UOC Primate blesses the faithful for Great Lent

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry. Photo: UOC

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry of Kyiv and All Ukraine has blessed the faithful for Great Lent, which begins this year on March 3. The Primate’s message, sent to diocesan bishops on the eve of Great Lent, will be read in all churches and monasteries of the UOC on March 2.

In his blessing, His Beatitude noted that for the fourth consecutive year, we embark on the path of Lenten spiritual transformation in the midst of warfare. He expressed hope that the coming fast would become a time of mercy and grace. He urged believers to comfort the sorrowful and embrace all those in need with love. Then, according to his words, the evil that has shrouded our homeland in clouds of darkness will surely be dispelled by the victorious sun of Divine justice.

The UOJ presents the full text of the Message, published on the website of the Information and Educational Department.

"Beloved children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Christ!

By God's blessing, we have come to the threshold of the Holy and Great Lent.

Great Lent is a special forty-day period in the life of the entire Church and every believer, preparing us for the worthy celebration of the Feast of Feasts and the Triumph of triumphs – the Bright Resurrection of Christ. We step onto the path of spiritual struggles and intensified prayer so that, as the holy Apostle Paul says, we may put off the old self with its former way of life and be clothed with the new self, created after God in righteousness and holiness of truth (Eph. 4:22, 24).

In the coming days, we must strive to become better by cleansing ourselves from sinful defilement. This is why the Church of Christ especially inspires and strengthens us on the path of repentance through the grandeur and beauty of Lenten services. Great Lent is the most favorable time to partake in the salvific Sacrament of Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. Only Christ can cleanse us from the burden of sins. He is the source of inspiration for living according to the teachings of the Holy Gospel and the Giver of strength for attaining unfathomable faith and sincere love.

For the fourth year, we embark on the path of Lenten spiritual transformation amid war. Let us strive to make this Lent a time of mercy and grace for all of us, dear brothers and sisters: let us wipe away the tears of those who weep, comfort the sorrowful, and embrace all those in need with love. Then the evil that has shrouded our homeland in clouds of darkness will surely be dispelled by the victorious sun of Divine justice.

May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Founder of our salvation, grant us the strength to fight the good fight, to complete the path of fasting, to keep the undivided faith… to become victors over sin and, without condemnation, reach the veneration of the Holy Resurrection (Prayer after the Ambo at the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts).

During the Holy and Great Lent, it is blessed to read one chapter of Holy Scripture daily and to perform seven prostrations with the prayer ‘Our Father’ for peace in Ukraine. For a fuller spiritual understanding, we bless the reading of the Gospel of John, the three General Epistles of the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, and the Apocalypse (Revelation) of St. John the Theologian during the fast."

As the UOJ previously reported, Metropolitan Onuphry had earlier issued an address on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

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