great lent

In pictures: Ecumenical Patriarchate celebrates 1175th Sunday of Orthodoxy

His Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew Sunday presided over the Divine Liturgy celebrated at the St George Patriarchal Cathedral at the Phanar in Constantinople, the city where Orthodox hierarchs gathered in a Holy Synod and restored holy icons for the use in services and private devotional life of Christians after a century-long ecclesiastical differences. Bishop Adrian…

Feb 27, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch’s Homily on the Opening of Great Lent. ‘Whoever truly loves God also loves one’s neighbour everywhere’

CATECHETICAL HOMILY ON THE OPENING OF HOLY AND GREAT LENT 2018 + B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church May the Grace and Peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Together with our Prayer,…

Feb 24, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel officiates Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete. ‘Great Lent is a school of repentance’

Repentance was the main theme of Patriarch Daniel’s homily delivered Monday evening at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. ‘The Great Lent is a school of repentance,’ because it is ‘a mystical partaking of the Saviour’s forty-day fast,’ and a struggle against the tendencies inherited from our first parents Adam and Eve, especially ‘the tendency to…

Feb 22, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel at the beginning of Great Lent: In order to forgive our neighbour we need to crucify our egoism and open our soul unto resurrection

During his Sunday homily, Patriarch Daniel stressed the importance of forgiveness of those who have wronged us, noting that this is ‘the good beginning of the Lenten season,’ through which we resemble the Compassionate and Forgiving God. His Beatitude said that ‘forgiveness of sins often implies the crucifixion of our own egoism, opening our soul…

Feb 21, 2018Aurelian 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

Video: Fr Makarios of Simonopetra launches new book on ‘Mystagogy of Great Lent’ in Paris

Hieromonk Makarios of Simonopetra launched Saturday his latest volume entitled Mystagogie du Grand Carême. Essai de théologie du temps liturgique (Mystagogy of Great Lent. A theological essay on liturgical time). Attending the event was His Eminence Iosif, Romanian Orthodox Metropolitan of Western and Southern Europe. The book launch was held at the Holy Archangels Cathedral…

Feb 13, 2018Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel officiates the Great Canon at the Patriarchal Cathedral

Mar 21, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

10 Quotes from Patriarch Daniel on Fasting

Fasting is an offering of love brought to God. Forgiveness is the good start of a fasting period. Without forgiveness, no one can enter the fasting period as a time of spiritual struggle to purify our soul from sins and enlighten it. At the foundation of fasting are devotion and love of God. We fast…

Mar 1, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

The purpose of fasting is to meet Christ, Patriarch Daniel says on Beginning of Great Lent

Many faithful prayed on Clean Monday during the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete, officiated by Patriarch Daniel at the Patriarchal Cathedral in Bucharest. The Primate of the Romanian Orthodox Church addressed the faithful present at the Great Compline officiated Feb. 27 and spoke about the meaning and benefits of fasting. His Beatitude stressed…

Mar 1, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

Patriarch Daniel: By fasting, man brings his offering of love to God

On the Sunday of Cheesefare, Patriarch Daniel urged the faithful to bring the effort of fasting as an offering of our love to God. During his homily delivered Feb. 26, the Patriarch explained why fasting is necessary and how should the faithful perform the fasting sacrifice as a spiritual ascent towards Resurrection. His Beatitude Patriarch…

Feb 28, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu

Ecumenical Patriarch urges faithful to be vigilant and renew their lives in catechetical homily on the beginning of Great Lent

CATECHETICAL ENCYCLICAL ON THE OPENING OF GREAT LENT + B A R T H O L O M E W By God’s Mercy Archbishop of Constantinople-New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch To the Plenitude of the Church May the Grace and Peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Together with our Prayer, Blessing and Forgiveness…

Feb 28, 2017Aurelian Iftimiu