“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” (Matthew 5, 23-24)
Sunday, 10 March 2019, His Eminence Metropolitan Vladimir of Chisinau and Moldova officiated the Vespers with the Order of Forgiveness in the evening, at the Metropolitan Cathedral in the centre of Chisinau.
Praying with the first hierarch of the Moldovan Church was Vicar Bishop Ioan of Soroca, Vicar Bishop Siluan of Orhei, archpriest Vadim Cheibas, metropolitan secretary, and the clergy of the Cathedral.
Hundreds of clergymen and lay church-goers shared the prayers preparing for Great Lent.
At the end of the service, Metropolitan Vladimir addressed a message of arch-pastoral guidance, talking about the significance, atmosphere, and the fruit of the fast.
The hierarch asked for forgiveness from all those present, and then every clergyman and lay Christian had opportunity to ask for forgiveness personally from the arch-pastor, receiving a prayer book as a gift.
“My dear, fast is a good opportunity for fervent prayer and good acts. Spiritual fast means the fasting of our feelings – the mouth learns to abstain from untruth and inappropriate things, the eyes – not to look on tempting and destructing things, the ears – not to listen to vain talks.
Accompanied by acts that are pleasing to God, the fast enlightens a fasting person and makes him or her a chosen vessel of the glory of God.
Blessed is the one who combines spiritual fasting with the bodily one, for through abstention he gains the bright image of Christian simplicity and humility”, mentioned Metropolitan Vladimir.
Synodal Sector of Institutional Communication and Mass-Media Relations