FROM THE PARISH PRIEST
 

On Cheese-fare Sunday
by Fr. Romey Rosco

        On this Sunday before the beginning of Great Lent, we are called upon to increase our fasting by excluding all dairy products.  Please be aware that this fasting is prescribed for all of the forty days of Great Lent (including Saturdays and Sundays).  If these prescriptions are too difficult, then fast as best you can; no one can expect more than that.  It is also important to note that those who are elderly or ill are not required to fast any more than your health can handle.  Without a doubt, we can all do with less "junk" food in our diet, eating moderately and only at meal times.

        Fasting should not be done simply to lose weight, but as an act of devotion to God.  It is an attempt to take our eyes off the things of this world and to emphasize that which is spiritual (of God).  As we look forward to the Resurrection of our Lord an Savior Jesus Christ, let us anticipate His coming, directing our attention to Him, being satisfied and nourished by Him, and rejecting even the possibility of replacing Him with the "things" of this world.

        During Great Lent, be sure to confess and rid yourself of the burden of your sins, fill yourself with the Lord in Holy Communion and strive to do His Will in your life and in the world around you.  Only in this way can we truly be raised up with Him in Glorious Resurrection.

From The Weekly Bulletin, Vol. XXXI No. 8, 22 February 2004
Sts. Peter & Paul Romanian Orthodox Church, Dearborn Heights MI

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