This year we commenced Great Lent with Matins, the Hours, Typika and Vespers on Monday 11 March.  That evening, and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, we had Great Compline with the reading of the Great Canon of Saint Andrew of Crete.  In addition to services on the weekend of 16-17 March, we also had Vespers with the First Passia on the evening of Sunday 17 March.  Great Compline is a simple, solemn and characteristically Lenten service of psalms and prayers.  At Vespers with the First Passia on Sunday evening the akathist to the Divine Passion of Christ and chapters 26 and 27 of Saint Matthew's Gospel were read in English.