The last Sunday before Lent is known in the Orthodox tradition as the Sunday of Forgiveness, a time of reflection and reconciliation, marking the transition to the period of fasting and prayer. Believers are urged to ask for forgiveness from one another in order to enter Lent with clean hearts, free from resentment and spiritual burdens. This tradition has its roots from the earliest ages of Christianity, when monks used to reconcile with their fellow monks before retreating into asceticism, and the church has preserved this custom as a spiritual landmark for all believers, IPN reports.
Fr. Adrian Postolachi, from the Church "St. Archangel Michael and Gabriel" in the village of Rotunda, Edinet district, says that forgiveness should not be just a formal gesture, but a sincere and conscious practice. On this day, churches celebrate the Vespers of Forgiveness, a special service in which prayers are said for the beginning of Lent.
"Forgiveness is the first condition for the acquisition of inner purity, without which fasting would be meaningless. Especially since our forgiveness by God is strictly conditioned by the extent to which we forgive our neighbor", explains Fr. Adrian Postolachi. Reconciliation is important not only in words but also in deeds.
For many, forgiving is not an easy thing, especially when the wounds of the past are deep, but Fr Adrian Postolachi urges the faithful to remember the divine example: "The whole moment of life needs to be lived as an encounter with God. And it follows that judgment is continuous. Essentially, forgiveness in the same way demands to be continuous". The Church offers the faithful guidance and support through prayer and the specific services of the Triod period, which prepare them spiritually for the Feast of the Resurrection.
Pentecost Sunday also marks the symbolic threshold between daily life and the period of repentance. Popular tradition has also associated this day with the idea of a "farewell feast", where people eat the last frugal foods before entering the fast, but clerics warn that the preparation for fasting must be primarily spiritual.
"It is precisely the period of Lent that helps us, in our rest and good posture, to examine our conscience and see where we have reached in life and what we still have to do," explains priest Adrian Postolachi.
Through forgiveness, the faithful prepare their souls for the light of the Resurrection, entering Lent with peace and reconciliation, both with God and with their fellow human beings. This practice is not just a tradition but a spiritual necessity. Without forgiveness, fasting loses its profound sense of spiritual cleansing.
