Spiritual Songs of the Great Fast
The singing of hymns of the suffering of the Savior often accompanied both the liturgical services of the Great Fast, and also the paraliturgical services such as the Moleben to the Holy Cross. The sufferings of our Lord's Mother are also a frequent subject.
It is true that a pre-occupation with Christ's sufferings is more characteristic of Latin than Byzantine piety, and that most of these hymns are more properly appropriate to Great and Holy Week than to the Great Fast itself. But it is also true that, if understood correctly, an awareness of our Lord's love for us as shown by his long-suffering endurance can lead us to a repentance which is very much in keeping with the forty days of the Fast.
Eighteen of these songs appeared in English and Slavonic in Monsignor William Levkulic's Hymns for Great Lent.
- At the most holy Cross - Krestu Tvojemu
- Beneath your compassion - Pod tvoju milost'
- Beneath your Cross I stand - Pod krest Tvoj staju
- Christ our King who reigns with justice - Christe Carju spravedlivyj
- Come now, all you faithful - Prijd’ite, voschvalim
- Do not forsake us - Ne opuskaj nas
- Earth and heaven mourn - Nebo, zeml'a, sotvoriňňa
- Have mercy on me, O my God
- Having suffered - Preterp'ivyj
- I see your bridal chamber - Čertoh Tvoj
- In Gethsemene's darkness - Jehda na smert' hotovilsja
- Now do I go to the cross - Idu nyňi ko krestu
- O my God, you are so merciful - O Bože moj milostivyj
- O my Jesus, suffering - O Isuse poranenyj
- O my people, my people - L'udi moji, l'udi
- O soul so sinful - Hl'an duše hrišna
- So boundless is her sorrow - Stala Mati zarmuščenna
- The grieving Mother - Stradal'na Mati
- The sentence is passed - Uže dekret podpisujet
- We venerate, O Christ - Poklaňajusja, moj Christe