Let us unite in service to our neighbor and our Homeland, and this will be the best, true Fast: UGCC Head

Being mindful of the experiences that this time brings, defending Ukraine, helping and supporting those who were expelled from their homes by the war, -- is in itself an integral part of Lenten fasting in preparation for the Resurrection of Christ. This time can and should become a time for spiritual healing and renewal, the discovery of new sources of spiritual strength in communion with God, Who gives us this strength, and a new understanding and vision of human life.

"This question really concerns the foundations of Christian asceticism and the understanding of how we need to experience Lent," says His Beatitude.  “Christian spirituality, in particular, the spirituality of the Christian East - the Orthodox Churches, our Greek Catholic Church - is always therapeutic. This means that the very way of experiencing spiritual fasting is to first of all, know ourselves, know our flaws, our weaknesses, but also our strengths. And Lent is a good time for spiritual healing, that is, liberation from our spiritual diseases.”

"Lent requires us to be real"

How do we experience this time “correctly,” if that is even the right word for it? Are there any special spiritual practices of fasting that could be helpful to us right now, during the war? "Correctness", as His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasizes, is a relative and very individual thing, but there is a criterion that determines it - and that is authenticity. The authenticity of things like feelings, actions, emotions, and attitudes to what is happening.

"Just as a good doctor cannot prescribe treatment to a patient without first examining him, so also, in order to properly build a spiritual path for Lent, you must first conduct a spiritual examination of your sinful state with your clergyman. And you know, surprisingly, wartime helps rather than hinders such spiritual understanding,” says His Beatitude. “Look -- in such extreme circumstances, it is always clear who is who.”

“It’s because these circumstances do not allow you to hide behind a mask, they don’t allow you to pretend to be righteous if you are an ordinary sinner. Wartime requires you to be real. And even our spontaneous responses to dramatic circumstances show what has accumulated inside us, and show what we really are. "

Three dimensions of fasting and spiritual healing

Are there any general rules and programs for a person's spiritual work on himself? Most people gradually come to understand that fasting is not a restriction of food, but a much deeper inner work. And right now, this work can be extremely useful.

"A spiritual program of fasting as a kind of experience of spiritual healing always has three dimensions," explains the Head of the Church. “First, there is prayer. Secondly, fasting, in the sense of controlling oneself, one's desires, one's motivation for certain actions.  And thirdly, there is almsgiving, that is, the right attitude toward one's neighbor. And so, I would like to give some advice on how to go through these three main dimensions in wartime. "

On prayer

"When the war broke out, everyone started praying, even the non-believers, because we all felt that we were in circumstances that we could not fully control. And we turned to the One who is the Source of our life, in whose hands our destiny, our present and future, lies. Therefore, I encourage you to pray, I encourage this kind of dialogue with Our God and Creator.

Everyone has their own relationship with God: some may know Him less, some may know Him more, some may already have some experience of spiritual life. Therefore, I encourage you to pray as you can, to communicate with God as you can, especially at the beginning, and end of the day. When you wake up in the morning, thank the Lord God that you are alive, that you see the light of day, as we see it this morning. Thank Him for giving you the opportunity and the chance to live another day of your life, and ask Him to help you live this day truly worthily, in accordance with the challenges and tasks that this new day will bring you.

And when you end your day in the evening, thank Him for having survived it, and that you have the opportunity to rest a little. Think about how you lived this day: when something was good, thank God for it, and if you did something bad, repent, ask forgiveness for your sinful deeds, from your merciful God and Creator.”

On restraint

"The state of war itself forces us to deny ourselves certain pleasures; sometimes we simply cannot even meet our needs. Do not impose additional burdens on yourself, because wartime already imposes many different types of burdens: mental, spiritual, physical.

In this case, you do not need to discipline yourself too much by giving up something, but humbly accept the hardships you have to go through. For example, many people have not slept in their beds for a long time because they have to follow the air raid rules, and people spend the night in bomb shelters. Those hardships can be a good spiritual exercise of the humility that the circumstances of war impose on us."

On almsgiving and works of charity

"Almsgiving is very important. Because if we fast, but do not do works of charity towards our neighbor, for example, our fast is not completely real, not completely perfect. In times of war, solidarity with those in need and help from others is extremely important.

Look for opportunities to volunteer, if you have the time. Look for opportunities to engage in community service. Help our army. Think about how you can be useful, whether for your local self-defense, or for some other need. If you can welcome refugees - take them into your home.

There are different works of charity towards others, physical and spiritual.  A spiritual work of charity is to comfort a sad neighbor, to give advice to those in doubt, to teach the ignorant, and so on.

When we talk about physical, or corporal works of charity for a neighbor, examples are to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to clothe the naked, to give shelter to the traveler or to the homeless.”

His Beatitude Sviatoslav emphasized that most Ukrainians now live this way, supporting the spirit of mercy and service to their neighbor and country.

"I’m not suggesting anything out of the ordinary. Let us survive this time of hardship, let us unite in the good, in service to our neighbor and our Homeland, and this will be our best, true Fast,” the Head of the UGCC wished.

Prepared by Oksana Kozak for the Information Department of the UGCC