On the evening of the Sunday of the Expulsion of Adam from Paradise, February 22, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir, Primate of the Orthodox Church of Moldova, officiated the Vespers service and the Rite of Forgiveness at the Metropolitan Cathedral “Nativity of the Lord” in Chișinău.
Clergy and faithful from throughout the Metropolis of Moldova gathered today to ask one another for the forgiveness due before the beginning of Great Lent.
At the conclusion of the service, the Archpastor delivered a word of instruction, speaking about the meaning, the spiritual atmosphere, and the fruits of Great Lent, into which we enter again this year, with God’s help.
“My dear ones, fasting is a blessed opportunity for earnest prayer and good deeds. Spiritual fasting means fasting of the senses — that the mouth may not speak falsehoods or injustices, that the eyes may not look upon what is destructive and tempting, that the ears may not listen to vain words. Blessed is he who unites spiritual fasting with bodily fasting, for through self-restraint he becomes a radiant image of Christian humility.”
Vladyka Vladimir asked forgiveness of the clergy and faithful present, then urged them to spend Great Lent in complete reconciliation with one another, so as to reach in peace the radiant Feast of the Resurrection of our Savior Christ.
The Christians present received from His Eminence the Metropolitan religious booklets dedicated to the Holy and Great Fast.
Synodal Department for Institutional Communication and Media Relations
