Great Lent holds both deep spiritual and evident practical significance for believers.

Great Lent: A Journey of Spiritual Renewal

Great Lent holds both deep spiritual and evident practical significance for believers. On one hand, the fast is a personal and collective feat aimed not so much at striving for personal perfection or merely fulfilling ritual obligations, but at participating in the “today” of Christ’s Resurrection, allowing believers to experience and re-create the Savior’s life. As noted:

"Even if Great Lent is not considered merely as a time for fulfilling the annual duties of confession and communion—once a year!—it is almost always perceived as an individual, self-directed personal feat. In other words, what truly is lacking in the usual experience of Great Lent is the physical and spiritual effort directed toward our participation in the 'today' of Christ’s Resurrection…" (source: link txt).

The practical aspect of the fast is reflected in the change of believers’ lifestyles during this period. It is a time when one is required to abstain from excesses, to be attentive to both bodily and spiritual weaknesses, to engage in fervent prayer, and to actively participate in church services. For example, on Friday of the sixth week of the fast, the holy period of the Forty Days of Repentance concludes, during which, by abstaining from food, engaging in prayer, and then confessing, believers actively reform their lives:

"On Friday of the sixth week ends the holy Forty Days of Repentance, a time designated for a penitent feat. On Sunday, the entry of the Lord into Jerusalem is commemorated, marking the beginning of Passion Week—a remembrance of the Savior’s final days of earthly life. During Great Lent, everything contributes to the reformation of a person: abstaining from food and from entertainments, and engaging in earnest prayer both at home and during church services…" (source: link txt).

Furthermore, the practical significance of Great Lent is expressed in the period becoming a time of extra attentive care towards one’s soul and relationship with God. According to another source, the fast tests our abilities and the strength of our spirit:

"Remember that during the days of Great Lent, our weaknesses in the feat of prayer—or our strengths—are revealed. The Divine Liturgy, or rather the solemn liturgy, bestows upon us gifts from the Lord, while the Vespers and Matins, especially the Lenten ones, demand a personal feat from us. Thus, in the Divine Liturgy there are gifts from God, and in the other services, gifts offered to God by us." (source: link txt, page: 173).

The practical life during the fast also implies consciously setting aside extra time for God.

This is embodied in the idea of dedicating at least a tenth of the morning hours to prayer, service to one’s neighbors, and helping those in need:"Can we not offer God at least a tenth of our morning hours—say, twelve hours every week during Great Lent?

With even more fervor than at other times of the year, we must set aside time for God—for prayer, for our neighbors, by serving and performing diakonia—visiting the sick, the housebound, and the lonely." (source: link txt).

Thus, Great Lent serves as a time when believers not only retreat from the busy world but also purposefully prepare their hearts for an encounter with Christ, cleansing them of worldly attachments, strengthening their faith, and achieving spiritual renewal. It is a period in which every day takes on new meaning, providing opportunities for deep inner dialogue, redemption, and true spiritual rebirth.