“God is the first to reach out to us”: Bishop Bohdan Dziurakh
On November 15, the Christmas fast, also called Pylypivka, began. On this occasion, Bishop Bohdan Dziurakh started publishing thoughts from his “Toward Christmas” diary on his Facebook page. In the posts, he writes about how important it is to approach the fast spiritually so that the Nativity of Jesus Christ fills the soul with joy and God’s blessing.
On the first day of the Christmas fast, the bishop quoted Symeon of Thessalonica: “This 40-day fast represents the fast undertaken by Moses, who fasted for 40 days and nights and received the the Commandments of God written on the tablets of stone. Let us also fast for 40 days and receive the living Word of God, incarnate from the Virgin, and partake of His Body.”
It is important to remember that fasting is not just about refraining from eating. It offers us the chance to put aside our daily routine and habitual activities to turn to the path of self-discovery, helping neighbors, visiting the sick and infirm, confession and sincere repentance, and receiving communion to reflect in prayer on Jesus’ sacrifice for our salvation and eternal life.
The bishop says that the Lord, in His love for each of us, takes the first step (“You so loved your world that you gave your only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” from the anaphora of St. John Chrysostom). Therefore, we, the sons and daughters of God, need to feel His presence and follow Him on the path of faith, truth, and life so that we may celebrate Christmas with a purified soul and in harmony with ourselves and our neighbors.
“Lord, we thank you for your everlasting love for us, your children. We express gratitude for not forgetting or forsaking us in moments of confusion. Instead, you reached out to us through Your Son, extending the hand of salvation. By the power and work of the Holy Spirit, you completed this salvation in our lives. Guide us as we journey to encounter you, and may we joyfully fulfill this path of salvation throughout the coming year and our lives.”
The reflections are published in the book Toward the Nativity of Christ.
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