divine favor. The Lenten Triodion, however, reveals a markedly different perspective, portraying Lent as a season filled with joy, light, purity, and anticipation of eternal life with Christ.
Lenten verses emphasize the celebratory and hopeful nature of this time. St. Theodore, for example, describes fasting as “a season of joyful, radiant purity, pure love, and shining prayer,” highlighting Lent’s transformative and uplifting qualities rather than depicting it as a burdensome obligation.
“With great joy let us receive the proclamation of the Fast; for if Adam, our forefather,
had fasted, we would not have been expelled from Eden”. (Sticheron at Matins on Friday of the First Week).
Exploring the wisdom of the Old Testament through the lens of Lent.
The Lenten Triodion also delves into the Old Testament, offering rich interpretations of its
narratives. It draws parallels between these stories and the spiritual journey of Lent, demonstrating that the Fathers of the Church found profound meaning in all the biblical texts.
For example, the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete interprets Jacob’s two wives as symbols of action
and contemplation, both essential for salvation:
“By the two wives, understand action and knowledge in contemplation. Leah is action,
for she bore many children; and Rachel is knowledge, for she endured great toil. For
without toil, O my soul, neither action nor contemplation will succeed”
(cf. Gen. 30:11; 31).
The Triodion also employs Old Testament imagery to convey spiritual truths, such as Moses’
slaying of the Egyptian as a metaphor for overcoming sin. St. Andrew uses this story to urge the
soul to “slay the Egyptian” within itself—symbolizing victory over sinful impulses in order to hear
God’s voice more clearly:
“O wretched soul, you have not struck down and slain the Egyptian mind, as Moses the
Great did. Tell me, then, how will you dwell through repentance in the desert emptied of
passions?”
By immersing ourselves in these themes, we begin to align more closely with the Church’s season
of repentance, reflection, and ultimately spiritual renewal.
Discovering the weekly themes of Lent: a journey toward the joy of Pascha.
Delving more deeply into the Lenten journey enriches our understanding of each week’s unique
themes and spiritual lessons, underscoring the purpose and final goal of this sacred season. Even when attending weekday services is not possible, engaging with the texts of the Triodion can offer invaluable insight.
For instance, during the first week of Lent, the Church invites believers to embrace “honorable
abstinence,” guiding us toward a form of fasting that is pleasing to God and revealing the essence of true fasting:
“Hating the excess of passions, O my humble soul, feast instead on the rich food of
God’s blessings. Delight in the pleasures of fasting, flee from the bitterness of lust, and
you will live forever.”
(From the eighth ode of the canon on Monday of the First Week).
In the second week, the emphasis continues on fasting, prayer, repentance, almsgiving, and other
virtuous works, with vivid scriptural examples encouraging perseverance
“Prayer and fasting are a wondrous weapon. Through them, Moses became a writer of
the Law and Elijah a fiery enemy of false sacrifice. Let us persevere in them, O faithful,
and cry out to the Savior: Against You alone have we sinned; have mercy on us.”
(Verse after the ninth ode of the Canon on Monday of the Second Week).
Concluding with Holy Saturday, the Triodion’s journey through Lent is not merely an observance of Christ’s suffering, but a preparation for the Resurrection, permeated with themes of the Holy Cross, the Resurrection, and the joy of Pascha:
“Rejoice, thrice-blessed and divine wood of the Cross, light for those in darkness.
Shining to the four corners of the earth, you prepare us for the dawn of Christ’s
Resurrection. Grant to all the faithful to come to the feast of Pascha.”
(From the Canon at Matins on the Sunday of the Third Week).
Throughout Lent, the Church emphasizes that our spiritual efforts are directed toward the supreme joy of Pascha in the Kingdom of Heaven, encouraging us to keep the expectation of this Paschal joy at the forefront of our Lenten journey. This reminder deepens our understanding and appreciation of the Triodion—a treasury of spiritual wisdom that offers a path to renewal and a deeper engagement
with the essence of Orthodoxy and the “Paschal” way of life.