Dear Brothers and Sisters,
As we are entering Nativity Lent, the Church invites us to observe the fast to the best of your ability, in order to partake of the great cosmogenic reality of Christ’s Incarnation.
Fasting is a great spiritual endeavor and the foremost expression of the Orthodox ascetic ideal. According to Basil the Great, fasting is as old as humanity itself; it was prescribed in paradise.
For this reason, the Church has always proclaimed the great significance of fasting for our spiritual life and salvation. This discipline is there not just as a seasonal diet but is a guide to curb other harmful aspects of our lives so that we may develop a virtuous life.
I invite you, beloved ones, with the guidance of your parish priest, to strive to observe the fast as well as one can, “repealing bad habits and replacing them with virtues.”
May our Lord grant to you and your loved ones a blessed and peaceful Nativity lent.
With Love in Christ,
Bishop Maxim