GREAT LENT IN PAKISTAN

THE MOST IMPORTANT FASTING SEASON IN THE EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

The season of Great Lent is the time of preparation for the Bright Feast of the Resurrection of Christ!

With the blessings of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, March 11, 2019 on Clean Monday Evening Blessed Lenten Journey Started by Eastern Orthodox Christians in Pakistan. The ROCOR community in Pakistan entered in the Great Lent Season with full devotion and passion and from last six years the Pakistani Orthodox Christians are well acquainted about Orthodox Fasting Rules and they are strictly observed fasting taught by Russian Orthodox Church. On Clean Monday 11March, 2019 the parishioners and choir of St. Sergius of Radonezh Orthodox Church Sargodha Pakistan chanted the Canon of St. Andrew of Crete by following the sacred traditions of Russian Orthodox Church.

The Great Lent is the most important fasting season in the Eastern Orthodox Christianity which prepares Orthodox Christians for the Glorious and Bright and Joyous Feast of the Resurrection of Lord and Saviour. Clean Monday is the first full day of fasting and Great Lent is the most important fasting season in the church year in Orthodox Christianity. Right after the Forgiveness Sunday, it is the beauty of the Eastern Orthodox Church to start a Lenten Journey. The forgiveness Sunday symbolizes to leave behind sins and asking for forgiveness of sins, any transgression of word, thought or pride.

During the Holy Season of Lent, we are asked to focus more intently on which means donating money or goods to the poor and performing other acts of charity. The Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia (ROCOR) is firmly established in Pakistan and humbly needs your generous support. May our Lord Jesus Christ cleanse our hearts and strengthen us spiritually during the blessed and holy lent.

Saint Michael the Archangel Orthodox Mission in Pakistan wishes all of you a blessed Great Lent Season. May God give you strength and fortress during the Lent so that we all are prepared for Bright and Glorious Resurrection of our Lord and Savior!

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Funds are distributed from the ROCOR Fund For Assistance and directly distributed to the mission

The Forgiveness (Cheesefare) Sunday

The Sunday before Great Lent March 10, 2019

On Sunday March 10, 2019, with the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Hilarion, First Hierarch of the Russian Church Abroad, the ROCOR faithful attended the Divine Liturgy with passion and great reverence. Father Joseph Farooq taught the faithful that on “Forgiveness Sunday”, the Church teaches us that before we enter the Lenten Season, that there can be no true fast, no genuine repentance, no reconciliation with God, unless we are at the same do not have reconciliation and complete harmony with our brothers and sisters.

Sermon on the Sunday of Forgiveness:

After the Divine Liturgy Fr.Joseph Farooq preached the homily and ask the parishioners; May God forgive us all as we forgive one another and the Sunday of forgiveness helps us to enter in the Great Lent Season with purity of heart and with good faith. He told the faithful that we all sin, and sin completely separates us from God and for our reunion every Orthodox Christian needs repentance and true repentance make us humble bring us closer to God and to our brothers and sisters.

Further Fr. Joseph Farooq told the faithful that on this Sunday we also meditate on two important about themes:
1-Commemoration Adam’s expulsion from Paradise,
2-And to accentuate our need for forgiveness before the Great Holy Lent and in the Eastern Orthodox Churches”.

It is important that during the Great Lent Season we must abstain from certain foods and we try to strengthen our spiritual life by reading the life of holy saints, following the sacred traditions of Eastern Orthodox Church and your daily family prayer at your homes. Being an Orthodox Christian it is our first and utmost important duty to deny pride and self-egoism and we must live a very simple and spiritual life as we learn from the teachings of Church Fathers, Pious Monks and Holy Saints.

Father Joseph preached and told the faithful that the importance of Sacrament of Confession before the Holy Communion and the Sunday of Forgiveness also helps the Orthodox families to learn and make the habit of their life to participate in the Sacrament of Confession and our true devotion for the holy sacraments prepare all of us in our journey towards heaven.

To end the preaching Fr. Joseph reminds the faithful about the prayer of the Publican: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Lk. 18. 13) as we know, this prayer of the Publican leads us to make a part of our daily life the Jesus’ prayer. This prayer enables us to make our strong connection with God as the Publican pray to God and help us to seek repentance and forgiveness of sins. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy upon me a sinner,”

Donate to the Mission

Funds are distributed from the ROCOR Fund For Assistance and directly distributed to the mission