Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ!
I heartily greet you all with the beginning of Holy and Great Lent.
Great Lent is a special time for every Christian, which ought to be spent in vigil, penitential prayer, and determination to strive for spiritual perfection. Through spiritual sobriety and bodily restraint, we prepare ourselves to experience the Lord’s sufferings upon the Cross with Him and to joyfully greet the brightest feast of the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead.
Unfortunately, there is much anger and hatred in the world today, which originates in the sinful depths of human egotism and the unwillingness to fulfill the commandments of the Lord and live according to God’s will. We must realize that enmity between people is born of sin. And we must battle with this sin. It can be compared with a burning flame. If the flammable substance decreases, the fire goes out; if it increases, the flame flares up with greater force. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, entering Great Lent, we all must reduce the flammable substance of sin—resentment against one another, envy, and pride. Let us try to order our lives according to the words of our glorious fellow countryman—St. Dmitry of Rostov: “In prayer, be a seraphim, in labor—a cherubim, and in dealing with everyone—an angel.” In this is revealed the good prospect of Great Lent—to learn to live in peace with God and in harmony with one another.
Therefore, I bless all the children of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church to read one chapter of the Holy Gospel every day during Lent and to make three prostrations to the ground to end the war, overcome enmity in our long-suffering Ukrainian land, and preserve peace in the world.
May the feat of fasting bring enlightenment of soul to us all, make us able to feel the presence of God in our lives, and draw us nearer to Him. Let us labor as much as we can to fill our soul with joy for the sake of a peaceful life on earth and eternal salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord.
According to the pious Orthodox custom, before the start of Holy and Great Lent, I ask forgiveness of all of you, dear brothers and sisters.
+ ONUPHRY,
METROPOLITAN OF KIEV AND ALL UKRAINE
PRIMATE OF THE UKRAINIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH
