The Great Lent is considered the holiest fast because our Lord Jesus Christ fasted it Himself. Therefore, during the Great Lent we follow the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who fasted on our behalf forty days and forty nights (Mt. 4:2). Also, during the Holy Pascha, which comes after the forty days, we live the Passion of Christ day by day and hour by hour.

The Church declares to us that the closet is the point of departure of the journey of Lent. If it does not start at the closet then the journey of our fast has deviated from its true course. The fact that the Church starts the fast by directing us to the closet means that the fast is not only related to the flesh but it is related more to the spirit and to Kingdom of God. The week of preparation is the week of the closet.

Close Your Door

The journey starts after closing the door, the door that looks at the world. Then there opens before us another door that faces heaven, “Our Father Who Art in heaven,” “I looked, and, behold a door was opened in heaven” (Rev 4:1). Fasting is not a fetter or a prison to the senses but a soaring without hindrance towards contemplation of God.

Pray to Your Father

The Church has set a standard to the level of faith of the catechumens before they are allowed to receive the Mystery3 of Baptism. The standard is the church continues teaching the catechumens about the Lord’s prayer, starts with “Our Father” and at the moment they perceive and comprehend the paternity of God to them, they are entitled to receive the Mystery of Baptism.

Your Father Who Sees in Secret

This is the secret of the prayer of the closet which the Church perceived so allotted to it the deepest of prayers like the prayer of the five wise virgins awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom, and the prayer of the one who is at the feet of the Lord Jesus. When we are in the closet, we discover our sins…and we hold the feet of the Lord to free our feet the prodigal road, and we taste the love of God, and learn contrition, and thus the goal of the journey of our fast becomes the withdrawal of the soul into itself (in secret) where the Lord purifies it with His Blood and dedicates her a temple for Him and adorns her with His talents so that she may participate with the wise virgins in the meeting of the Bridegroom.

Since the journey is with the soul, it should be done in secret. The relationship between the human soul and Christ, is an invisible relationship that begins in the chamber. So fasting is accompanied by a reduction in talking and visits and by concentrating on spiritual readings and attending the Divine Liturgy.

Brother, our heavenly Father is calling you to a holy participation with Him in secret, through which you may start your fast, your prayers, and your alms-givings. So beware of negligence.