domingo, 5 de mayo de 2024
viernes, 3 de mayo de 2024
jueves, 2 de mayo de 2024
Patriarchal Encyclical for Holy Pascha 2024
+ B A R T H O L O M E W
BY GOD’S MERCY
ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE-NEW ROME
AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH:
MAY THE GRACE, PEACE AND MERCY OF CHRIST RISEN IN GLORY
BE WITH YOU ALL
* * *
Most honorable brother Hierarchs and beloved children in the Lord,
By the pleasure and grace of God, the giver of all gifts, having run the race of Holy and Great Lent and spent with compunction the Week of our Lord’s Passion, behold we delight in the celebration of His splendid Resurrection, through which we were redeemed from the tyranny of Hades.
The glorious Resurrection of the Lord Christ from the dead is a shared resurrection of the entire race of mortals and a foretaste of the perfection of all, as well as of the fulfilment of the Divine Oikonomia in the heavenly Kingdom. We participate in the ineffable mystery of the Resurrection in the Church, being sanctified in its sacraments and experiencing Pascha, “which has opened to us the gates of Paradise,” not as a recollection of an event in the past, but as the quintessence of ecclesiastical life, as the presence of Christ ever among us, closer to us than we to ourselves. On Pascha, the Orthodox faithful discover their true selves as being in Christ; they are integrated into the movement of all things to the End Times, “with inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1.8), as “children of light . . . and children of day” (1 Thess. 5.5).
The central feature of Orthodox life is its Resurrectional pulse. Philosophers have wrongly described Orthodox spirituality as “sullen” and “autumnal.” By contrast, Westerners rightly praise the refined perceptiveness of the Orthodox in relation to the meaning and depth of the paschal experience. Yet this faith never forgets that the way to the Resurrection passes through the Cross. Orthodox spirituality does not recognize the utopianism of a Resurrection without Crucifixion, nor the pessimism of the Cross without the Resurrection. For this reason, in the Orthodox experience, evil does not have the final word in history, while faith in the Resurrection serves as the motivation for the struggle against the presence of evil and its consequences in the world, acting as a powerful transformative force. In the Orthodox self-consciousness, there is no place for surrender to evil or for indifference toward the development of human affairs. On the contrary, its contribution to the transformation of history has theological basis and existential grounding and it unfolds without running the risk of identifying the Church with the world. The Orthodox believer is conscious of the antithesis between worldly reality and eschatological perfection. And so he or she cannot remain idle before any negative dimensions of the world. For this reason, the Orthodox Church has never considered the struggle for transforming the world as a meaningless matter. Our faith in the Resurrection has preserved the Church both from introversion and indifference for the world, as well as from secularization.
For us Orthodox, the entire mystery and existential treasure of our piety is condensed into Pascha. When we hear that the Myrrh-bearers “were astonished” upon “entering the tomb and seeing a young man dressed in bright clothes” (Mark 16.5), this characterizes the vastness and essence of our experience of faith as the experience of existential wonder. When we hear that “they were astonished,” this means that we find ourselves before a mystery that becomes deeper the more we approach it, in accordance with what has been said, that our faith “is not a journey from mystery to knowledge, but from knowledge to mystery.”
While the denial of mystery existentially reduces human nature, the respect of mystery opens to us the gates of heaven. Faith in the Resurrection is the deepest and clearest expression of our freedom; or rather, it is the birth of freedom as a voluntary acceptance of the supreme divine gift, namely of deification by grace. As “experienced Resurrection,” the Orthodox Church is the space of “authentic freedom” that for the Christian life is the foundation, way, and destiny. The Resurrection of Christ is the good news of freedom, the gift of freedom, and the guarantee of “shared freedom” in the “eternal life” of the Kingdom of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
With these sentiments, most precious brothers and beloved children, filled with the complete joy of participating in “the feast that is shared by all,” having received light from the unwaning light and given glory to Christ risen from the dead and brought life to all – even as we remember during this all-festal “chosen and holy day” all of our brothers and sisters in difficult circumstances – we pray to our Lord “who trampled down death by death,” the God of peace, that He might bring peace to the world and guide our steps toward every deed that is good and pleasing to Him, proclaiming the all-joyous hymn “Christ is Risen!”
At the Phanar, Holy Pascha 2024
+ Bartholomew of Constantinople
Fervent supplicant for you all
to the Risen Lord
ENCÍCLICA PATRIARCAL PARA LA SANTA PASCUA 2024
+ B A R T O L O M É
POR LA MISERICORDIA DE DIOS
ARZOBISPO DE CONSTANTINOPLA-NUEVA ROMA
Y PATRIARCA ECUMÉNICO
AL PLÉROMA DE LA IGLESIA:
QUE LA GRACIA, LA PAZ Y LA MISERICORDIA DE CRISTO
RESUCITADO
EN GLORIA
ESTÉ CON TODOS VOSOTROS
***
Honorabilísimos hermanos Jerarcas y queridos hijos en el Señor: Por la
benevolencia y la gracia de Dios, dador de todo don, tras haber corrido la
carrera de la Santa y Gran Cuaresma y pasado con compunción la Semana de la
Pasión de nuestro Señor, he aquí que nos deleitamos en la celebración de su
esplendorosa Resurrección, a través de la cual fuimos redimidos de la tiranía
del Hades.
La gloriosa Resurrección del Señor Jesucristo de entre los muertos es compartida
por todos los mortales y anticipo de la perfección de todos, así como del
cumplimiento de la ‘Oikonomía’ divina en el Reino celestial. Participamos en el
inefable misterio de la Resurrección en la Iglesia, siendo santificados en sus
sacramentos y experimentando la Pascua, “que nos ha abierto las puertas del
Paraíso”, no como recuerdo de un hecho del pasado, sino como quintaesencia de
la vida eclesiástica, como presencia constante de Cristo entre nosotros, más
cercano a nosotros que nosotros mismos. En la Pascua, los fieles ortodoxos
descubren que su verdadera esencia es existir en Cristo; son integrados en el
movimiento de todas las cosas hacia los Últimos Tiempos “con un gozo inefable y
radiante” (1 Pe 1,8), como “hijos de la luz e hijos del día” (1 Tes 5,5).
La característica central de la vida ortodoxa estriba en su pulso Resurreccional.
Los filósofos han descrito erróneamente la espiritualidad ortodoxa como
“sombría” y “otoñal”. En contraste, los occidentales alaban con razón la
refinada percepción que los ortodoxos tienen del significado y la profundidad
de la experiencia pascual. Aun así, esta fe nunca olvida que el camino hacia la
Resurrección pasa por la Cruz. La espiritualidad ortodoxa no reconoce la utopía
de la Cruz sin la Resurrección. Por este motivo, en la experiencia ortodoxa el
mal no tiene la última palabra en la historia mundial, sino que la fe en la
Resurrección sirve como motivación para luchar contra la presencia del mal en
el mundo y sus consecuencias, actuando, pues, como una poderosa fuerza de
transformación. En la conciencia ortodoxa no hay sitio para la rendición ante
el mal ni para la indiferencia hacia el desarrollo de los asuntos humanos. Por
el contrario, su contribución a la transformación de la historia tiene una base
teológica y existencial y se desenvuelve sin correr el riesgo de identificar a
la Iglesia con el mundo. El creyente ortodoxo es consciente de la antítesis
entre la realidad mundana y la perfección escatológica, y por eso mismo no
puede permanecer inactivo ante cualquier realidad negativa del mundo. Por este
motivo, la Iglesia Ortodoxa nunca ha considerado la lucha por la transformación
del mundo un asunto sin sentido. Nuestra fe en la Resurrección ha preservado a
la Iglesia tanto de la introversión como de la indiferencia hacia el mundo y de
la secularización.
Para nosotros, los ortodoxos, todo el misterio y el tesoro existencial de nuestra
piedad están condensados en la Pascua. Al oír que las Mujeres Miróforas
“quedaron aterradas” cuando “entraron en el sepulcro y vieron a un joven […]
vestido de blanco”, vemos caracterizada la vastedad y la esencia de nuestra
experiencia de la fe como experiencia de una maravilla existencial. Cuando
oímos que “quedaron aterradas”, significa que nos encontramos a nosotros mismos
ante un misterio que se vuelve cada vez más profundo a medida que nos acercamos
a él de acuerdo con lo que se ha dicho: que nuestra fe “no es un viaje para
pasar del misterio al conocimiento, sino del conocimiento al misterio”.
Mientras que la negación del misterio reduce existencialmente la naturaleza
humana, el respeto del misterio nos abre las puertas del cielo. La fe en la Resurrección
es la expresión más profunda y clara de nuestra libertad, o más bien el
nacimiento de la libertad como aceptación voluntaria del más alto don divino,
es decir, de la deificación por la gracia. Como “Resurrección vivida”, la Iglesia
Ortodoxa es el espacio de la “auténtica libertad” que para la vida cristiana es
el fundamento, el camino y el destino. La Resurrección de Cristo es la buena
nueva de la libertad, el don de la libertad y la garantía de la “libertad
compartida” en la “vida eterna” del Reino del Padre, y del Hijo y del Espíritu
Santo.
Con estos sentimientos, apreciadísimos hermanos y queridos hijos, llenos
del tremendo gozo de participar en la “fiesta compartida por todos”, habiendo recibido
la luz de la luz inextinguible y habiendo dado gloria a Cristo resucitado de
entre los muertos que ha traído vida a todos, recordando en este “día escogido
y santo” a todos nuestros hermanos y hermanas que se encuentran en
circunstancias difíciles, imploramos a nuestro Señor, “que pisoteó la muerte
con su muerte”, el Dios de la paz, que traiga paz al mundo y guíe nuestros
pasos hacia toda obra buena y agradable a Él, proclamando el himno gozoso: “¡Cristo
ha resucitado!”.
En el Fanar,
Santa Pascua 2024
+Bartolomé de
Constantinopla
Fervoroso
suplicante por todos vosotros ante el Señor Resucitado
Πατριαρχική Ἀπόδειξις ἐπί τῷ Ἁγίῳ Πάσχα 2024
† Β Α Ρ Θ Ο Λ Ο Μ Α Ι Ο Σ
ΕΛΕῼ ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ
ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ – ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ
ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ
ΠΑΝΤΙ Τῼ ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ, ΕΙΡΗΝΗΝ ΚΑΙ EΛΕΟΣ
ΠΑΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΝΔΟΞΩΣ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΝΤΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ
* * *
Τιμιώτατοι ἀδελφοί Ἱεράρχαι καί τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ ἀγαπητά,
Εὐδοκίᾳ καί χάριτι τοῦ πανδώρου Θεοῦ διατρέξαντες τόν δόλιχον τῆς Ἁγίας καί Μεγάλης Τεσσαρακοστῆς καί διελθόντες ἐν κατανύξει τήν Ἑβδομάδα τῶν Παθῶν τοῦ Κυρίου, ἰδού, εὐφραινόμεθα τῇ πανηγύρει τῆς λαμπροφόρου Ἀναστάσεως Αὐτοῦ, δι᾿ ἧς ἐλυτρώθημεν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ᾍδου τυραννίδος.
Ἡ ἔνδοξος ἐκ νεκρῶν Ἔγερσις τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ εἶναι συνανάστασις σύμπαντος τοῦ γένους τῶν βροτῶν καί πρόγευσις τῆς τελειώσεως τῶν πάντων καί τῆς πληρώσεως τῆς Θείας Οἰκονομίας ἐν τῇ ἐπουρανίῳ Βασιλείᾳ. Μετέχομεν εἰς τό ἄφραστον μυστήριον τῆς Ἀναστάσεως ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, ἁγιαζόμενοι ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς αὐτῆς μυστηρίοις καί βιοῦντες τό Πάσχα, «τό πύλας ἡμῖν τοῦ Παραδείσου ἀνοίξαν», ὄχι ὡς ἀνάμνησιν ἑνός γεγονότος τοῦ παρελθόντος, ἀλλά ὡς πεμπτουσίαν τῆς ἐκκλησιαστικῆς ζωῆς, ὡς παρουσίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀεί ἐν τῷ μέσῳ ἡμῶν, ἐγγύτερον εἰς ἡμᾶς ἀπό ὅσον ἡμεῖς οἱ ἴδιοι εἰς τόν ἑαυτόν μας. Τό Πάσχα, οἱ ὀρθόδοξοι πιστοί ἀνακαλύπτουν τόν ἀληθινόν των ἑαυτόν ὡς ἐν Χριστῷ εἶναι, ἐντάσσονται εἰς τήν κίνησιν τῶν πάντων πρός τά Ἔσχατα, «ἐν χαρᾷ ἀνεκλαλήτῳ καί δεδοξασμένῃ» (Α΄ Πέτρ. α΄, 8), ὡς «υἱοί φωτός… καί υἱοί ἡμέρας» (Α΄ Θεσσ. ε΄, 5).
Κεντρικόν χαρακτηριστικόν τῆς ὀρθοδόξου ζωῆς εἶναι ὁ ἀναστάσιμος παλμός της. Ἀστόχως ἀπεκάλεσεν ὁ φιλόσοφος τήν ὀρθόδοξον πνευματικότητα «σκυθρωπήν» καί «φθινοπωρινήν». Εὐστόχως ἐπαινεῖται ὑπό τῶν Δυτικῶν τό ἀνεπτυγμένον αἰσθητήριον τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων διά τό νόημα καί τό βιωματικόν βάθος τῆς πασχαλίου ἐμπειρίας, χωρίς ὅμως ἡ πίστις αὐτή νά λησμονῇ, ὅτι ἡ πορεία πρός τήν Ἀνάστασιν διέρχεται διά τοῦ Σταυροῦ. Δέν γνωρίζει ἡ ὀρθόδοξος πνευματικότης τόν οὐτοπισμόν τῆς Ἀναστάσεως χωρίς Σταυρόν, οὔτε τήν ἀπαισιοδοξίαν τοῦ Σταυροῦ χωρίς τήν Ἀνάστασιν. Διά τόν λόγον αὐτόν, εἰς τό ὀρθόδοξον βίωμα τό κακόν δέν ἔχει τόν τελευταῖον λόγον ἐν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ, ἐνῶ ἡ πίστις εἰς τήν Ἀνάστασιν λειτουργεῖ ὡς κίνητρον διά τόν ἀγῶνα ἐναντίον τῆς παρουσίας ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ καί τῶν συνεπειῶν του, δρᾷ ὡς ἰσχυρά μεταμορφωτική δύναμις. Εἰς τήν ὀρθόδοξον αὐτοσυνειδησίαν δέν ὑπάρχει χῶρος διά συνθηκολόγησιν ἀπέναντι εἰς τό κακόν, δι᾿ ἀδιαφορίαν περί τῆς πορείας τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων. Ἀντιθέτως, ἡ συμβολή εἰς τήν μεταμόρφωσιν τῆς ἱστορίας ἔχει θεολογικήν βάσιν καί ὑπαρξιακόν ἔρεισμα καί ἐκτυλίσσεται χωρίς τόν κίνδυνον ταυτίσεως τῆς Ἐκκλησίας μέ τόν κόσμον. Ὁ Ὀρθόδοξος πιστός ἔχει συνείδησιν τῆς ἀντιθέσεως μεταξύ τῆς ἐγκοσμίου πραγματικότητος καί τῆς ἐσχατολογικῆς τελειότητος καί δέν εἶναι δυνατόν νά παραμείνῃ ἀδρανής ἀπέναντι εἰς τάς ἀρνητικότητας. Διά τόν λόγον αὐτόν, ἡ Ὀρθόδοξος Ἐκκλησία δέν εἶδε ποτέ τόν ἀγῶνα διά μεταμόρφωσιν τοῦ κόσμου ὡς ἀσήμαντον ὑπόθεσιν. Ἡ πασχάλιος πίστις ἔσωζε τήν Ἐκκλησίαν τόσον ἀπό τήν ἐσωστρέφειαν καί τήν κλειστότητα, ὅσον καί ἀπό τήν ἐκκοσμίκευσιν.
Εἰς τό Πάσχα τῶν ὀρθοδόξων συμπυκνοῦται ὁλόκληρον τό μυστήριον καί ὁ ὑπαρξιακός πλοῦτος τῆς εὐσεβείας μας. Τό «ἐξεθαμβήθησαν» τῶν Μυροφόρων, ὅταν, «εἰσελθοῦσαι εἰς τό μνημεῖον εἶδον νεανίσκον… περιβεβλημένον στολήν λευκήν» (Μάρκ. ιστ΄, 5), χαρακτηρίζει τό μέγεθος καί τήν οὐσίαν τῆς ἐμπειρίας τῆς πίστεως ὡς βιώσεως ὑπαρξιακοῦ συγκλονισμοῦ. Τό «ἐκθαμβεῖσθαι» δηλώνει ὅτι ὁ ἄνθρωπος εὑρίσκεται ἐνώπιον ἑνός μυστηρίου, τό ὁποῖον βαθαίνει, ὅσον τό προσεγγίζει, κατά τό λεχθέν, ὅτι ἡ πίστις μας «δέν εἶναι πορεία ἀπό τό μυστήριο στή γνώση, ἀλλά ἀπό τή γνώση στό μυστήριο».
Ἐνῷ ἡ ἄρνησις τοῦ μυστηρίου συρρικνώνει ὑπαρκτικῶς τόν ἄνθρωπον, ὁ σεβασμός ἀνοίγει εἰς αὐτόν τήν πύλην τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Ἡ πίστις εἰς τήν Ἀνάστασιν εἶναι ἡ βαθυτάτη καί ἀκραιφνεστάτη ἔκφρασις τῆς ἐλευθερίας μας ἤ μᾶλλον ἡ γέννησις αὐτῆς ὡς ἑκουσίας ἀποδοχῆς τῆς ὑψίστης θείας δωρεᾶς τῆς κατά χάριν θεώσεως. Ἡ Ὀρθόδοξος Ἐκκλησία, ὡς «βιωμένη Ἀνάστασις», εἶναι ὁ χῶρος τῆς «ἀληθεστάτης ἐλευθερίας», ἡ ὁποία εἰς τήν χριστιανικήν ζωήν εἶναι θεμέλιον, ὁδός καί προορισμός. Ἡ Ἀνάστασις τοῦ Χριστοῦ εἶναι εὐαγγέλιον ἐλευθερίας, δωρεά ἐλευθερίας καί ἐχέγγυον τῆς «κοινῆς ἐλευθερίας» εἰς τήν «αἰώνιον βιοτήν» τῆς Βασιλείας τοῦ Πατρός καί τοῦ Υἱοῦ καί τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος.
Μέ αὐτά τά αἰσθήματα, τιμιώτατοι ἀδελφοί καί πεφιλημένα τέκνα, ἔμπλεοι τῆς πεπληρωμένης χαρᾶς τῆς μετοχῆς εἰς τήν «κοινήν τῶν ὅλων πανήγυριν», λαβόντες φῶς ἐκ τοῦ ἀνεσπέρου φωτός καί δοξάζοντες Χριστόν τόν ἀναστάντα ἐκ νεκρῶν καί ἀνατείλαντα πᾶσι τήν ζωήν, μεμνημένοι δέ κατά τήν πανέορτον ταύτην «κλητήν καί ἁγίαν ἡμέραν», πάντων τῶν ἐν περιστάσεσιν ἀδελφῶν, δεόμεθα τοῦ «πατήσαντος θανάτῳ τόν θάνατον» Κυρίου καί Θεοῦ τῆς εἰρήνης, ὅπως εἰρηνεύῃ τόν κόσμον, καταυγάζῃ τά διαβήματα ἡμῶν πρός πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν καί Αὐτῷ εὐάρεστον, ἀναφωνοῦντες τόν πανευφρόσυνον ὕμνον «Χριστός Ἀνέστη»!
Φανάριον, Ἅγιον Πάσχα ,βκδ´
† Ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως
διάπυρος πρός Χριστόν Ἀναστάντα
εὐχέτης πάντων ὑμῶν.
sábado, 27 de abril de 2024
lunes, 22 de abril de 2024
viernes, 19 de abril de 2024
lunes, 25 de marzo de 2024
sábado, 16 de marzo de 2024
Catechetical Homily at the Opening of Holy and Great Lent (2024)
+ BARTHOLOMEW
BY GOD’S MERCY
ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE-NEW ROME
AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH,
MAY THE GRACE AND PEACE + BARTHOLOMEW
BY GOD’S MERCY
ARCHBISHOP OF CONSTANTINOPLE-NEW ROME
AND ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
TO THE PLENITUDE OF THE CHURCH,
OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
TOGETHER WITH OUR PRAYER, BLESSING AND FORGIVENESS
BE WITH ALL
* * *
Most honorable brother Hierarchs and blessed children in the Lord,
The grace of our God of love has once again vouchsafed for us to enter the soul-benefiting period of the Lenten Triodion and arrive at Holy and Great Lent, namely to the arena of ascetic struggle replete with gifts from above and the joy of the Cross and Resurrection. During this blessed period, the spiritual treasure and dynamism of the ecclesiastical life as well as the soteriological reference of all its expressions are revealed with clarity.
We have already learned much from the impasse and self-righteous arrogance of the Pharisee, from the barren moralism and hard-heartedness of the elder son in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and from the callousness and condemnation on the Day of Judgment of those who proved indifferent to the “least of our brothers” that were hungry, thirsty, foreigners, naked, ill, and imprisoned. Moreover, the value and power of humility and repentance, of forgiveness and mercy were revealed to us as attitudes that the Church emphatically calls us to nurture in the period that opens up before us.
Holy and Great Lent is a welcome time of spiritual, inner and physical purification and discipline, which—as we just heard in the Gospel passage that was read—traverses through fasting, which should not be practiced “so that others may see,” and through forgiveness of our brothers and sisters: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you” (Mt. 6.14). After all, this is what we confess each day with the Lord’s Prayer, when we say: “as we forgive the sins of our debtors” (Mt. 6.12).
Yesterday, on Cheesefare Saturday, the Church honored the memory of the saintly men and women who shone in ascetic life. Saints are not only models for the faithful in the good fight of life in Christ and according to Christ. They are also our fellow travelers, friends and supporters in the ascetic journey of fasting, repentance, and humility. We are not alone in our effort, but we have God, who encourages and blesses us, as well as the Saints and Martyrs, who stand beside us, and above all the First among the Saints and Mother of God, who intercedes for us all to the Lord. Sanctity is proof of the power of divine grace and the human synergy in the Church, which takes place through participation in the holy sacraments and fulfilment of the divine commandments. There is no “gratuitous piety” or “easy Christianity,” just as there is no “wide gate” or “spacious way” that leads to the heavenly Kingdom (cf. Mt. 7.13–14).
The Church constantly reminds us that salvation is not an individual, but an ecclesiastical event, a common discipline. During the God-guarded Holy and Great Lent, what becomes apparent for the spiritual life of the faithful is the definitive meaning of participation in the life of the community—that is to say, in the Christian family and parish, or else in the monastic coenobium. We would like to highlight the function of the Christian family as a community of life for the experience of Great Lent’s spirituality. Our predecessor among the Saints, John Chrysostom, described the family as “a small Church.”[1] Indeed, it is in the family that occurs the rendering of our existence into that of the church; it is there that the sense of the social and communal character of human life and the life in Christ as well as the love, mutual respect and solidarity are developed; and it is there that the life and joy of cohabitation are experienced as a divine gift.
The joint endeavor to apply the ecclesiastical rule and ethos of fasting in the context of the family manifests the charismatic dimension of ascetic life and, more broadly, the conviction that whatever is true, honorable, and rightful in our life comes to us from above; that despite our own cooperation and contribution, in the end they transcend whatever is humanly achievable and accessible. After all, the communal aspect of life, the love for one another that does not seek its own, and the virtue of forgiveness, do not allow room for human rights-ism and complacency. An expression of such a spirit of “common freedom” and eucharistic asceticism is precisely the inseparable connection between fasting, charity, and participation in the parish and liturgical life of the Church. Living out this “Lenten spirit” within a Christian family leads us to the depth of truth in the ecclesiastical experience and constitutes the birthplace and source of Christian witness in our secularized contemporary world.
Brothers and children, pray that we may all travel with godly zeal along the way of Holy and Great Lent with fasting and repentance, in prayer and contrition, making peace within ourselves and with one another, sharing in life and showing ourselves to be “neighbors” to those in need through charitable works, forgiving one another and glorifying in all circumstances the God of mercy’s name, which is above the heavens, beseeching Him to deem us worthy of reaching Holy and Great Week with purified minds and of worshipping with joy and delight His splendid Resurrection.
Holy and Great Lent 2024
✠ BARTHOLOMEW of Constantinople
Fervent supplicant for all before God
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1. Commentary on the Letter to the Ephesians 20, PG 62.143.
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To be read in churches on Cheesefare Sunday, March 17, 2024, immediately after the Holy Gospel.
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