Primate of UOC: Fast changes Divine Judgment from strict to merciful (VIDEO)

During his homily after the reading of the fourth part of the Great Canon of Repentance, Metropolitan Onuphry urged all believers to faithfully carry their feat of fasting and penance, reports the Information and Education Department of the UOC.

"By the grace of God, we, dear brothers and sisters, reached Thursday of the first week of the Holy Great Lent. Everyone tried to fast due to their abilities and effort. And we pray that the Lord will grant us to properly accomplish the feat," said the Primate.

He recalled that fast is a blessing for us. "Fast reminds a man of the way of life, which our forefathers led in Paradise, it restores the distorted Divine image and helps to become godlike."

His Beatitude gave the believers a model of repentance from the Scriptures - an example of the people of Nineveh, who repented after the words of the prophet Jonah and were pardoned.

"Fast changes the Divine Judgement from strict to merciful," said His Beatitude.

He said that a lot of days all the inhabitants of the town of sinners - from infants to adults – did not eat anything at all. "And there was a great cry of repentance in this town, after which the Lord changed his anger to mercy and spared these people for their great repentance."

Metropolitan Onuphry urged everyone to sincerely repent of all their sins and transgressions, then be sure the Lord will have mercy on us.

"Great repentance bars great sins. Whether our sins are big or small, only God knows and, to some extent, we do. But each of us must make every effort, do the utmost to repent of the sins that we have," he said.

"May the Lord help us, dear brothers and sisters, to undergo Lent in corporal abstinence, prayer and repentance so that we will be honored to see the glorious light of the Resurrection Day of our Lord Jesus Christ," wished the Primate.


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