Fr Seraphim Holland of St Nicholas Orthodox Church, McKinney Texas.  Please  check out his church website for more sermons.  http://www.orthodox.net/

The Triodion is a textbook for repentance. Sunday of Forgiveness and the Casting out of Adam from Paradise

We examine the following characteristic hymns from the Triodion and learn the pattern of all repentant, expectant and confident prayer and the purpose behind abstinence.

“Adam was cast out from the delight of Paradise: bitter was his eating, when in uncontrolled desire he broke the commandment of the Master, and he was condemned to work the earth from which he had himself been taken, and to eat his bread in toil and sweat. Therefore let us love abstinence, that we may not weep as he did outside Paradise, but may enter through the gate.”.

“Now the season of virtues has come, and the judge is at the door. Let us not hold back with a darkened face, but offering tears, contrition and giving of alms let us keep the fast, and let us cry: our sins are more in number than the sands of the sea, but forgive each of us, that we may receive an incorruptible crown, Savior of all!”