The Great Fast in the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church is meant to prepare us for a meaningful celebration of Easter – The Great Day. Although I am sure that my readers already have an idea of how to observe this time, I would repeat some suggestions.
Recommended Minimal Effort
Abstain from meat and dairy products on the first day of the Fast (February 16) and Good Friday (April 3) Abstain from meat on All Fridays of Lent and Holy Saturday (April 4)
In order to enter into the spirit of Lent this is seen as a minimal effort
A Strict Lenten Tradition
Abstain from meat and dairy products all the days of the Fast, even weekends, from February 16 until after Easter services (April 5)
Meat eliminated beginning the day after Meatfare (February 9)
Dairy Products eliminated the day after Cheesefare (February 16)
Modified Strict Lenten Tradition
A modified version of the strict tradition calls for us, in addition to the minimal effort suggested, to abstain from meat on all Wednesdays and Fridays of Lent and all the days of Great and Holy Week and pray more frequently.
What is extremely important is that we voluntarily undertake ascetical practices during this time. Remember, God gave us free will because He wants us to freely love Him. All ascetical practices should be thoughtful and truly reasonable, remembering that it is not the quantity of things that we do but the quality of our efforts. If certain ascetical practices don’t help you to open your heart and mind to a deeper union with God, then you should not engage in them. For example, if someone is sick, they must take that into account; or an aged person’s health might be seriously compromised if they fast or abstain. Again, our approach to religious practice must be intelligent, always remembering that these practices are meant to help us to focus our attention on our spiritual lives and are not things that God needs us to do in order for Him to love us.
My counsel as your spiritual father is to thoughtfully and prayerfully use the time of Lent for spiritual growth. Integrate into your life any activity that you find helps you to focus your attention on your spiritual life and reduces the influence our modern society has on your life. Make God, in a very special way, the center of these next forty days.