![\"hagiasophialast\"](\"http:\/\/stmichaelarchangel.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/hagiasophialast.jpg\")
<\/a>The Church has understood for centuries that the gradual introduction into a different way of living during the Fast should be gradual. So, she has designated two weeks for gradually preparing for the Fast, namely Meat Fare and Cheese Fare.<\/p>\nThese two weeks of preparation for Lent, however, only make sense if we are going to eliminate meat and dairy products from our diets. The traditional approach to the Great Fast would have us eliminate meat from our diets during this coming week.<\/p>\n
Again, I truly believe that our Church encourages us to include voluntary practices into our lives during this time – practices that we believe will help us to spiritually grow. We must always remember that we don\u2019t give up things during this time because we believe that in some way this will honor or even placate God to be more positively disposed toward us or love us more than He already does. We cannot merit God\u2019s Love or eternal reward<\/p>\n
Acts of spiritually motivated personal discipline help us to more seriously think about our spiritual lives. Ascetical practices help us to focus our attention on our spiritual lives.<\/p>\n
It absolutely drives me crazy when I am asked: What are you giving up for Lent? I don\u2019t give things up! I try to engage in ascetical practices which have been proven, over time, to be helpful for focusing on my spiritual life.<\/p>\n
How will you observe Lent? If you don\u2019t want to spiritually grow or don\u2019t think you have to, then don\u2019t do anything! If, however, you want to grow spiritual, do something!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Our Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church follows the Eastern Church\u2019s approach to the Great Fast – Lent. It suggests ways of observing the Fast that are drawn from a long and noble history of ascetic practices that have proven to help us … Continue reading