The purpose of the Fast is to cleanse and free the heart, so that we may once again live in that original state of love in which God created us.

Abstaining from food by itself is not enough, for the devil does not eat at all, and yet he remains far from God.

We are called to restrain our thoughts, our tongue, our eyes, and our ears. We must guard our hearts from resentment, our tongue from harsh words, our mind from sinful thoughts, and our eyes and ears from harmful content.

Through this Fast we are called to exercise ourselves in patience and humility.

Therefore, We invite you to fast according to your strength and circumstances. It is important that we take part in the Fast, but even more important that we do so through prayer and in communion with the Church. Without prayer and without Church, fasting is nothing more than a diet.

 

We also invite everyone who has, for whatever reason, stepped away from the church to return. Here is an opportunity for a new beginning. The doors are open, and no one is forgotten.

May the Lord grant that we come out of this Fast with more peace, more patience, and more love, drawing closer to God and to one another.

 

We wish all of you and your families a blessed and spiritually fruitful beginning of the Great Fast.