“The one who fasts breaks the infernal cycle of desire and pleasure, hunger and satiety, redirecting their longing toward contemplating heavenly realities. This helps them walk in the renewal of life (Romans 6:4), living as a child of the resurrection (Luke 20:36),” Archbishop Irineu of Alba Iulia emphasized in a message on Clean Monday at the beginning of Great Lent.
The Purpose of Fasting
“Conscious of our Christian nobility, we must purify ourselves from the dross of passions to regain the baptismal beauty lost through sin,” the archbishop urged.
His Eminence explained that Great Lent is a gift offered by the Church to help believers properly prepare for the Resurrection of the Lord.
“As we embark on this Lenten journey, we become aware—through the Canon of Repentance by Saint Andrew of Crete and through the cycle of liturgical services—that sin and death have distanced us from God and from one another. At the same time, during these days of introspection, we receive the good news that through the victory of the Cross, forgiveness and joy are gifts bestowed upon the world by the crucified Lord of Glory (1 Corinthians 2:8).”
Lent as a Spiritual Paradise
“Saint Gregory of Nazianzus and the authors of the Triodion consider Great Lent as preparation for dying with Christ and for our spiritual resurrection through the pursuit of goodness,” Archbishop Irineu explained.
“Although it is a time of asceticism, struggle, and abstinence, this fast is a spiritual paradise, where we partake in divine delights and are deemed worthy of spiritual renewal.”
Furthermore, His Eminence emphasized that “the Church calls us to understand Great Lent as a return to the ordinary ascetic struggle—a struggle that liberates us from the death and corruption of fallen creation.”
Fasting as a Path to Inner Purification
“The asceticism of Great Lent is meant to teach the faithful to fast from the world and to free themselves from all earthly concerns. Only a complete fast can achieve the purification of our hearts and prepare them for the visitation of the Heavenly Bridegroom at the end of Lent,” concluded the archbishop.
Photo: Archdiocese of Alba Iulia
