Orthodox believers are entering one of the most important stages of their spiritual life today – Great Lent.
Orthodox believers are entering one of the most important stages of their spiritual life today – Great Lent.
This is the longest period of abstinence from non-fasting food in the year. It lasts for seven weeks and serves as preparation for the celebration of the feast of feasts – the Bright Resurrection of Christ (Easter). Great Lent itself comprises the first forty days, symbolising the forty-day fast of Jesus Christ in the desert. The subsequent period – Lazarus Saturday, Palm Sunday, and the six days of Holy Week – calls for remembrance of the sufferings of the Saviour and the events preceding them.
This fast is called Great not only because of its duration and strictness, but also due to its great significance in the life of an Orthodox Christian. The main objectives during the period of Great Lent are intensified prayer practice, repentance for sins, and renunciation of sensual vanity. For the sorrowful days of Great Lent, for the days of "contrition and lamentation," the order of church services is also changed. The daily celebration of the Divine Liturgy ceases. It is served on Saturdays and Sundays of the fast. Throughout Great Lent, books of the Old Testament are read at the morning and evening services.
According to the Church charter, during this time, meat and dairy products, and eggs are forbidden; fish is also forbidden, and fasting oil is permitted only on Saturdays and Sundays. The first and last weeks of Great Lent, Holy Week, are considered the strictest. Many believers abstain from food for the first three days. Wednesday and Friday are days of dry eating. Only vegetables can be eaten boiled. Fish is permitted only twice – on the Annunciation (April 7) and on Palm Sunday (April 24).
From the daily minimum required menu for those fasting: vegetables and fruits (unlimited), a clove of garlic, 100 grams of almonds. Half of the required protein can be obtained from legumes, and the rest from bread and cereals. It is advisable to replace part of the refined sugar with honey and candied fruits.
The Church permits some leniency in the strictness of the fast for pregnant women, nursing mothers, individuals engaged in heavy physical labour, the elderly, the sick, and children under 14 years of age. "The feat of fasting should be undertaken with discernment, considering one's health, fasting experience, life circumstances, and in consultation with a priest," teaches the "Practical Encyclopedia of an Orthodox Christian."
However, the main aspect of Great Lent is spiritual purity. Moderation should be observed in everything during the fasting period. The profound essence of fasting is for a person to elevate themselves morally, cleanse their soul, and be imbued with love and mercy towards others.