Great Lent 2021: the priest spoke about the rules and traditions

On Monday, March 15, the most important and strict fast begins - the Great. It will run until Saturday, May 1. Its purpose is to prepare spiritually for Easter. Hieromonk Mitrofan, a teacher at the Kiev Theological Academy, told us about the most important rules of Lent.

The rules of Great Lent

1. You need to give up light food: meat, dairy products, eggs. Fish is allowed on Palm Sunday and on Annunciation Of the Most Holy Theotokos.

2. Without fanaticism. There are many days in the Lent Calendar when one dry diet is prescribed. But it must be remembered that the Calendar is a monastery charter, that is, it was drawn up for a fan. For a modern person who needs to work, raise children, it is quite difficult to observe dry food. You can bring yourself to exhaustion. Therefore, ideally, before Lent, go to the priest, tell him about your life circumstances, and he will help you determine the extent of Lent that you will be able to do. The priest in some cases may even allow the use of dairy and meat products during Lent. 3. Prayer is important. Fasting without prayer or attending church services can be compared to a diet. The main point of Lent is to cleanse yourself spiritually. And we refuse short food in order to hear the voice of the soul, what worries us, worries. Because we are used to "seizing" our problems. And when we give up this habit, we don’t drown out our mental pain with delicious food, it becomes clear what we really need. Prayer helps to shed light on your spiritual needs. She will also help when a real storm rises in the soul. You need to pray at home every day. It is also advisable to attend church at least once a week. If for some reason you cannot do this or a lockdown is introduced in the country, you can listen to online services.

4. Communion required. It is imperative to receive communion during Great Lent. If a lockdown is introduced in Ukraine, you can invite a priest with the Holy Gifts to your home and take the sacrament there.

Forgiveness Sunday

Today is Forgiveness Sunday. And at the Sunday church service, all parishioners will ask each other for forgiveness. Why do you need to do this? Fasting is, to some extent, a gift to God. And the Lord says: “If you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go first, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift "(Matthew 5:23–24). Therefore, on Forgiveness Sunday, we ask for forgiveness in order to enter the fast without a load of resentment in the heart. The best way to do this in person is by talking to the person.

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