By God’s mercy we have entered the period of the Great Fast — a time especially favourable for the salvation of the soul. Over many centuries, the Holy Church has formed a certain rhythm of spiritual life, established through the succession of commemorations, feast days, and fasts. Through the traditions of the Church, which express her inner life, every believer is able to draw spiritual strength for the struggle against the passions and for growth in virtue.

The pledge of spiritual healing is fasting — fasting as a commandment of God and at the same time His gift; fasting as a law of spiritual perfection tested by the ascetics of piety; fasting as the need of every person to break free from the stream of worldly vanity and to enter the quiet harbour of the peace of Christ. Fasting is necessary both for those who have attained spiritual perfection and for those who are only on the path towards it. Blessed Jerome, speaking on behalf of the Christians of his time, said: “We fast during the Great Fast according to the Apostolic tradition.”

How then should we fast, so that fasting may bring us benefit and good fruit? Saint John Chrysostom says: “If you fast, be reconciled with those whom you have offended; do not envy, do not judge, do not harbour hatred, do not give yourself over to vainglory… If you fast, be merciful, virtuous, free from resentment, humble, compassionate, so that the Lord may accept your fasting and grant you abundantly the fruits of repentance.”

Saint Basil the Great says: “Receive fasting, you who are healthy — it is the preservation of your bodily strength. Receive fasting, you who are ill — it is the mother of health.” Venerable Ephrem the Syrian says: “Fasting is peace in homes; fasting is the path to repentance.”

The Sunday before the Great Fast is called Forgiveness Sunday. We begin the Great Fast with forgiveness. Through the forgiveness we receive from our neighbour, we are freed from the sins we have committed against them. The task set before everyone who enters the Great Fast with the serious intention of being freed from sin is to learn to see one’s own sins.

We know how difficult it often is to ask one another for forgiveness; how hard it is to approach someone with whom we are in conflict; how difficult it is to bow down before such a person. But the harder it is to humble ourselves, the greater the reason to do so. For the Lord Himself said: “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

May the Lord help us all to use the days of Holy Lent so that, through fasting, prayer, and mercy, we may learn to overcome sin, to love, to forgive, and to do good.