“Today Lent has begun. For me, this is an important period of the year. But, of course, everyone contributes something of their own. So what is fasting for a healthy person? The question is not that we don’t eat. The question is who we become. For me, fasting is not about prohibitions. It’s about freedom. Freedom to control yourself,” he said.
He noted that people in the modern world continuously consume news, emotions, things and thoughts.
“Fasting gives back control. If you consume less, you live better. Fasting is gathering yourself together. It is silence instead of noise. Order instead of chaos. Content instead of excess. Internal defense from external anger,” Kuleba added.
He admitted that making the decision to fast is not easy, but “once you take this path, you understand how important it is to follow it.”
“To everyone who made such an important decision, I am with you. And whoever else made it, I am also with you,” he concluded.
Context
Great Lent is the most a long and strict fast in the Orthodox tradition. It precedes the celebration of Easter and lasts 48 days.
On April 12, after the end of Lent, believers will celebrate Easter – a holiday that in the Christian tradition has a special meaning and symbolizes the end of Lent.
