Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
Reflection for Great and Holy Lent 2026 on Vimeo
As we stand at the threshold of Great Lent, the Church once again opens before us the door of repentance. This sacred season is not placed upon us as a burden, but offered to us as a gift. It is an opportunity, an opportunity to return to God, to be healed, and to be restored to life in Christ.
Each year the Fast comes to us because the Church knows our weakness. She knows how easily we become distracted, how quickly our spiritual focus fades, and how often our hearts grow accustomed to compromise. Great Lent interrupts that pattern. It calls us back to what is essential.
The purpose of the Fast is not external discipline. Fasting from certain foods, increasing our prayers, or attending additional services are not ends in themselves. They are means given by the Church to help us confront honestly what separates us from God: our pride, our resentment, our self-indulgence, our forgetfulness and to begin again through repentance.
Repentance is not despair. It is not self-condemnation. It is clarity. It is the recognition of where we truly stand before God, combined with trust in His mercy. To repent is to turn ourselves once more toward Christ and to place our lives under His healing care.
During these holy forty days, we are asked to exercise restraint, not only from food, but from anger, judgment, harsh speech, and indifference. We are called to forgive. We are called to let go of what weighs down our souls. We cannot expect to celebrate the Resurrection with joy if we refuse to release the burdens that darken our hearts.
At the center of this journey stands the Holy Eucharist which is why we offer Presanctified Liturgies to give more opportunities to partake of the superessential nourishment of our souls. We fast to prepare ourselves, through prayer, confession, and repentance, to receive worthily the Body and Blood of Christ. Holy Communion is not a ritual obligation; it is our life and our strength. The Fast prepares us to approach this Mystery with reverence and gratitude.
And all of this leads us toward Pascha. The Resurrection of Christ is the victory over sin and death, offered to each of us personally. Great Lent prepares us to encounter that victory with awakened hearts.
For this reason, I offer you several simple and concrete exhortations as we begin this holy season.
First, commit yourselves to prayer. Establish a daily rhythm of prayer in your home. Read the Scriptures. Say the Jesus Prayer. Stand quietly before God, even for a few minutes, with attention and humility. But also remember that prayer in Great Lent is not meant to remain private. The Church gives us a rich cycle of services during this season: Great Compline, the Presanctified Divine Liturgy, the Salutations to the Theotokos, the Akathist Hymn, and Lenten Vespers. These are not optional additions; they are the heart of the Fast. I encourage you to make the effort to attend them as you are able, even if it requires sacrifice. When we enter these services, we allow sacred time to reorder our lives.
Second, observe the Fast with discernment and obedience. Follow the fasting discipline of the Church according to your strength, and seek guidance from your priest if you have questions or limitations. Fasting teaches us self-control. It teaches us that we do not live for comfort. When fasting is joined to prayer and humility, it becomes a source of freedom rather than frustration.
Third, practice almsgiving. Let your fasting open your heart to those in need. Support the charitable work of your parish and the ministries of the Church. Offer your time, your patience, and your kindness. Forgive those who have wronged you. Almsgiving is not only financial; it is the active expression of love. It transforms self-denial into compassion.
If we take seriously these three disciplines – prayer, fasting, and almsgiving – and if we commit ourselves to participating more fully in the liturgical life of the Church during these holy days, Great Lent will not pass us by unchanged. It will become a season of renewal, of reconciliation, and of deeper communion with God and with one another.
May the Lord bless your Lenten struggle. May He grant you perseverance, humility, and peace. And may He lead us all, together, with purified hearts, to the radiant and life-giving Feast of His Resurrection.
Καλή και ευλογημένη Τεσσαρακοστή!
