The Apostle, March 2010 newsletter
Pastor’s Corner
Lenten Message, given by Bishop Maxim of the Serbian Diocese of the West (excerpts) on Forgiveness Sunday, 2010
“Blessed be the upcoming Great Paschal Lent which brings us into the Lord’s and our Pascha-through the Cross and Resurrection-Christ’s and ours in Him…
Now, my beloved, through the practice of fasting, the Church - and fasting is our obedience to the Church - invites us to liberate ourselves from our self-sufficiency and to offer the fruits of Lent-joy, meekness, peace, mercifulness-to our beloved ones and to those in need.
As the sacred hymnography of the Church urges us, all the ascetic elements-fasting, abstinence, frugality, restriction of personal desires, intense prayer, and confession-are essential to the period of Great Lent and should not be considered burdensome obligations or unbearable duties that result in despondency or dejection.
All these ascetical efforts and all cleansing from the passions are in essence preconditions for our Eucharistic communion with God, and this communion cannot be understood apart from love. Just as the sacrifice on the Cross takes its meaning from the Resurrection, so all our Lenten effort finds their fulfillment in Holy Communion.
Let us be obedient to the counsel of the Church and understand the practice of fasting just as She prescribes. In doing so we will walk together with Christ to Golgotha and rejoice with Him on the Feast of Feasts!
In inviting you to the “opened arena of virtues” from our Episcopal seat, I extend to all of you my paternal prayer and spiritual blessing for a fruitful journey through the period of Great Lent, asking your forgiveness.”
Love and paternal blessings,
Bishop Maxim
Posted in Monthly Newsletter