20 Quotes from His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry on Great Lent
Great Lent is a significant part of the Church year. We offer the reader quotes from His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry on the meaning and essence of Great Lent.
"Great Lent opens our spiritual eyes and gives us the opportunity to see ourselves as we truly are before God, to reflect and correct ourselves in the light of the coming eternity."
* * *
"In quantitative terms, Great Lent is a spiritual tithe from the yearly cycle of our lives. It is our offering to God."
* * *
"Let us strive to make this Lent a time of mercy and compassion for all of us, dear brothers and sisters: let us wipe away the tears of those who weep, comfort those who grieve, and envelop with love all who are in need. Then the evil that has covered our homeland with dark clouds will surely be dispelled by the sun of victorious Divine justice."
* * *
"Through prayer and fasting, a person spiritually perfects themselves and becomes able to see and comprehend the great suffering and sacrifice that our Saviour endured for our salvation. Whoever ascends Golgotha with the Cross will also taste the joy of Christ’s Glorious Resurrection."
* * *
"May the fruits of our fasting be tenfold love, the cessation of enmity and bloodshed, the eradication of hatred and all malice, so that we may count ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord, having fulfilled the spiritual feat of fasting worthily (Romans 6:11)."
* * *
"Great Lent is a special time that, like the Gospel parable, brings us back from the distant land of sin to the house of our Heavenly Father."
* * *
"It is important to remember that fasting is not just about abstaining from flesh food but also from sinful thoughts and desires. All our senses and limbs – our sight, hearing, tongue, hands, and feet – should fast by turning away from all that is vain and unnecessary."
* * *
"For fasting not to become mere therapeutic starvation, it must be combined with prayer, repentance, and Holy Communion. Only in this way do we purify our hearts and unite with the Lord Jesus Christ, sanctifying both soul and body."
* * *
"True fasting is done with patience, love, and humility."
* * *
"Abstinence from food is merely a means to the ultimate goal – changing, purifying, and healing the soul and bringing us closer to God. If we fast outwardly but our hearts are full of irritation, judgement, pride, and envy, then we are Pharisees and hypocrites. Such fasting brings no spiritual benefit."
* * *
"The time of fasting is also a time for mercy and help for those who are struggling. Look around you – among your relatives, neighbours, and colleagues, you will find those who need words of comfort and compassion. Be attentive to those whom the Lord sends your way and show them kindness."
* * *
"Fasting should not be viewed as a restriction. It is a voluntary part of spiritual practice, and observing it is an expression of our obedience to the Lord and His Holy Church."
* * *
"Fasting is a time for correcting our mistakes, overcoming our weaknesses, and spiritually recovery, the time of approaching God, not going away from Him. Bodily abstinence and prayer help us in this."
* * *
"Fasting and prayer are two wings that draw a person closer to God, help them purify themselves, and make room in their soul for divine grace. Blessed is the person who fervently practises fasting and prayer."
* * *
"Lent is rightly called the ‘springtime of the soul’. And spring is always a time of joy for people. Fasting draws us closer to God, helps us restore His image within us distorted by sin and makes us god-like."
* * *
"Fasting should not be done with gloom or sorrow but with a radiant countenance. The Saviour teaches us how to fast: the Gospel tells us to wash our face, anoint our head with oil, and appear as fasting to God, not to men."
* * *
"Fasting is a time of intense work on oneself. During this period, bodily abstinence should be greater than usual, and our prayers more frequent than normal. Yet, we must also be mindful of our limits and strive not to exceed them, for all extremes are harmful."
* * *
"The most important goal of fasting is humility before God. A person who humbles themselves before God always seeks goodness. The absence of humility breeds pride, hostility, confrontation and wars, which, unfortunately, our world today is filled with."
* * *
"Remember that we are called to change and be transformed. Great Lent is like a tuning fork that aligns our soul with a spiritual melody. We must strive to maintain this harmony for as long as possible, even after the Holy Forty Days have ended."
