An Invitation

Once again, the season of Great and Holy Lent is upon us, and with its arrival, we hear anew the Church’s call to repentance before our Creator. Through the preparation and discipline of this Great Fast, our Church invites us to nurture and to tend to our spiritual well-being by seeking ever-increasing communion with our good and loving God.

We give thanks to God for His mercy since in this season of repentance we are perhaps more deeply aware of our need for it. As we make the journey toward Pascha—that defining Christian feast and our hope of life everlasting—the Church “equips” us with the tools necessary for repentance.

The Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are ways of refocusing our hearts and minds on the eternal and for remembering that in this earthly life, our obedience to Christ is a way of working out our salvation. This life is an opportunity to grow in communion with the Triune God, and Great Lent is a special season in our lifelong journey: now, especially, but also in every season, we are called to serve one another, following the example of Christ Himself.

Over the next few weeks, you will find reflections for this time of preparation written by IOCC Frontliners, men and women trained to offer emotional and spiritual care in the wake of disasters across the US. Their service is part of IOCC’s worldwide mission and represents a very human and personal aspect of the humanitarian work that we accomplish together. I pray that these perspectives will support your own Lenten journey during this year.

This Lent, may each of us find strength for the work Christ calls us to! May we rejoice in emptying ourselves for His sake, just as He emptied Himself for ours!

His Eminence Metropolitan Nicolae
Romanian Orthodox Metropolia of the Americas
Liaison to IOCC from the Assembly of Canonical Orthodox Bishops of the United States

Icon from IOCC’s image library (public domain).