What is the acronym to identify/remember each Sunday/week's focus during Lent?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-10

In the Coptic Orthodox Church, the acronym used to identify and remember the focus of each Sunday and week during the Great Fast is:

T T S P S U P R

Each letter represents the theme of the Sunday, which is taken from the Gospel readings of the Coptic Lectionary.

1. T - Treasures (First Sunday: - The Treasure)

• Focus: Laying up treasures in heaven rather than on earth (Matthew 6:19-33).

1. T - Temptation (Second Sunday: - The Temptation)

• Focus: Christ’s victory over Satan on the Mount of Temptation (Matthew 4:1-11).

1. S - Son (Prodigal Son) (Third Sunday: - The Lost Son)

• Focus: Repentance and the Father’s infinite mercy (Luke 15:11-32).

1. P - Samaritan Woman (Purity/Paramour) (Fourth Sunday: - The Samaritan)

• Focus: Christ as the "Living Water" who satisfies the thirsty soul (John 4:1-42).

1. S - Sick (Paralytic) (Fifth Sunday: - The Paralytic)

• Focus: Christ’s power to heal both physical and spiritual paralysis (John 5:1-18).

1. U - Unborn (Born Blind) (Sixth Sunday: - The Blind Man)

• Focus: Enlightenment through Baptism and the opening of spiritual eyes (John 9:1-41).

1. P - Palm Sunday (Seventh Sunday: - The Day of Palms)

• Focus: Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem as our King (Matthew 21:1-17).

1. R - Resurrection (The Feast of the Resurrection:)

• Focus: The victory over death and the fulfillment of the promise.

The Spiritual Meaning

This sequence is not random; it is a journey of the soul. We begin by setting our Treasures in heaven, fighting Temptation, returning as a Prodigal Son, receiving the Living Water like the Samaritan, being healed from our Sickness, and gaining spiritual sight like the Born Blind, so that we may finally welcome Christ on Palm Sunday and rise with Him in the Resurrection.

As you progress through these weeks, listen to the Lenten Tune performed by our Great Moalemeen, such as Moalem Ibrahim Ayad or Moalem George Mikhail, as the melodies change slightly to reflect the gravity of each step toward the Cross.