fasting

Patriarch Daniel: Fasting alone is not enough without acts of mercy

“It is not enough to abstain from harming others; one must also do much good to achieve salvation,” Patriarch Daniel reminded the faithful last Sunday during his sermon at the Chapel of St. George the Great Martyr in the Patriarchal Residence. Reflecting on the Gospel reading about Christ’s dialogue with a rich young ruler (Luke…

Nov 28, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel: By fasting, we show that we love God the Giver more than His gifts

“The Saviour teaches us that we must show through fasting that we love God, the Giver of life, more than the gifts He offers us and that we love heavenly spiritual gifts more than limited and transient material gifts,” His Beatitude Patriarch Daniel said on Cheesefare Sunday. His Beatitude explained the Gospel of the Cheesefare…

Mar 18, 2024Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop Damaschin: Fasting is not just about abstaining from certain foods; that would be too little

The Assistant Bishop to the Suceava Archdiocese, His Grace Damaschin of Dorna offered some advice for Lent in a video published by Trinitas TV. “Fasting is not just about abstaining from certain foods, that would be too little, it would be a detoxification cure, but that is not the role of fasting. You reduce the…

Mar 7, 2023Aurelian Iftimiu

Let us bring the sighs of the publican as an offering to God: On fasting with the abbess of Bistrița – Vâlcea Monastery

Stavrophore Anastasia Honcioiu, Abbess of Bistrița – Vâlcea Monastery, urges everyone “to bring to God the sighs of the publican” and to avoid despair by putting our trust in God. The abbess agreed to answer a few questions about fasting and preparing for the feast of the Lord’s Nativity. Basilica.ro: How should we fast? Stavrophore…

Dec 3, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

#FearNot, put on the armour of St Stephen: the Cross and the fast

The Church has set a feast of the Holy Cross in the middle of Lent so that, looking to the sign of our Lord Jesus Christ’s victory over death, Christians may have courage in the face of any challenge. #FearNot is also the message that Basilica.ro insists on during this Lent. Looking at the Romanian…

Apr 7, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

“Fasting is a struggle for each Christian. But this struggle will bring spiritual joy,” Metropolitan Nicolae says

In his meditation at the beginning of Great Lent, the Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of the Americas highlighted that the fasting season is a struggle for each Christian. “Today’s world and our responsibilities in it don’t encourage our fasting. During every fast, the struggle comes in trying to find a certain balance between our ascetical efforts and fulfilling…

Mar 17, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

How to fast from our own selfishness: Bishop Ioan Casian

The Romanian Orthodox Bishop of Canada explains, at the beginning of Great Lent, how we can drive away personal selfishness through the act of fasting. Bishop Ioan Casian says that the main remedy lies in love for God and other people. “Through the love of God and of the neighbour one fasts of his own…

Mar 16, 2021Aurelian Iftimiu

Bishop of Huși: We live in an age of technology and another type of fasting is required, a media quarantine

His Grace Bishop Ignatie of Huși cautioned that in an age of technology we should extend our fasting rules to technology in order to gain spiritual peace during Lent. ‘We live in an age of technology and another type of fasting is required, a media quarantine,’ the Bishop of Huși stressed during Forgiveness Vespers marking…

Mar 5, 2020Aurelian Iftimiu

40 Patriarch Daniel Quotes for the Lenten Season

Orthodox Christians across the globe are entering Lent, the season of preparation before Easter. The 40-day period sees many Christians partake in a season of moderation, meditation, fasting, prayer and repentance. The exercises in discipline are undertaken to allow believers time to reflect on the life, words and sacrifices of our Saviour Jesus Christ. For…

Mar 11, 2019Aurelian Iftimiu

Metr. Serafim at the beginning of Great Lent: Only by fasting does our hunger for God grow in us, and prayer enters the heart more easily

In his pastoral message addressed on the Sunday of Adam’s Expulsion from Paradise and the beginning of Great Lent, His Eminence Metropolitan Serafim of Germany urges faithful to observe the fast because only ‘thus does our hunger for God grow in us, and prayer enters the heart more easily.’ Reflecting on the Sunday gospel reading,…

Feb 15, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Seemingly unchangeable circumstances are changed, and seemingly incurable diseases are cured by the help of God – Patriarch Daniel

On Sunday, Patriarch Daniel of Romania said that the grace of God becomes more intense through strong faith, fervent prayer and sacrificial fasting. Therefore, he said reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading, by God’s help seemingly unchangeable circumstances are changed, and seemingly incurable diseases are cured. On August 13, His Beatitude offered his reflections on…

Aug 14, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu