Contact | We also announce the publication of our monastery November-December bulletin (its English version will be available soon on our website: https://sfdumitru.org/en/icon-from-within/, Feast Day at St. Dimitrie the New Monastery, Visit of the Hawaiian Icon of the Mother of God, Prayers sent to God on the wings of birds, Doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men (Ephesians 6.7). Then after Vespersafter hearing the announcement of Lent in the Great Prokeimenon: Turn not away Thy face from Thy child, for I am afflicted! Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter and commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. And it is primarily the renewal of that love, a growth in it, that we seek in Great Lent, in fasting and prayer, in the entire spirit and the entire effort of that season. In the Russian Orthodox Church, fasting always begins on a Monday, whereas in the Roman Catholic Church, on a. Great Lent is the longest and strictest of the four fasting periods of the Orthodox Church. Great Lent begins on Monday, March 7, 2022. Remember also those who have been killed in this war. For some, it might be a particularly long and arduous one, for others, not so much. Let us welcome the Fast with humble hearts., See how the beauty of repentance forms the soul anew at the approach of Lent! If one does not have the strength to do this, it is good to abstain from food until after venerating the epitaphios (winding sheet) during Vespers on this day. Even during Great Lent, Saturday (the Sabbath Day) and Sunday (the Lord's Day) remain eucharistic days, and the Divine Liturgy is celebrated. For example, in Greece, Clean Monday (Ash Monday) is taken to be the first day of spring. On Wednesday, the fast is kept until after the Presanctified Liturgy. No restriction is placed on the amount of food during the meal, though moderation is always encouraged in all areas of ones life at all times. the Syriac Orthodox calendar was based entirely on the Julian calendar. Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America. Metropolitan of All America and Canada, The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. There are certain days of the Holy Week cycle that have special fasting rules. The Church eases us into the fasting discipline during these weeks of preparation as follows: February 13 is the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee and the week that follows (February 13 - 20) is fast-free. The information contained on the website of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is for informational purposes only. This site has been made possible by a grant from Leadership 100. Beginning of Great Lent Commemorated on March 7 In the Orthodox Church, the last Sunday before Great Lentthe day on which, at Vespers, Lent is liturgically announced and inauguratedis called Forgiveness Sunday. Twitter | Great Lent ends on a Friday. The week before Great Lent, we are only required to fast from meat, not dairy products. ". It is no wonder that it begins on the Sunday of the Prodigal Son, itself a story of loss and exile, with the beautiful image of the return home as its conclusion. The day commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit in the form of flames to the Apostles, as recorded in the New Testament in Acts, 2. Box 495 South Bound Brook, NJ 08880 Offices: Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA Metropolia Center The Orthodox Faith / We invite you to prayerfully consider sharing the resources given to you by God with a donation to the Archdiocese. We ask our good God and His Most-Holy Mother to grant us strength so that this Lent may become a spiritual feast for our souls, which otherwise are atrophied by pleasures. As I advance towards the other, as the other comes to mewe begin to realize that it is Christ who brings us together by His love for both of us. Each of us has a "passion" for anger, lust, power, greed, ego, etc. Archbishop of Washington We plan to keep creating more Great Lent teaching material, so please check back for new additions! They both use a period of 40 days between the beginning and end of Lent, because of the 40 days that Jesus is said to have spent fasting the desert. Official Documents | Terms of Use | Copyright Sources. (Gospel of Cheesefare Sunday). This is the true fast: the casting off of evil, the bridling of the tongue, the cutting off of anger, the cessation of lusts, evil talking, lies and cursing. link to the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese website for the liturgics of the day, if available. Over the years, we have built quite a collection of teaching resources on Great Lent. We can eat shellfish because they do not contain blood. YouTube | The Church Year /. All rights reserved. About the Faith / As we stand at this moment, the threshold of Great Lent, with all turmoil and violence unfolding in the world, the Lenten fast comes like a spring breeze to refresh our souls. There is a forty day fast that precedes the Feast of the Nativity (November 15-December 24), a fourteen day fast that precedes the Feast of the Dormition (August 1-14), and the Holy Apostles Fast (which begins the day after All Saints Day and lasts through June 28). We have a choice. We can choose to remain on the shores of the Babylon, lamenting our loss and resigning ourselves to this present state of life or we can get up and begin the journey that leads us home. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Two of the three Hesychast saints commemorated by the Romanian Patriarchate in 2022 will be honored during Great Lent: St Symeon the New Theologian on March 12 and St Gregory Palamas on March 20 (2nd Sunday of Lent). God forgives us, and His forgiveness is in Christ, His Son, whom He sends to us so that by sharing in His humanity we may share in His love and be truly reconciled with God. And because we make this discoveryand because this discovery is that of the Kingdom of God itself: the Kingdom of Peace and Love, of reconciliation with God and, in Him, with all that existswe hear the hymns of that Feast, which once a year opens to us the doors of Paradise. We know why we shall fast and pray, what we shall seek during the long Lenten pilgrimage. Great Lent/Pascha resources. After forty days, the church celebrates the Feast of the Ascension. The Archdiocese responds to the spiritual needs of the Greek Orthodox Christian Faithful through National Ministries, providing programs and services to your local parishes, Metropolises, and you. Sunday of Orthodoxy. For many this is impracticable. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with its headquarters located in the City of New York, is an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, The mission of the Archdiocese is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the Church in the United States of America according to the Orthodox Christian faith and tradition. We also remember that Lent calls us to control not just our stomachs but our eyes, hands, feet, and mind. This is by design, and helps us intensify our Lenten efforts of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men. The stopping of these is the fast true and acceptable (Monday Vespers of the First Week). I humbly ask your forgiveness. It is before his own Master that he stands or falls." The Sunday after Pentecost is the Feast of All Saints. It is a pious practice to observe Great and Holy Friday as an absolute fast. Home / Below is a guide of some levels of fasting: **Fish is allowed on March 25 (Annunciation)and Palm Sunday; oil and wine are allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, except for Holy Saturday. Twitter | Clean Monday ( Greek: ), also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or Green Monday, is the first day of Great Lent throughout Eastern Christianity [1] and is a moveable feast, falling on the 6th Monday before Palm Sunday which begins the Holy Week preceding Pascha Sunday (Easter). On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, a total fast is kept. On the morning of that Sunday, at the Divine Liturgy, we hear the words of Christ: The most basic "passion" is hunger. The ascetic fast of Great Lent continues from Meatfare Sunday to Easter Sunday, and is broken only after the Paschal Divine Liturgy. The next forty days, which includes nearly six weeks and five Sundays, is called Great Lent. Again, Lent is not a season of deprivation, nor should we "give up" something only to get it back once Lent is over. (Doxastikon of Orthros, Cheesefare Sunday, Trans. In general, the fasting rules during Great Lent and Holy Week are as follows: WEEKDAYS (Monday Friday) are observed as Strict Fast Days. Instagram | Find out the dates, history and traditions of Equal Pay Day. Fish is not allowed with the exception on two days: on the 25th of March (Annunciation of the Virgin Mary) and on Palm Sunday. The ecclesiastical book that contains the Services of our Church which are performed during the period beginning with the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee and ends on Great and Holy Saturday, that is the Services of the movable feasts that precede Easter, is called the Triodion. As Christ tells us, our fasting is seen by our "Father who is in secret," and He will reward us for our efforts. Titus 3:9). All rights reserved. We can discover that always and everywhere Christ, the Divine Love Himself, stands in the midst of us, transforming our mutual alienation into brotherhood. During the week days of Great Lent the regular eucharistic Divine Liturgy is not celebrated in Orthodox churches since the Divine Liturgy is always a paschal celebration of communion with the Risen Lord. This Sunday was originally dedicated to Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (February 23). However, for other faiths such as Roman Catholicism, Lent ends at sundown on Thursday, April 6, which is the day known as Holy Thursday. Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead after his death by crucifixion. Hear me speedily! From the second through the sixth weeks of Lent, the general rules for fasting are practiced. The word "lent" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon 'lencten' which literally means "spring". In some faith's traditions, Lent ends on Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. Indeed, Christianity has no other content but love. Great Lent begins on Monday, March 7! The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with its headquarters located in the City of New York, is an Eparchy of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, The mission of the Archdiocese is to proclaim the Gospel of Christ, to teach and spread the Orthodox Christian faith, to energize, cultivate, and guide the life of the Church in the United States of America according to the Orthodox Christian faith and tradition. The Ecclesiastical Calendars are an annual resource published by A meeting ofthe HIERARCHS of the RTOC-MM Synod ofBishops takes place. Truly, I say to you, The Holy Metropolis of Belgium and Exarchate of Low Countries and Luxembourg will honor the memory of Metropolitan Panteleimon On Wednesday, March 1, while visiting Northern California, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America attended a Luncheon and Meeting hosted by Patriarch Theofilos III of Jerusalem expressed his deep sorrow and extended his condolences to the families of the railway Sign up for our weekly newsletter
(function() {
window.mc4wp = window.mc4wp || {
listeners: [],
forms: {
on: function(evt, cb) {
window.mc4wp.listeners.push(
{
event : evt,
callback: cb
}
);
}
}
}
})();
. Phone: (212) 570-3500Contact, Download VCFJoin our Mailing ListsDonate. Beloved children in the Lord, I conclude by directing you to keep in prayer those suffering in the calamity of war: the wounded, the grieving, and the displaced. The experience provides the faithful significant content to listen to, watch, and read; in order to lead, grow, and inspire. Fasting is an aid to help us in this. Great Lent is our much needed time of refreshment of the heart and cleansing of the soul, so that we may more clearly perceive the light of Christ on Great and Holy Pascha. Level seven -- Level four plus eliminate dairy products during all of Lent and Holy Week, Level eight -- Level seven plus eliminate oil and wine during Holy Week, Level nine -- The strict fast - no meat, fish, dairy products, wine or oil during the entirety of Great Lent. The Orthodox Christian Faith proclaims the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Apostles, and the tradition and life of the living Church worldwide through worship, communion, witness, and service. In addition, two special feastdays that fall during this period Annunciation (March 25) and Palm Sunday (April 17, this year) are kept as Fish, Wine, and Oil Days. The fasting is done so that the body and spirit are "cleansed" to prepare for accepting the Resurrection. Orthodox Lent is observed from Clean Monday to the evening of Holy Saturday and leads up to Easter Sunday, which runs from March 18 to May 7 this year. The Orthodox Easter period influences a range of festivals and events. On that unique evening, listening to the joyful Paschal hymns we are called to make a spiritual discovery: to taste of another mode of life and relationship with people, of life whose essence is love. It is a time during which we take stock of our hearts, discard the unnecessary things of this world, refocus our spiritual vision, and bring our pains and griefs before Gods healing presence. Christ shed His blood for us, so we do not consume any "blood" or "animal" products. Certain individuals and institutions are presented for reference purposes only and may not be under the supervision or jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. My beloved Faithful Clergy and Laity of our God-Protected Diocese: As we begin Holy and Great Lent this year on March 14 th, I want to share with you a few thoughts so that we may journey through this reflective period and arrive at the Great Feast of Feasts, Pascha to receive the Resurrected Christ. On other feast days, such as the First and Second Finding of the Head of Saint John the Baptist (February 24), the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste (March 9), the Forefeast of the Annunciation (March 24), and the Synaxis of the Archangel Gabriel (March 26), wine and oil are permitted. The Orthodox Observer places the Church in the context of the current world we live in through a diverse and informative experience offering participants meaningful exchange with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, her ministries, and affiliates. The Church Year, The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Facebook | E-mail: diocese@easterndiocese.org. and your father who sees in secret will reward you:' Matthew 6: 16-18 Feasts. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis, Join the Prayer Team Daily Devotionemail listand receive a reflection like this in your inbox every morning, GREAT LENT 2022 - Protocol N. 7/2022. The Holy Archdiocese does not exercise any administrative oversight or assignment authority over clergy that are not part of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. The road home, however, begins with us. "The Road Back to Christ: Reflections on Lent, Holy Week and the Resurrection", St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, FL, Level one -- Fast from meat on Wednesdays and Fridays and during Holy Week, Level two -- Fast from meat and fish on Wednesdays and Fridays and during Holy Week, Level three -- Fast from meat the entirety of Lent and Holy Week, Level four -- Fast from meat and fish the entirety of Lent and Holy Week, Level five -- Level four and eliminate dairy products during Holy Week. There is no one among us, try as we might, who is able to make it through the year without sin. Great Lent corresponds to Lent as found in Western Christianity, though the length of the periods are calculated in different ways. Search, Learn more about the Orthodox Church in America. Nor should we, as Christ warns, look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by men (Mt 6:16). We are assured in the Letter to the Galatians that For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery (Gal 5:1). Over the next forty days we break the chains of sin and evil by controlling the things which control usand so become free people. Psalm 137 is added to the service, which begins, By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept when we remembered Zion. It is a song of exile and return. The first three weeks, including four Sundays, are called the Triodion, or pre-Lenten period. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. What is Orthodox Christianity? Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Aris Metrakos to Protopresbyter, The Patriarch of Jerusalem for the railway fatality in Tempi. that your fasting may not be seen by men but by your Father who is in secret; We are united with one another on this road and we always have a strong hand to grasp for those times when we think we might fall. Facebook | As a Lenten hymn says: In vain do you rejoice in not eating, O soul!For you abstain from food,But from passions you are not purified.If you persevere in sin, you will perform a useless fast!. Site Map | Telegram | We avoid gluttony of food, but likewise we ought to avoid gluttony of all sorts: in recreation, media, or conversation with others. Religious study 4. The lenten services also make the undeniable point that we should not pride ourselves with external fasting since the devil also never eats! Your support helps us further the vital ministry work. 2023Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The Road Back to Christ: Reflections on Lent, Holy Week and the Resurrection is a series of short daily reflections on the scripture readings of Holy Week and the accounts of the Resurrection and post-Resurrection appearances of Christ. Now, forgiveness stands at the very center of Christian faith and of Christian life because Christianity itself is, above all, the religion of forgiveness. The rite of forgiveness is so important precisely because it makes us realizebe it only for one minutethat our entire relationship to other men is wrong, makes us experience that encounter of one child of God with another, of one person created by God with another, makes us feel that mutual recognition which is so terribly lacking in our cold and dehumanized world. It serves as a reminder that even in our darkest times there is always a way home. The day commemorates the Crucifixion of Jesus. So, if we can or tame our passion for eating, we can hopefully tame our other passions. as You love humanity. Telegram | At the same time, to reiterate the need for a conscience free of passions, the Church decided that the Great Canon should be read in its entirety in the fifth week of Great Lent. Facebook | Many Faithful do fast completely on Monday and then eat only uncooked food (bread, fruit, nuts) on Tuesday evening. During this period of Lent, we have the opportunity to show that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word (and by prayer, and by tears of repentance, and by prostrations, and by asceticism) that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4.4). Your support helps us further the vital ministry work. YouTube | This Lent, be especially on guard with social media, which too easily inflames our passions, devours our time, and devolves into the foolish controversies which Saint Paul warns us to avoid, for they are unprofitable and futile and only disturb our brothers and sisters in Christ (cf. Sunday, March 6, 2022. Saint Paul reminds us in Romans 14:3-4: "Let not him who eats despise him who abstains, and let not him who abstains pass judgment on him who eats; for God has welcomed him. Even though, the Syriac Orthodox . During these days, the Church announces to us the arrival of Lent as being the dawn of day that dissipates the darkness: Shining upon us as the dawn, the grace-giving Fast provides us now with a time for repentance, dispersing the darkness of our sins., And she urges us to approach it with a humble heart, The holy season ofabstinenceshines upon us all with the light of repentance, driving away the darkness of sin. The Lenten Fast rules that we observe today were established within the monasteries of the Orthodox Church during the sixth through eleventh centuries. The experience provides the faithful significant content to listen to, watch, and read; in order to lead, grow, and inspire. If we can discipline ourselves to go without certain kinds of food, we can hopefully discipline ourselves so that we can go without certain kinds of behavior that are spiritually destructive. Sunday of the Last Judgement (Meatfare Sunday) , Sunday of Forgiveness (Cheesefare Sunday) , Sunday of the Veneration of the Holy Cross , Palm Sunday: The Entrance of Christ into Jerusalem , Sunday of the Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council , 8 East 79th Street New York, NY 10075 However, Western Christendom doesn't count Sundays because Jesus is recorded as having resurrected on a Sunday, whereas Eastern Orthodox churches do count Sundays. Portions should be smaller than usual. What is the meaning of this rite? Site Map | May God keep their memory eternal. Lent is about repentance, and making small and permanent changes to bring us closer to the Lord, changes that will last long after Lent is over. Fish, oil, and wine are allowed on the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) and Palm Sunday (one week before Easter). On weekends, olive oil and wine are permitted. His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros (Lambriniadis) of America was born in 1967 in Bakirky, Istanbul. These rules exist not as a Pharisaic burden too hard to bear (Lk 11.46), but as an ideal to be striven for; not as an end in themselves, but as a means to spiritual perfection crowned in love. In the Orthodox Church, Great Lent begins on a Monday called Clean Monday, rather than Ash Wednesday, as it does in other churches. If you have a medical condition that requires you to relax the fasting guidelines, then do so. But the Church reveals to us that there are much subtler ways of offending Divine Love. In the case of All Saints parishioners, your spiritual father is Fr. In the Orthodox Church, the last Sunday before Great Lentthe day on which, at Vespers, Lent is liturgically announced and inauguratedis called Forgiveness Sunday. Stavros Akrotirianakis is the Proistamenos (Presiding Priest) atSt. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church in Tampa, FL. Instagram | Outside of Lent, it is Tradition to fast every Wednesday (in honor of the betrayal of Christ) and Friday (in honor of His Crucifixion). Volume II - Worship / 18 March, 2023 - Annual Western PA/OH Pan-Orthodox Lenten Retreat April 1, 2023 - Lenten Retreat Praying our way together during Great Lent Recent Galleries 02/25/2023 02/20/2023 Mailing Address Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA P.O. In addition to the ascetic fasting of the lenten season, the Orthodox alone among Christians also practice what is known as eucharistic or liturgical fasting. Copyright 19962023. We do not get through life without wrestling with each of these, sometimes on a daily basis. The dominant theme of this Sunday since 843 has been that of the victory of the icons. Prayer 2. Site Map | Twitter | Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent in the Christian calendar, has been observed by Britons for centuries. Fasting is a spiritual discipline that should be practiced with the oversight and direction of your spiritual father. Blessed fasting is done in secret, without ostentation or accusation of others (Mt 6.16; Rom 14). The Feast of the Resurrection is called Pascha and it begins a forty-day period of celebration. This year, Easter falls on Sunday, April. 2023 OrthodoxTimes.com - All rights reserved. +HARALAMPOSArchbishop of Dallas and Texas, +NICHOLASBishop of EdenbornVicar for the Archdiocese of North America & the Diaspora, True Orthodox Church of the Diaspora: Archdiocese of North America 2001-2023. Contact | More important, however, than fasting from food, is fasting from the behaviors that are spiritually destructive. Instead, Lenten food usually consists of plenty of olives, taramasalata, Halva, vegetables, legumes and seafood, such as calamari, octopus, shrimps, oysters, cuttlefish, mussels, lobsters etc. Great Lent begins on Monday, March 7, 2022. The Mission of The Orthodox Church in America, the local autocephalous Orthodox Christian Church, is to be faithful in fulfilling the commandment of Christ to "Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" About Great Lent, Holy Week, and Pascha. Fasting on the weekdays of the first week of Great Lent is especially severe. If a believer is accustomed to attending only the Sunday Liturgy during Great Lent, then the opportunity for a . ( Oil and wine, up until the last couple of centuries, were stored in skins of animals. Also called Quadragesima or Tessaracoste, Great Lent is a 40-day season of spiritual preparation that comes before the Feast of Holy Pascha or the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, which falls on April 24. 'Lencten' has a root in the Germanic word for long, which assigned itself to Spring as the days become longer. Thus, truly forgiveness is both the beginning of, and the proper condition for, the Lenten season. The Church eases us into the fasting discipline during these weeks of preparation as follows: The Lenten fasting discipline commences after Forgiveness Vespers on March 6 and concludes with the breaking of the fast at Pascha on April 24. YouTube | In practice, very few people are able to do this. Home / Thus, fasting is not about giving up something only to get it back. April 5, 2022. The lenten services themselves continually remind us of this. When we each ask God to open to me the gates of repentance this Lent, remember that we do not fast to earn Gods love or to impress others around us. May you have all the blessings of our Lord, God, and Savior Jesus Christ in your Lenten journey. Orthodoxy / In Greece and Cyprus, Lent is known as Saracosti, which comes from the word forty, which is the forty day period until Palm Sunday and then one more week until Easter Day making a total of 49 days of "fasting". His Beatitude, Metropolitan Tikhon /. Great Lent marks the start of the Easter cycle in the Orthodox Christian Church. Patriarch of Romania extended condolences to Greece over deadly train collision, Diaconia Social Mission takes stock of its good deeds in 2022, Head of Chancellery of Romanias PM met with Metropolitan Petru of Bessarabia, Bishop of Hui urged to observe digital fast during Lenten season, Patriarch of Romania: Forgiveness is a condition to make a good beginning for Lent, Alba Iulia Archbishop Irineu: Great Lent is a time of purification and illumination, Archbishop of America: In the face of every child we behold the countenance of God, Archbishop Makarios of Australia: As a human race, we have a great obligation to the Virgin Mary, Warm reception of the Archbishop of Cyprus by the Ecumenical Patriarch in the Phanar, Visit of Dr. Nikolaos Lygeros to the Offices of the Archdiocesan District of Melbourne, Commemoration of Metropolitan Panteleimon in Brussels, Archbishop of America elevated parish priest Fr. Give some thought to your fasting plan for Lent today! After his glorification in 1368, a second commemoration of Saint Gregory Palamas (November 14) was appointed for the Second Sunday of Great Lent as a second "Triumph of Orthodoxy." Lives of the Saints /. Fasting is also mischaracterized as a form of deprivation, rather than a spiritual discipline. The Church, in her wisdom, begins preparing us for this most-holy time in the weeks that precede the fast. Forgiveness Sunday: the day on which we acquire the power to make our fastingtrue fasting; our efforttrue effort; our reconciliation with Godtrue reconciliation.