On February 25, the first Wednesday of Great Lent, the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated.
At the Metropolitan Cathedral Church of “Saint Great Martyr Nedelya” in Sofia, Patriarch Daniel of Bulgaria presided over the service.
Following numerous kneeling prayers offered by the clergy and chanting by the choir, many faithful approached to receive Holy Communion from the Presanctified Holy Gifts, the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, consecrated the previous Sunday.
At the conclusion of the service, Patriarch Daniel imparted his blessing to the gathered Christians and said:
“Let us continue the struggle of fasting with willingness, and in this blessed, grace-filled season, let us strive to strengthen our bond with the Lord Jesus Christ. With humility, let us fast, repent, and cast off every injustice, hypocrisy, and passion within us. Thus, little by little, God’s grace assures us and helps us understand how beautiful and exalted the dignity He has bestowed upon us is. What is man? He is the image and likeness of God. This cannot be realized without a personal relationship with God, that is, without works of repentance: humility, fasting, prayer, almsgiving, confession, soberly recognizing our sins, and desiring to break free from injustice. Gradually, God’s grace purifies our hearts, bearing witness that this is our path on earth. For us, there is no other.”
Those who think they can live self-sufficiently and have no need to belong to the divine-human body of the Church or God will lead themselves to dread. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Only-Begotten Son of God, united himself with matter by assuming human nature. As the holy Apostle Peter says, the world will be consumed by fire, and all things will be transformed in a moment (cf. 2 Peter 3:10). Everything will be within the Body of the Lord—all that will be saved and filled with life. Whatever is not united with Him has separated itself of its own volition. What will its fate be? Truly, eternal fire.
It is easy for a person to humble himself during this period by abstaining from rich foods and showing humanity and conscientiousness in all that he does. Then, we shall see the joy and support that the Lord will grant us. We will truly feel ourselves to be human beings united with God. This is the purpose of our life here on earth, given to us for repentance. Great Lent helps us cast off every illusion and everything that makes us think we can live without God. For this reason, the season of fasting is blessed because it supports those who desire to labor for their salvation, acquire God’s grace, and strengthen their bond with Christ.
Blessed be the Holy Forty Days! May God strengthen us in our struggle to repent, and may we walk with true joy in our hearts, now and throughout our lives. Thus, we shall bear witness to all people that Christ has come, that he exists and is alive, and that he calls us to be with him in his kingdom.
Text and photographs: Plamen Mihaylov
