The three weeks that commence on the Fourth Sunday prior to Holy and Great Lent constitute the weeks of spiritual preparation. Each has its own distinct theme which is expressed in the Gospels readings appointed for the Divine Liturgies on these days:

The Ever-deepening union of each Christian with God is not a magical or automatic process. While Christ has destroyed the powers of sin, death, and evil once and for all, this victory must be appropriated by each person in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Each person is called to join with the Life-Giving and Liberating Spirit in realizing the fullness of human life in communion with the Father. The Holy Spirit is the agent of Theosis (Deification) whose task it is to incorporate us into the life of the Holy Trinity. However, the Spirit always recognizes our human freedom and invites our active cooperation in perfecting the "image and likeness of God" in which each of us is created.

The Orthodox Church proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the Greek language, the word for Gospel is Evangelion which means literally "the good news." The good news of Orthodox Christianity is a proclamation of God's unbounded and sacrificial love for mankind, as well as the revelation of the true destiny of the human person. Reflecting on the joyous message of the Gospel, Saint Gregory of Nyssa wrote in the 4th century: The good news is that man is no longer an outcast nor expelled from God's Kingdom; but that he is again a son, again God's subject.

Often anger is evoked in us because of pride. This again is a function of our fallen nature: that part of us that wants to be God. As would-be gods, we want to be in control, we want things to go our way. When things don't go our way, when other people don't follow our lead and go along with our program, we get angry. This leads us to judge others. Judging others is one way of playing God.

You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (St. Matthew 5:43-48).

"I want you to know this, that Jesus Christ our Lord Himself the True Mind of the Father. By Him, all the fullness of every rational nature is made in the image of His Image is the head of all creation, and of His body the Church (Colossians 1:15-18). Therefore we are all members one of another, and the body of Christ and the head cannot say to the feet, I have no need of you; and if one; member suffers, the whole body is moved and suffers with it (Ephesians 4:25). But if a member is estranged from the body, and has no communication with the head, but is delighted by the passions of his own body, this means that its wound is incurable, and it has forgotten its beginning and its end.