Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Congratulations with the feast of the Resurrection of the Lord, as well as the last preparatory Sunday before Lent!

Tomorrow Great Lent begins. For some, this is a joyous time, but perhaps for other people here amongst us, there is no appetite for this upcoming period of time. Perhaps there are some who have no desire to change anything in their personal lives. Of course, it is difficult to refuse ourselves our favourite tasty food, to begin to pray more often, to come to church not once a week but several times, to turn off the television, internet, and social media, and to share what we have with those who are in need. We are all seeking the Kingdom of Heaven, but do not always value the importance of fasting on this journey.

Naturally, such thoughts need to be driven far away from us. To help us in this and to encourage all those standing on the doorstep of Lent, the Holy Church offers for our edification the memory of our forefather Adam, the remembrance of the blessed state in which he originally lived, and the manner in which he lost this blessedness. The Holy Hierarch Basil the Great rightfully notes that fasting has its beginning in the appearance of humanity on earth. While living in Paradise, Adam and Eve strictly fasted. The mere thought that animal products could be used for food did not enter into their minds. In fact, until the time of the Flood people ate no meat. Their physical needs were satisfied with fruits and vegetables and i they did they suffer in any way from such a simple diet.

Apart from this, the Lord handed down one commandment: to refrain from eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, that is, He instituted a fast for the first people. The wonderful and blessed life that the first-created people enjoyed depended on how they kept this commandment. While they fasted, Adam and Eve continued to enjoy a blessed life in Eden and to commune with God face to face, but as soon as they transgressed this first commandment, this first fast, they lost everything.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, do you see how important fasting is? Fasting is the original condition or state of mankind, and the fortunate life of Adam and Eve in Paradise depended on it. The breaking of the fast led to the banishment of the first people from Paradise, to sicknesses, and to death. If it is important for us to return to that original condition that was lost long ago, let each of us begin this process tomorrow with fasting.

priest Alexis