Lord, wishing to save me, an unworthy one, with Your immeasurable mercy, I, a sinner, have taken up repentance. Therefore, I come to You, praying: with fasting, bend my soul towards You, for I have fled to You, the only one who is most merciful.
(Verse from the hymn of the Matins service)
With the three-day fast, we have already begun our spiritual journey towards Holy Easter. This fast is not easy, but it is the best way to introduce us to spiritual warfare by cutting off physical strength and focusing solely on the spiritual. Now is the time to give our souls space to flourish with virtues such as love, mercy, compassion, and sympathy. This is the path that immediately elevates us to spiritual heights. Now, the Lord gives us the opportunity through good deeds towards others, to overcome ourselves and our many passions, and lighten the burden to continue zealously, striving to see Christ’s Resurrection.
