"Evagrius Ponticus taught, 'Against the monks who lead a life of silent contemplation the demons wage war in person, but against those who lead a life of spiritual excellence  within a church, the demons only stir up and incite the lazy.'"

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, you hear these solemn and significant words in the Rite of Orthodoxy which the Holy Church has established to be served on this day. The first week of Holy and Great Lent has ended a week of intensified prayer and ascetical repentance. Now the Holy Church, desiring to encourage and console us, has established for us in this first week of Great Lent, on its first Sunday, a spiritual celebration, one most dear and close to our hearts--the Triumph of Orthodoxy.

Every year at this time, the Metropolis of Chicago acquaints the Orthodox Christian faithful as to the Holy Lenten period worship offerings so that all may participate fully in this most Holy season.

So far we have been speaking of the Church's teaching about Lent as conveyed to us primarily by Lenten worship. Now these questions must be asked: How can we apply this teaching to our lives? What could be not only a nominal but a real impact of Lent on our existence? This existence (do we need to recall it) is very different from the one people led when all these services, hymns, canons, and prescriptions were composed and established. One lived then in a relatively small, mainly rural community within one organically Orthodox Christian world; the very rhythm of one's life was shaped by the Church. Now, however, we live in an enormous urban, technological society which is pluralistic in its religious beliefs, secularistic in its world view, and in which we Orthodox Christians constitute an insignificant minority. Lent is no longer "visible" as it was, let us say, in Russia or in Greece. Our question thus is a very real one: how can we--besides introducing one or two "symbolical" changes into our daily life--keep Lent?

"A life of fasting properly understood as general self-limitation and abstinence, to be annual practice of which the Church always calls us with the Great Lent, is really that bearing of the cross and self-crucifixion which is required of us by our calling as Christians. And anyone who stubbornly resists this, wanting to live a carefree, happy, and free life, is concerned for sensual pleasures and avoids sorrow and suffering that person is not a Christian. Bearing one's cross is the natural way of every true Christian, without which there is no Christianity" (Archbishop Averky of Blessed Memory).

As Orthodox Christians we need not only to uphold the truth but to live it daily. Remember always that you are in the presence of the Lord and your Guardian Angel. Encourage yourself to get up early and as soon you are awake, raise yourself, thinking of our crucified Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who died on the Cross for our salvation.