ተቀነዩ / ተቀነዩ ለእግዚአብሔር በፍርሃት

፲፬ / የካቲት · 2027-02-21

The beginning of the Great Fast is a call to spiritual renewal. Hebrews tells believers to strengthen weak hands and trembling knees, make straight paths, pursue peace, and seek the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. Fasting is therefore not only about avoiding certain foods. It is a journey toward healing, holiness, reconciliation, and renewed obedience. A person may observe an external fast while still carrying bitterness, pride, hatred, or injustice. God desires the restoration of the whole person. The Letter of Saint John teaches that love comes from God. Whoever loves is born of God and knows God, because God is love. Divine love was revealed when the Father sent His Son so that humanity might receive life through Him. Christian love begins not with our achievement but with God’s initiative. God loved us first. Therefore, anyone who receives His love must also love others. Prayer and fasting that do not produce mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and reconciliation remain incomplete. In Acts, God appears to Moses in the burning bush. Moses had fled into the wilderness after failure and rejection, but God had not finished with him. The Lord had seen the suffering of His people, heard their cries, and descended to deliver them. He called Moses to participate in that work of liberation. The Gospel teaches how to give alms, pray, and fast. Jesus warns against performing religious actions to attract human praise. The person who gives, prays, or fasts merely to be admired has already received the only reward being sought. The Father sees what is hidden. True fasting is offered to Him with humility. True prayer seeks His will rather than public honour. True charity helps the poor without using their suffering to increase our reputation. The Lord’s Prayer also teaches that those who ask God for forgiveness must be willing to forgive others. The Great Fast begins by entering the hidden room of the heart, closing the door against pride, and meeting the Father in sincerity. Through the Covenant of Mercy, we also remember that the Blessed Virgin Mary directs us toward the mercy of her Son. The proper response is repentance, trust, love, forgiveness, prayer, fasting, and service to those who suffer.