Forgiveness Vespers is served on the evening before Clean Monday and marks the liturgical beginning of Great Lent. The service begins in the bright tones of Sunday but gradually changes to Lenten vestments and melodies, signalling the Church’s movement from festal joy to repentance.

During the service, the Gospel from Matthew 6:14–21 is read, reminding us that we cannot receive forgiveness from God while withholding it from others. The faithful then take part in the Rite of Mutual Forgiveness, approaching one another with a bow or prostration and saying, Forgive me. The response is, God forgives, and I forgive.

This act expresses the theological foundation of Lent: reconciliation precedes ascetic struggle. The fast is not merely about food but about restoring communion—with God and with one another. By forgiving each other before the fast begins, the Church ensures that Great Lent starts not with resentment, but with mercy.

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